It’s a sporting rivalry that continues to bring out the combative best in both nations – across all frontiers – and in October another chapter will be written when Australia and New Zealand lock horns at the 2025 FIM Oceania Trial Championship in New Zealand.
This year’s event will also enjoy an extra celebratory tone, marking 50 years since the first FIM Oceania Trial Championship was held in 1975 – then known as the ‘Trans Tasman Trophy Challenge’.
The 2025 championship will be held in the Taranaki region of the North Island from October 25-27, with Australia the defending champion after winning the 2023 event in the Barossa Ranges (SA) as part of the Australian Trial Championship.
This time around, the FIM Oceania Trial Championship will be held alongside the New Zealand title, with the FIM Oceania component to be contested over a minimum of three grades – all the way from expert to juniors.
Each nation can nominate up to two riders per grade, with riders expected to compete in the grade they regularly ride in their home country.
Riders in each class will be ranked daily and, after all three competition days, points from all eligible classes will be totalled and the nation with the highest total will be declared the FIM Oceania trial champion.
Expressions of interest to compete for both teams will be launched shortly.
The FIM Oceania Trial Championship has produced highlights galore over the last six decades. More recently, New Zealand rode out of its skin to defeat Australia at the Barossa Valley in 2017 before Australia repaid the compliment at Christchurch in 2018.
In 2023, the championship again went down to the wire, with Australia winning by just 6pts after three days of intense competition.
The ledger has New Zealand currently leading on 13 victories, ahead of Australia on 12.
For Australian riders, competing in New Zealand always comes with a unique set of challenges, including the three-day format and the use of different locations – which will again be the case in 2025.
“The FIM Oceania Trial Championship is one of the great sporting contests between Australia and New Zealand, and I’m delighted to see it being held again in 2025,” said Peter Doyle, the president of FIM Oceania.
“The recent battles have been epic, with that famed Trans-Tasman rivalry alive and well as the competitive instincts of both nations really come to the fore.
“But the event – and that holds for all the FIM Oceania events – is much more than just pride: it’s the camaraderie and mutual respect shown by both teams that really makes it something special.”
FIM OCEANIA TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROLL OF HONOUR
• 1975 AUSTRALIA: Peter Paice, Alan Kerney, Steve Johnson
• 1976 NEW ZEALAND: Greg Power, Chris Harris, Peter Grinter
• 1977 AUSTRALIA: Peter Paice, Peter Luscombe, Chris Leighfield
• 1978 AUSTRALIA: Peter Paice, Jeff Gough, Peter Luscombe
• 1979 AUSTRALIA: Peter Paice, Criag Gillies, Dave Goldsmith
• 1983 AUSTRALIA: Steve Johnson, Steve Chapman, Mark Dobson, John Rees
• 1984 NEW ZEALAND: Paul Symons, Andrew Clement, Dean Clement, Kevin Pinfold
• 1986 AUSTRALIA: Steve Chapman, Don Murray, Steve Hope, Brenton Hogan
• 1989 NEW ZEALAND: Andrew Poad, Stefan Merriman, Elliot Kent, Stephen Oliver
• 1993 NEW ZEALAND: Stefan Merriman, James Lawton, Craig Wassell, Warren Laugesen
• 1999 NEW ZEALAND: James Lawton, Warren Laugesen, Wayne Thompson
• 2000 AUSTRALIA: Rob Jones, Lee Driessens, Colin Zarczynski
• 2001 NEW ZEALAND: Warren Laugesen, Jason Baker, Andrew Poad
• 2002 NEW ZEALAND: Warren Laugesen, Jason Baker, Andrew Poad
RENAMED THE ‘OCEANIA CHALLENGE, AND NOW THE FIM OCEANIA TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIP
• 2003 NEW ZEALAND: Warren Laugesen, Jason Baker, Karl Clark
• 2004 AUSTRALIA: Dylan Rees, Kevin Zarczynski, Michael Byrne
• 2007 NEW ZEALAND: Jake Whitaker, Matt Foster, Kevin Pinfold
• 2008 AUSTRALIA: Boyd Willcocks, Jaragan Hale, Jack Kavanagh
• 2009 NEW ZEALAND: Jake Whitaker, Stephen Oliver, Peter Oliver
• 2010 NEW ZEALAND: Jake Whitaker, Stef Downes, Warren Laugesen, Gabby Gundry
• 2012 NEW ZEALAND: Jake Whitaker, Karl Clark, Stef Downes, Blake Fox, Liam Draper
• 2015 AUSTRALIA: Kyle Middleton, Kristie McKinnon, Rob Jones, Mack Hartshorn
• 2017 NEW ZEALAND: Carl Robson, Dylan Ball, Hannah Rushworth
• 2019 AUSTRALIA: Kevin Zarczynski, Sarah Chivers, Tom Woodhouse
• 2023 AUSTRALIA: Luke Anderson, William Thornbury, Jack Salter, Mitchell Teale, Matt Hannaford