World Rogaining Championships -2006

World Rogaining Championship Warrumbungles Australia 2006
The Commonwealth Games is not the only international sporting event coming to Australia this year. In October, enthusiasts will gather in north-western New South Wales for the 7th World Rogaining Championships.This unique endurance and bush navigation sport was home grown in Australia in 1976 and exported across the globe. The first world championships were held in Victoria in 1992, and rogaining has become popular in New Zealand, the USA, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Ireland, Canada and Russia.Rogaining is a sport for teams of two to five people, travelling on foot and navigating with map and compass to control points of various values, scoring points at each control point. Each team develops their own strategy and visits as many control points as they can in a set time period, in the order of their choice. At the finish teams are ranked according to their score and finish time.The World Championships are being organised by the NSW Rogaining Association, under the auspices of the International Rogaining Federation. A spectacular location has been selected - in and around the Warrumbungle National Park near the town of Coonabarabran, about 6 hours by road from Sydney. The course will be set by the current Australian champion Mike Hotchkis and is bound to be challenging and interesting.The top teams might travel more than 100 km during the 24 hour event, but all comers are welcome to what must be the most inclusive world champs around. Team categories include male, female, mixed, open, junior, veterans, super veterans and family. The clock starts at high noon on Friday 13 October and finishes at noon on Saturday 14 October, 2006.Entries opening the week beginning the 6th of March 2006. For full details see the 7WRC 2006 website at www.rogaine2006.com.au