Auckland Representative Crew

Each year, the Auckland Dragon Boat Association (ADBA) selects a regional representative squad to compete at the New Zealand National Dragon Boat Championships.

The programme brings together paddlers, sweeps and callers from clubs across Auckland to race collectively against other regions from around the country. It is an opportunity for athletes to challenge themselves, train alongside some of the region’s strongest paddlers, and represent Auckland on the national stage.

2026 Auckland Representative Squad

The 2026 Auckland Regional Representative crews have now been confirmed.

The programme is led by Head Coach Bill Lomas, with Umar Ali joining the coaching team this year as Assistant Coach.

The selected paddlers, callers and sweeps will represent Auckland at the 2026 National Dragon Boat Championships, taking place 27–28 March at Lake Karapiro, where the region will once again compete to defend the Ben Afitu Shield.

Athletes have been selected from 10 dragon boat clubs across Auckland, highlighting the depth of talent within the region:

• Busting With Life
• City Dragons
• Dragon Riders
• Hauraki Blues
• Jaffettes
• Lion DBC
• Pink Dragons
• Random Jaffas
• Steel Dragons
• Waitemata Warriors

While clubs will also compete under their own banners at Nationals, the Auckland Representative programme brings together the region’s strongest athletes to compete collectively against other regions from around the country.

2026 Crews

Auckland will field six regional crews at the 2026 National Championships:

Standard Boats

• Premier Open 
• Premier Women’s 

Small Boats

• Senior A Open (40+)
• Senior A Women’s (40+)
• Senior B Women’s (50+)
• Senior C Women’s (60+)

Coaching team

Head Coach: Bill Lomas

The Auckland Representative Crew is led by Bill Lomas, whose focus is on building a competitive and inclusive squad that paddles hard, supports one another, and enjoying working together. Under Bill's leadership, the crew continues to uphold Auckland’s proud tradition of strength, teamwork and success on the water. Read the full story.

Assistant Coach: Umar Ali

Joining the programme this season, Umar Ali brings experience, energu and a strong commitment to developing paddlers and strengthening the Auckland squad.

About the Auckland Representatives

The Auckland Representatives are six-time winners and current holders of the Ben Afitu Shield, awarded each year at the New Zealand National Dragon Boat Championships to the region with the most victories across multiple divisions.

Renamed in 2024, the shield honours the late Ben Afitu, a respected leader in both dragon boating and waka ama. The sheild reflects Ben's generosity and wholehearted committment to paddling.

In 2025, the battle for the Shield continued at Lake Karapiro - Auckland clinched the win by 1 point over the Waikato region.

The programme offers athletes the opportunity to:

• Train alongside top paddlers from across Auckland
• Develop technical and racing skills
• Represent Auckland against other regions at Nationals
• Be part of a highly competitive regional squad

What we look for

Selection for the Auckland Representative squad is competitive. Coaches look for athletes who demonstrate strong technical ability, a positive team mindset and commitment to the programme.

Technical skill

• Paddlers with solid stroke technique
• Sweeps who set their crews up for success
• Callers who can motivate and connect with the crew

Attitude

Athletes who are coachable, adaptable and committed to supporting their teammates.

Commitment

Athletes who train consistently, push themselves to improve and fully commit to the programme.

The programme is demanding, but the rewards are significant: personal development, high-level racing experience, and the pride of wearing Auckland colours.

Previous campaigns

2025 Auckland Representative Coaches

The Auckland Dragon Boat Association was honoured to appoint Deb Camplin, Ricky Greaves and Sooupu Perese as Head Coaches for the 2025 programme.

Together they brought extensive experience, passion and leadership to the squad, guiding athletes through a successful campaign.

2025 Athlete selection