Big-time WSL surfing heading to Raglan
- editor59343
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Raglan will host the world's finest professional surfers for nearly two weeks in May after being added as a stop on the World Surf League Championship Tour.
The famed surfing town on the Waikato west coast has been confirmed as the fourth stop on the 2026 WSL circuit, Championship Tour, from May 15-25.
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“We’re excited to welcome this new location to the CT in the 50th year of the World Tour,” said WSL CEO Ryan Crosby.
“As a quality left-hander, Manu Bay, Raglan is a great addition to the tour and has been made possible thanks to valuable support from the New Zealand Government.”
Known for its left-hand point break, will stage a combined men's and women's event for the first time in New Zealand.
Taranaki hosted the elite women on four occasions in the early 2010s but the professional men's circuit has never come here.
The world's top 36 men and 24 women will compete, with New Zealand set to be allowed one man and one woman to enter as wildcards.
There is likely to be trials to find the two New Zealand representatives, with recently crowned national champions Billy Stairmand and Maya Mateja likely to be among the favourites.
The event is being backed financially by the Government's Events Attraction Package, which aims to bring high-value international events to New Zealand.
Calendar for the 2026 WSL Championship Tour:
Stop No. 1 – Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia: April 1 – 11
Stop No. 2 – Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia: April 16 – 26
Stop No. 3 – Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia: May 1 – 11
Stop No. 4 – Raglan, New Zealand: May 15 – 25
Stop No. 5 – Punta Roca, El Salvador: June 5 – 15
Stop No. 6 – Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: June 19 – 27
Stop No. 7 – Teahupo’o, Tahiti, French Polynesia: August 8 – 18
Stop No. 8 – Cloudbreak, Fiji: August 25 – September 4
Stop No. 9 – Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif., USA: September 11 – 20
Stop No. 10 – Surf Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, UAE: October 14 – 18*
Stop No. 11 – Peniche, Portugal: October 22 – November 1*
Stop No. 12 – Banzai Pipeline, Hawaiʻi, USA: December 8 – 20**
*Events feature a reduced field
**Full CT fields compete for Pipe Masters Titles