The Silva SuperSeries 2009

Pencil the date Monday, January 5 into your orienteering diary.

That’s the date the 2009 Silva Super Series is set for kick-off when New Zealand’s leading elite orienteers sprint into another exhilarating competition begining at the Oceania Orienteering Champs.

As always, there will be no shortage of talent on offer from the three regions, Northerners, Central Magic and Southerly Storm.

Southerly Storm, as defending team champions, have lost some pretty hefty personnel with Chris Forne, Aaron Prince and Sara Wallen in Europe but will still begin the campaign as the team to beat with great depth in Carsten Jorgenson, Michael Adams, Matt Scott, Jamie Stewart, Tane Cambridge, Riki Cambridge, Jenni Adams and Lara Prince who will all be running at Oceania.

The Northerners, who pushed Southerly Storm early in the 2008 season, will surely be after the title this time around. Making a welcome return to the Northerners team is Tania Robinson who rested out the 2008 season. The Northerners can also count on the reliable navigating services of Darren Ashmore, Mark Lawson, Simon Jager, Greta Knarsten, Claire Paterson, Rebecca Smith and junior sprint super star Thomas Reynolds.

Central Magic finished at the bottom of the ladder in 2008 and will be without New Zealand number 1 Ross Morrison and two other top runners in Bryn Davies and Perit Klade but will definitely be a team to watch with the rising star of New Zealand orienteering Lizzie Ingham leading the charge. She will be ably backed up by a host of internationals including James Bradshaw, Amber Morrison and world adventure racing champion Brent Edwards as well as a new bunch of Hawkes Bay junior teerers including Scott MacDonald and Duncan Morrison.

After the first leg of the series at Oceania, the competition will move to the Manawatu over Waitangi Weekend, to be followed by 3 hotly contested events at the New Zealand Orienteering Championships (which doubles as the selection races for the World Games and World Orienteering Championships) before finishing at the Queens Birthday three day hosted by Central Districts clubs.