Lion Dragonboat Club

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And that’s a wrap on the 2026 Dragon Boat racing season here in Aotearoa New Zealand!!

Forty athletes from our club journeyed south from Auckland into the heart of the Waikato to compete at the NZ National Dragon Boat Championships, held at the iconic Lake Karapiro racing venue. Keen to follow up on our successes at the Auckland Regional Championships, we arrived on the first day of racing with a mix of nervous anticipation and a humble confidence.

The confidence came from knowing we’d made a number of changes to our training methodology this season and we had trained hard - both on and off the water. The nerves reflected the unknown and the awareness that our friends and rivals from clubs from across the country had also been working hard.

We’re incredibly proud of what Lion achieved this season. Our results at Nationals reflect not just race-day performances, but the commitment, resilience, and teamwork shown throughout the year by our athletes, coaches, and leaders. Our club is also super proud of our Small Boat Women’s crew, Lion Roar, who are a new crew and raced with heart and determination in all of their heats.

We know the standard across dragon boating in Aotearoa continues to rise, and we have the utmost respect for our friends and rivals from clubs around the country who continue to push the sport forward. Racing alongside you all is what makes our sport so rewarding.

A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone who supported us this season - to our supporters, followers, and whānau who cheered us on. Your belief, encouragement, and support make everything we achieve possible💜💛❤️

Day 1!

Whaaaaatt a weekend! 🌬️ Auckland Regionals were wild, with the wind bringing some serious main character energy to racing. It caused a bit of havoc during the 2km, turned the 500m races into an epic downwind, and eventually saw the 200m standard boats called off.

Well done to our four Lion crews that raced this weekend - The Pride, Simba, Mufasa, and Nala - for adapting to the conditions, putting in outstanding efforts across both days, and securing medals and top placings.

A cracking start to summer at the Christmas Super 10s! Lightning fast 200m racing, plenty of festive flair, and a clean first-place finish from Lion in the grand final. 🎄 We can't wait for the next one!

Huge congratulations to Bill Lomas on being appointed Head Coach of the Auckland Representative Crew!!

Bill has been a pillar of strength, knowledge, and leadership within Lion, and we’re so proud to see him step into this role.

Following in the footsteps of fellow Lion coaches Sooupu and Ricky, Bill continues the legacy of Lion excellence, leading the Auckland reps. 💙💙

Meet our new Head Coach – Bill Lomas

With 17 years in the sport and experience captaining and coaching across Auckland and Aotearoa, Bill Lomas is stepping into the role of Head Coach for the Auckland Representative Crew.

Passionate about helping paddlers reach their potential, Bill brings a calm, knowledgeable and approachable style to the role. His focus is on taking Auckland’s top paddlers to the New Zealand National Championships, with eyes firmly set on bringing home the Ben Afitu Shield for the seventh consecutive year.

Read more: https://www.adba.co.nz/news/adba-appoints-auckland-representative-crew-head-coach