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Welsh Team Selection Criteria 2025

Only athletes who are a member of SLSA Wales & either born in Wales or have Welsh heritage are eligible for Selection.  The Welsh team will be selected based on the best athletes available and are selected based on attendance and performance at the ranking event. The selection decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

The 2025 Welsh Senior Team will consist of 6 Male and 6 female athletes. Open Team ages 16+ (Competitors who turn 16 years of age on or before 31st December 2025).

The 2025 Welsh Youth Team will consist of 6 Male and 6 female athletes. Youth Team ages 15 to 18 (Competitors who turn 15, 16, 17 and 18 years of age on or before 31st December 2025).

The selected team will compete at the Filcow Competition in Belgium, which is due to be held on the weekend of the 5th and 6th July 2025 and the Celtic Cup Challenge on 6th September 2025. If competitors are not available for the Belgium competition, they are to make this known on the Athlete Declaration Form.

Selection Criteria:

  • Competitors must be in good standing with SLSA Wales and available for the Celtic Cup competition on 6th September 2025.
  • Attendance at the Welsh Ranking on 24th & 25th May 2025 is mandatory to be eligible for selection.
  • Attendance at the Welsh Ocean Championships is desirable, to show commitment to the sport and continual training. Further details will be provided on the Athlete Declaration form.

 

Ranking Event –Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th May 2025 Whitmore Bay, Barry Island

This year the Welsh ranking will follow the format of the GBR team ranking. It will be one ranking taking place over a full weekend consisting of 3 rounds of each individual event.

An Athlete Declaration Form will come out prior to the ranking for athletes to declare interest and events.

Selectors will look at all the results from the whole weekend, if the athlete proceeds to drop out of any of the events they have entered, the rest of those results for that event will be made void, unless there is an extenuating circumstance that arises on the day,  E.g. if you race in the first board race, then you have to race in the second and third board race, for the results to count.

Events to be contested:

3x Sprints, 3 x Flags, 3 x Swim, 3 x Board, 3 x Ski and 3 x Oceanman /Oceanwoman.

 

Competitors will be expected to race in at least 3 individual disciplines. This is due to not knowing what the wildcard event will be. It does not matter if the third event is weaker than your two main events.

For the ranking event, the youth and open will enter each event as one group, and the team managers will pick the competitor for either the youth or open team to obtain the best team possible.

For beach sprints, the youth will run in their own age group up to the last 4; the open will run for the same, and then the ages will be combined to run a final of 8. To ensure fairness, if there are not enough seniors for heats, then a heat will be run, with each competitor going through to final. The flag events will be run separately.

 

Full trial programme and entry procedures will be announced at a later date.

 

 
 
 
 
 

CALL FOR GBR TEAM ATHLETE SELECTION DECLARATIONFOR THE 2024 ILS LIFESAVING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

The GBR Lifesaving Team Administration is calling now for eligible athletes to formally declare to participate in the Selection Process to become a member of the GBR Lifesaving Youth and Open Teams to compete at the ILS World Lifesaving Championships. Selection is open to any athlete who is a full current member of either RLSS UK, SLSA Wales or SLSGB who will be able to meet the selection criteria. For full details of how to apply and to access the conditions and Invitation to declare please click here                                                                                                                   GBR Lifesaving Team Administration oneteamadmin@slsgb.org.uk  (On behalf of the One Team Advisory Group)

"The association aims to develop and improve National and International standards of life saving on the beaches of Wales, whilst co-operating with all organisations with similar aims."

 

Peter Lake, MBE - SLSA Wales President

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You will find the latest information...

You will find the latest information...

You will find the latest information...

History

Surf Life Saving originated in Australia in the early 1900s with the growth of seaside towns and the interest in swimming. Surf Life Saving was then introduced into Great Britain in 1955 in Bude, St Agnes in Cornwall and Brighton in Sussex.Clubs were formed in Wales during the mid 1960s at Aberavon, Atlantic College , Barry, St Johns , Llantwit Major, Pen-y-bont, Porthmawr & Rhoose.Throughout 1967, leading into the winter of 1968, discussions took place between Charles Thomson, Leader of the Extramural Department at Atlantic College, John David and a number of other people, notably Reg Whittle, Frank Clark and Alf Thomas, in creating the Surf Life Saving Association of Wales.  In the spring of 1968, John David was elected as the first Chairman, Reg Whittle as Secretary and Margaret Whittle as Treasurer.

About Surf Lifesaving

Surf Life Saving Association WALES is a not-for-profit Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Number ~ 1157762. Thirty-one voluntary lifeguard clubs currently affiliate to SLSA Wales from Jacksons Bay , Barry in the east to Aberystwyth in the west and Rhosneigr on Anglesey in the north.   Covering every Local Authority from the Vale of Glamorgan to Gwynedd and Anglesey in north Wales.  The majority of our lifesavers complete patrols on the weekend and in their own free time.

 

The primary aims & objectives are to save lives, to develop and improve National and International standards of life saving whilst co-operating with all organisations with similar aims. We also aim to provide the facilities for young people to participate in organised life saving activities and sports competitions.

 

We are governed by a management board of trustees who are supported by four commissions representing Lifesaving, Powercraft, Sport and Youth. The Commissions are responsible for delivering the annual management plan to support the Board's strategies that will see the organisation fulfil its purpose.

Our Volenteers

Surf Lifesaving in Wales, would not exist without its army of volunteers and it is almost impossible to overstate our gratitude to the many thousands of community focused members who have contributed to this.  Below are some of these volunteers, who we have recognised in some small way of the years:

 

LIFE MEMBERS

Michael Allen                     Gerald Bassett                       Lyle Bluck                 Glenn Clatworthy            John David                            Martin John              Chris Parry                       Paul Scarborough             Peter Lake. MBE.             James Marks                Colin Morris                         Paul Edwards  Andrea Pennell                 Philip Rees                          Tony Rees                 Dallas Robinson           Elizabeth Thomas                Patrick Thomas                

DECEASED LIFE MEMBERS

    Essex Havard                          Frank Smith                      Charles Thomson. MBE. O.St.J.        Douglas Williams                     Alf Thomas                       Peter Derbyshire                      David Lewis                                  Reg Whittle                                Gerald Cooper             Dr George Middleton.MBE

 

LIFESAVER OF THE YEAR

1996     Aled Rees                          Poppit Sands          

1997     Gerald & Gloria Davies  Rest Bay

1998     Peter Lake                        Penybont                  

1999     Glen Clatworthy            Sker

2000    Karen O'Donoghue-Harris   Rhoose                    

2001     James Marks                Sker

2002    Tony Rees                         Aberavon                  

2003      Peter Morgan              Penybont   

2004     Lisa Pritchard-Evans        Aberporth                  

2005      Chris Parry                  Porthmawr

2006    Nigel Martlew                     Rhoose                    

2007      Martin John                 Aberavon

2008    Craig Robinson                  Penybont                  

2009      Gary Pyke                   Llantwit Major

2010    Andrea Pennell                 Llantwit Major            

2011      David Murphy              Penybont

2012    Craig Robinson                 Penybont                  

2013      Phil Rees                     Rhondda

2014    Lyle Bluck                         Kenfig Sands            

2015      Steve Chambers           Aberavon

2016    Julie Wisden                    Penybont                   

2017      David Allen                   Penybont

2018    Jennie Pitt                       Llantwit Major             

2019      Shan Parry                   Porthmawr

2020    Hugh Murray                   Sker and Pink Bay     

2021      Simon Perry                 Rhoose

2022    Andy Morgan                  Rest Bay

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