As the 2025 Sharkskin NSW IRB Premiership Series descends on Avoca Beach for the third and penultimate round, instincts will be sharpening and patient pick-ups practiced and perfected, with all categories, as well as the Overall Point Score title, very much up for grabs.
Lending from golfing terminology on the professional tour that Saturday (the third round of a four-round tournament) is moving day, clubs will indeed be looking to make a move this weekend on the Central Coast with just two more chances to earn podium places and adjust their racing techniques ahead of the State Championships at the end of June.
Two-time defending champion, Caves Beach SLSC holds a narrow lead over South Coast powerhouse, Kiama Downs SLSC in the overall scoring, while both North Cronulla SLSC and Thirroul SLSC will consider themselves in with a shot of not just third place on the dais but pushing the lead pair all the way.
High-octane rounds at Ocean Beach and Fingal Beach have laid the foundation for a huge weekend of racing at Avoca Beach, with some teams looking to continue perfect starts after winning their category in both rounds to date.
Outside of the overage categories the strength and depth of the competition has come to the fore, with the Rookie, Open and U23 age groups seeing a wide variety of winners across the race weekends to date. Only a select few have emerged victorious more than once.
Newport SLSC’s Foam Fighters in the Open Male Tube, Thirroul’s Knot Shore in the U23 Male Rescue, South Maroubra SLSC’s Chick Ahoy in the U23 Female Rescue, and Queenscliff SLSC’s Old Mate Over 45 Open Tube team are all unbeaten, while Kiama Downs and Caves Beach account for nine teams that have dominated their categories so far.
The former boasts five unbeaten teams across the Over 35 and Over 45 categories, and a further three single race weekend wins in different categories of the same age groups.
Round 3 of the 2025 Sharkskin NSW IRB Premiership will be contested at Avoca Beach from 31 May to 1 June.
OVERALL POINT SCORE AFTER ROUND 2
Caves Beach – 288
Kiama Downs – 267
North Cronulla – 206
Thirroul – 205
Bondi – 164
South Maroubra – 142
Newport – 139
Queenscliff – 124
Nobbys – 108
North Avoca – 73
Maroubra – 41
Forster – 40
Bungan Beach – 6
Ocean Beach – 6
Fingal Beach – YET TO SCORE
Tuesday 27 May 2025