The Redcliffe Red Dragons turned their season’s training into national success, bringing home two Australian championship titles and a complete set of medals after a standout showing at Lake Kawana, where crews from across Australia gathered for the national dragon boat championships.
The achievement came at the 2026 Australian Dragon Boat Championships, held at Lake Kawana on the Sunshine Coast from 18 to 23 April, where the Redcliffe club fielded 29 paddlers across Senior A, Senior B and Senior C divisions.
By the end of the competition, the club had collected gold, silver and bronze medals while placing multiple crews in finals against Australian crews and an overseas invitational crew.
Senior B Women Claim Two National Crowns
Leading the charge was the Redcliffe Red Dragons Senior B Women’s 10s crew, which continued the strong form it had shown earlier in the season. The crew secured Australian championship honours in the 500-metre event after finishing as the highest-placed Australian team in a race that included an invitational crew from New Zealand.
The paddlers then backed up that performance by winning the 2-kilometre event outright, earning a second national title and adding a gold medal to the club’s growing tally. Their results gave Redcliffe one of its strongest national campaigns.
Medal Success Extends Beyond One Crew
The club’s success was not limited to a single division.
Redcliffe’s Senior A Mixed 10s crew added a bronze medal in the 200-metre event, while several other crews advanced deep into competition against national fields.
Across the three days of senior racing, almost every Redcliffe crew progressed to finals or came within striking distance of qualification. Two crews narrowly missed finals by margins of just 0.04 seconds and 0.65 seconds, illustrating how competitive the championships were and how close the club came to adding further finals appearances.
The Senior A Open 10s crew also delivered a strong campaign, reaching semi-finals in the 200-metre event and recording a fifth-place finish in the 500 metres.
Pink Snapdragons Make Their Nationals Debut Count
There was further cause for celebration within the wider Redcliffe dragon boating community through the efforts of the Redcliffe Pink Snapdragons Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Club.
Competing at the national level for the first time, the Pink Snapdragons reached the finals in both the 200-metre and 500-metre events against a field of 12 crews.
The club finished fourth in the 200 metres and sixth in the 500 metres, producing a memorable debut on the national stage. Their performances added another layer to an already successful championships campaign for the broader Redcliffe dragon boating community.
Local Waters Help Shape National Success
Based at Talobilla Park in Kippa-Ring, the Redcliffe Red Dragons train throughout the year on the Newport canals and Moreton Bay.
Club registrar, coach and paddler Iciar Argus credited the season’s preparation and commitment from paddlers, coaches and support crews for the results achieved at Lake Kawana. Club representatives noted that the performances reflected the effort invested throughout the season and provided strong momentum heading into future state and national competitions.
Founded in 2005, the club has grown to more than 95 members and says it welcomes new paddlers interested in the sport. The club says dragon boating is one of Australia’s fastest-growing water sports and welcomes newcomers interested in learning the sport and becoming part of a team environment.
Published 5-May-2026
