NEWCASTLE, New South Wales, Australia (Friday, March 26, 2021) - The World Surf League (WSL) 2021 Championship Tour (CT) will head to the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup presented by Corona for the first stop of the Australian leg. The event window opens on April 1 and will host the world's best surfers through April 11.
For the first time in over two decades, surfers will be competing for World Title points in New South Wales, and for the first time in almost 30 years, they'll be doing so in Newcastle, a city steeped in professional surfing history. The Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona will see the WSL Championship Tour descend on Merewether Beach with exciting match-ups expected from the opening Rounds.
Heat 4 of Women's Round 1 will see seven-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) take on Johanne Defay (FRA) and Bronte Macaulay (AUS), with all three competitors having won events at Merewether in the past.
The men's draw is filled with possible favorites as five of the last seven Qualifying Series (QS) winners at Merewether will compete in this year's CT competition. Injury replacements Mikey Wright (AUS) and Matt Banting (AUS) will come into the draw to replace Kelly Slater (USA) and Kolohe Andino (USA), respectively, as the American duo recover from foot and ankle injuries.
Watch LIVE
All the action from the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners.
Free Ticket Reservations for Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona
Due to COVID-19 regulations limiting crowd size, the WSL is requiring fans to reserve FREE tickets to the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona. Since demand will be high, the WSL is using Ticketek's balloting system to randomly and fairly distribute tickets through their computer-generated algorithm. Please read the WSL's event guide for more information and FAQs on ticket reservations. Reserve your FREE tickets at wsl.tv/NewcastleTickets.
Select Your Newcastle Picks Now for WSL CT Fantasy
WSL CT Fantasy is now open for the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona. Fans can create their leagues and set their teams ahead of the first event of the Australian leg.
WSL CT Fantasy is fully reimagined for the 2021 season. Register now and check out all the new features:
- Power Surfers let you catch up quickly and give you 2x the points for one male and one female surfer on your team.
- Combined teams create higher scores than ever before.
- Progressive scoring means events are worth more as the season goes on.
- Editing teams mid-event ensures you never have a surfer knocked out early.
Players can register now at ctfantasy.worldsurfleague.com and on the free WSL app.
COVID-19 Updates
Due to COVID-19 regulations limiting crowd size, WSL is requiring fans to reserve FREE tickets to our upcoming Australian competition. To learn more, please read the WSL's event guide for information on free ticket reservations and FAQs. Reserve your FREE tickets at wsl.tv/NewcastleTickets.
The WSL will implement a robust and thorough COVID-19 health and safety plan for each event during the Australian leg of the CT in accordance with federal and state guidance. The WSL's health and safety plan includes physical distancing measures, temperature checks, enhanced high-touch cleaning at the event site, contact tracing procedures, sanitizer stations throughout the event site, and minimal personnel on-site.
All traveling athletes and support staff must complete the mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine and receive medical clearance from public health officials before entering the general community.
Due to COVID-19, the Australian CT events will run based on state border closures, strictly adhering to federal and state government guidelines and restrictions. All tour stops and dates subject to change due to applicable COVID-19 related restrictions, including global travel restrictions.
The Rip Curl Newcastle Cup pres. by Corona is proudly supported by our partners Rip Curl, Corona, the NSW Government's tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, The City of Newcastle, Red Bull, Oakley, Hydro Flask, Harvey Norman, Bonsoy, Boost Mobile, Dometic Outdoor, Bond University, BF Goodrich, Burton Automotive, and Oakberry.