With the Rena oil spill close to being cleaned up, the Papamoa Rotary Club has announced that the 2012 ITM Kahawai World Cup will go ahead as planned, March 16-18, 2012.

An image from last year's successful event where nearly 400 surfcasters participated over two days.

The inaugural competition was held in March this year and was enjoyed by almost 400 anglers despite appalling weather conditions.

ITM Building Supplies is again the major sponsor giving with the main prize of $10,000 and a gold cup for the heaviest Kahawai caught over the weekend.

Club spokesman Fraser McCullogh expects the total prize pool to exceed $40,000, making this one of the most lucrative surfcasting tournaments in New Zealand.

Due to the large number of anglers in the 2011 competition, and due to their favorable comments, entries are expected to increase in 2012.

Organisers suggest anglers enter as soon as possible to guarantee a shot at the big prize.

Entries are now being accepted at www.kahawaiworldcup.com

Early bird entries prior to January 31, go in the draw for an LG 42inch Cinema 3D Smart TV with a retail value of $2249.