Seven Bay of Plenty athletes have been competing in South Africa at the International Surf Rescue Challenge which started yesterday.

Australia are in first place with 116 points, NZ 105 points, South Africa 76 points, USA 57 points, Japan 46 points and Spain 40 points.

There are twelve members in the Black Fins, with seven in the team coming from Omanu, Mount Maunganui and Papamoa.

Devon Halligan – Omanu, Lochlainn O'Connor - Mt Maunganui, Max Beattie – Omanu, Murdoch Finch – Omanu, Natalie Peat – Papamoa, Olivia Eaton - Mt Maunganui, and Scott Cowdrey – Papamoa have been competing against athletes from South Africa, Australia, Japan, Spain and the USA across 23 events.

The kiwis battled their way through to clock up top placings in many of the races.

The first day of competition on Saturday saw the kiwis gaining firsts, seconds and thirds. It wasn't enough though to peg back Australia.

Olivia Corrin won first with Danielle McKenzie in second place in the Open Female Board Race. Scott Cowdrey came in third place and Max Beattie in fifth place in the Open Male Board Race.

Danielle McKenzie took first place with Devon Halligan in third place in Open Female Ski Race. Michael Lee came in third and Cory Taylor in sixth place in the Open Male Ski Race.

Australia won first place in the Open Mixed Surf Teams final with NZ in second place, South Africa third, followed by USA, Japan and Spain.

Olivia Eaton won the Open Female Beach Sprint. The Open Male Beach Sprint was won by Jackson Symonds of Australia, with NZ's Murdoch Finch in fourth place.

The Open Mixed Ski Relay was won by the NZ team, with Australia second and South Africa third. The Open Mixed Board Relay was won by Australia, with NZ second and Spain third.

Lochlainn O'Connor took third place, and Cory Taylor seventh place in the Open Male Surf Race. The Open Female Surf Race was won by Prue Davies of Australia with Natalie Peat in second place and Carina Doyle in fourth place.

Australia won the Open Male Rescue Tube Rescue, the Open Female Tube Rescue, the Open Female Board Rescue, and the Open Male Board Rescue with NZ in second place for all four races.

Olivia Corrin came in third and Danielle McKenzie in fourth place in the Open Female Ocean M race. The Open Male Ocean M was won by Kendrick Louis of Australia, with Cory Taylor in second place and Max Beattie in third place.

Olivia Eaton came second in the Open Female Beach Flags race, which was won by Elizabeth Forsyth of Australia. The Open Male Beach Flags race was won by Shohgo Horie from Japan with Kiwi Murdoch Finch coming second.

NZ won the Open Female Beach Relay with USA second and Australia third. Australia won the Open Male Beach Relay with NZ second and South Africa third.

The International Surf Rescue Challenge competition has been Kiwi ironman Cory Taylor's first as captain of the Black Fins and he says he's ready to get underway.

'It's a huge honour to captain the team,” the member of Midway Surf Life Saving NZ says.

'I'm very conscious that there have been a lot of great athletes that have gone before me but I'm also just another member of the Black Fins team.”

The open team, coached by Matt Cairns, is stacked with incredibly talented athletes, including reigning individual World Life Saving Champions, members of the 2014 and 2016 World Championship winning teams, as well as World Champions and Olympic-qualified athletes in other sports.

Joining the Black Fins in Durban, is the Under 19 junior team, which is captained by East End Surf Life Saving Club's 17-year-old Claudia Kelly.

Claudia is a member of the junior team that was crowned Youth Champions at the World Life Saving Championships in Adelaide last November.

The Junior results after Day One show Australia in the lead with 90 points and NZ in second place with 82 points.

Surf Life Saving NZ National Sport Manager Lewis McClintock has high praise for the teams, even before they hit the beach.

'Not only are these young men and women phenomenal athletes, but trained and qualified lifeguards as well,” says Lewis.

'While we do receive some funding from High Performance Sport NZ, as a charity organisation all of the athletes have had to contribute some or all of the funding to get to Durban, as well as take time away from work or study, which shows their dedication and pride in representing New Zealand.”

The International Surf Rescue Challenge competition started in 1999 as a trans-Tasman rivalry between Australia and New Zealand before expanding to include South Africa in a Tri-Nations format.

In recent years the competition has grown to include teams from Canada, Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain, Japan and the USA, with every nation encouraged to send an open and a youth/development team.

This year South Africa, Australia and New Zealand have competed against athletes from Japan, Spain and the USA. The athletes compete in 23 events incorporating a mix of individual and team races.

Test 1: Saturday September 28 T

Test 2: Sunday September 29

Test 3: Wednesday October 2

The Black Fins and the Junior Black Fins are New Zealand's national surf lifesaving teams.

Team member names and Surf Life Saving NZ clubs

Black Fins (Open)

• Cory Taylor – Midway (Captain)

• Carina Doyle - St Clair

• Danielle McKenzie - Mairangi Bay

• Devon Halligan - Omanu

• Lochlainn O'Connor - Mt Maunganui

• Max Beattie - Omanu

• Mike Lee - Mairangi Bay

• Murdoch Finch - Omanu

• Natalie Peat - Papamoa

• Olivia Corrin - Midway

• Olivia Eaton - Mt Maunganui

• Scott Cowdrey - Papamoa

Juniors (U19)

• Claudia Kelly - East End (Captain)

• Astaria Teaukura - Mairangi Bay

• Atakura Julian - Otaki

• Briana Irving - Waikanae

• Christy Tate - Waikanae

• Fletcher Moles - East End

• Georgie Pitkethley - Waikanae

• Joe Collins - Fitzroy

• Lachie Falloon - Waikanae

• Louis Clark - Taylors Mistake

• Sasha Reid - Fitzroy

• Seven Mapu - Waikanae