New Zealand has just named its team to contest the Oceania Women’s Motocross Championships in Australia next month.

The event, scheduled for Wonthaggi, south of Melbourne, on the weekend of March 21-22, will pit the best four-rider teams from Asia, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand against one another.

The squad that Motorcycling New Zealand (MNZ) has selected for New Zealand are international star Courtney Duncan, from Palmerston in north Otago, Raetihi’s Karaitiana Horne, Taupō’s Mikayla Griffiths and Hamilton’s Amie Roberts, with Nelson’s Milla Dahlenburg nominated as the non-travelling reserve. Roberts is the team captain.

Rotorua’s Letitia Alabaster, herself an extremely talented racer and a member of New Zealand’s Oceania Women’s Motocross team in 2024, will act as assistant team manager.

Ray Broad, the MNZ rep on the MX commission for FIM Oceania and the team manager, said he was thrilled to be racing in Australia, and it was fantastic to have four-time former women’s motocross world champion Courtney Duncan to spearhead the team.

“It’s great to see her back to racing after recovering from illness. She’s 100% committed to it.

“We’re a little ahead of the game this year too, prepared to cover ourselves in the event of an injury, with Milla on standby.”

Broad said each of the teams they will face will no doubt include their top riders and they have plenty to choose from.

“We know they will be a force to be reckoned with,” he said.

“So, while all the teams will be strong, it’s nice to go over and be confident. We will be strong too, but we are not underestimating the opposition.”

There will be three races for the women competing at Wonthaggi, with two of them run in conjunction with the Australian Women’s Motocross Championship round being staged there, while the third race will be a standalone featuring the Oceania competition riders only.

– Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com