Mount Maunganui and Omanu lifesavers headline a strong Kiwi contingent planning to disrupt their trans-Tasman rivals at this year's Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

This Saturday the championships, familiarly known as 'The Aussies”, gets underway at North Kirra Bach on the Gold Coast running through to April 19.

More than 120 Kiwi athletes will compete at the year's Australian Surf Life Saving Championships. Photo: File.

In total 7000 surf lifesavers will represent 311 Surf Clubs competing across 2km of beach in more than 400 events.

Showcasing Youth, Masters and Open competition, The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships is the largest event of its kind in the world.

Among the thousands of athletes are 126 Kiwis set to represent 16 surf lifesaving clubs. A number of other Aussie-based Kiwi athletes will also be representing their Australian clubs.

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service has the largest number of athletes heading over to the competition with 44, followed by Omanu who has 21 athletes taking part.

The other clubs include East End, Waikanae, Midway, Spencer Park, Mairangi Bay, Whangamata, Orewa, Lyall Bay, Maranui, Piha, Paekakariki, Titahi Bay, Fitzroy and Red Beach.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand sport manager Mike Lord says the Aussies is always an exciting event for the Kiwi clubbies to take part in.

'The competition is always of a high standard,” says Mike, 'but our athletes are up to it and I won't be surprised if they come home with a large number of medals.”

Last year, about 30 Kiwi clubbies put on an impressive performance at the event, held in Western Australia, coming back with a total of 14 medals.

Mount Maunganui's Hamish Miller won the Under-15 boys' 2km beach run while Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club's Madi Kidd collected bronze in the under-17 women's flags.