The Australian Rogaining Association plans to relaunch the Australian University Rogaining Championship in 2007. This event will be held annually in conjunction with the Australian Rogaining Championships. The late Nigel Aylott was a strong supporter of this initiative and a perpetual trophy will be created and named in Nigel’s honour.

The ARA, as part of the application process for certification to Australian University Sport (AUS), must receive pledges of in-principle support from at least five universities from at least two different states. As an incentive for university student groups to not only pledge, but participate in the Championships, the travel costs of one team from each state will be covered in full.

State rogaining associations will be responsible for appointing a university liaison officer to publicise the Championships, determine qualification for the state funded team and ultimately select the winners of the travel bursary each year.

The sport of rogaining has its history strongly entwined with intervarsity competitions. In 1963 Max Corry proposed the establishment of an intervarsity competition and in 1964 unofficial contests began between Melbourne, Monash, Adelaide and Newcastle Universities. In 1968 David Hogg drafted the rules for the ‘24 Hour Orienteering Contest’, so that it could become an official intervarsity sport. This initial intervarsity event was held in Victoria on 31 May 1969 in the Blackwood-Daylesford area. It was the first rogaine-style event: a score course, using orienteering markers, with similar rules to today.

Official intervarsity competitions were held from 1969 to 2000, but the event lapsed. Representatives from universities have from time to time attempted to restart the ‘Australian University Rogaining Championship’ but lack of funds and co-ordination amongst the state rogaining associations has in the past stymied progress.

Full time university students are invited to organise teams now for the 2007 ARC near Alice Springs 28-29 July 2007. Event details on the ARC 2007 web site