Hi all,

Bookings have now closed and the field is set for an exciting NSW Youth Finals 2024 sponsored by Goodman Grips at Ninja Kids Erina on Sunday, August 25. We can’t wait to see what our incredible athletes from NSW, WA and VIC can achieve on our challenging two-stage courses.

Below you’ll find the official run orders and a rough schedule for the day.

But before that, a quick refresher on the format for each stage and some other house-keeping matters:

Spectators:

Spectator tickets will be required for non-competitors to watch this event at a cost of $5 per person. These can be purchased here: https://erinabookings.ninjakids.com.au/ninjakids/?e=457C313332

Course rules & demonstrations:

Given the tight turnaround from my arrival to the day of the competition, and some pre-booked events taking place at the venue, courses and rules for each stage will be available on the afternoon of Saturday, August 24 at the earliest.

We will publish the rules to our YouTube page and email you a link when they are ready, but be sure to subscribe to our channel just in case the email goes to junk or spam.

Athletes will be expected to have watched and understood the rules for each stage ahead of the competition – there will be no rules walkthrough on the day, but we will conduct reach checks to ensure athletes can access the starts of obstacles as needed.

Stage 1:

In the first stage, competitors will face a speed course with a tight time limit, and must hit the buzzer to officially progress to Stage 2. If a competitor falls on Stage 1, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

If less than 10 competitors clear Stage 1, then unofficial runs will be given to the next best performing competitors until there are 10 runners in Stage 2.

Stage 2:

In the second stage, competitors will face a more technical, challenging course with a more generous time limit, with final rankings determined by furthest fastest.

Any unofficial runners will attempt Stage 2 first, followed by official runners.

If an unofficial runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will be over and they will have to clear the course for the next athlete without attempting any remaining obstacles.

If an official runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

Results:

Live results for each stage will be posted on our website here: https://www.ninjachallengeleague.com/nsw-youth-finals-2024/

These will only be finalised after the conclusion of the event, to allow time for any reviews and challenges.

Schedule:

• 10:00am: Competitor check-in and t-shirt collection
• 10:15am: Kids Division – Stage 1
• 10:40am: Mature Kids Division – Stage 1
• 11:15am: Kids Division – Stage 2
• 11:50am: Mature Kids Division – Stage 2
• 12:25pm: K/MK Podiums and Course Changes
• 12:35pm: Pre-Teens Division – Stage 1
• 1:00pm: Teens Division – Stage 1
• 1:15pm: Pre-Teens Division – Stage 2
• 1:45pm: Teens Division – Stage 2
• 2:05pm: PT/T Podiums

Run order:

Kids Division

1. Hannah Christie – NSW
2. William Nicol – NSW
3. Axel Loop – NSW
4. Pippa Miller – NSW
5. Charlotte de Melo – NSW
6. Leia Zabarte – NSW
7. Oscar cresswell – NSW
8. Ivy Hobbs – NSW
9. Ryan Lee – NSW

Mature Kids Division

1. Duncan Mylchreest – NSW
2. Alvy Lesperance – NSW
3. Talea Cooper – NSW
4. Jack Stewart – NSW
5. Ryan Thomson – NSW
6. Ivy Fearnside – NSW
7. Bohdi Davies – NSW
8. Marcus Elwin – NSW
9. Hendrix Staley-Lobo – NSW
10. Zara Waldon – NSW
11. Asher Quist – NSW
12. Josephine Sheean – VIC

Pre-Teens Division

1. Micah Hobbs – NSW
2. Ziggy Staley-Lobo – NSW
3. Hannah Whitehouse – NSW
4. Ellie Joiner – NSW
5. Mitchell Elwin – NSW
6. Hayden Wightman – NSW
7. Hunter Hollingsworth – NSW
8. Jack Goodman – NSW
9. Kobi Roberts – NSW

Teens Division

1. Riley Zgolak – NSW
2. Joshua Thomson – NSW
3. Oliver Hojrup – NSW
4. Max Bull – NSW
5. Oliver Maughan – NSW
6. Will McAndrew – NSW
7. Jai Whitby – WA

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask – otherwise we’ll see you this weekend!

All the best,

Mark Ravi
NCL Commissioner

The courses and rules for all stages and divisions of the WA Youth Finals 2024 have been revealed:

Note, courses were updated late on 17/8 to address issues with certain obstacles.

Stage 1:

• Kids Stage 1 – 3 minutes
• Mature Kids Stage 1 – 3 minutes
• Pre-Teens Stage 1 – 2 minutes, 45 seconds
• Teens Stage 1 – 2 minutes, 30 seconds

Stage 2:

• Kids Stage 2 – 4 minutes
• Mature Kids Stage 2 – 4 minutes
• Pre-Teens Stage 2 – 3 minutes, 30 seconds
• Teens Stage 2 – 3 minutes

Athletes will be expected to have watched and understood the rules for each stage ahead of the competition – there will be no rules walkthrough on the day, but we will conduct reach checks to ensure athletes can access the starts of obstacles as needed.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask – otherwise we’ll see you tomorrow for some amazing ninja action!

All the best,

Mark Ravi
NCL Commissioner

Hi all,

Bookings have now closed and the field is set for an exciting WA Youth Finals 2024 sponsored by Goodman Grips and MCT Equipment at Ninja Academy Perth on Sunday, August 18. We can’t wait to see what our incredible athletes from WA and NSW can achieve on our challenging two-stage courses.

Below you’ll find the official run orders and a rough schedule for the day.

But before that, a quick refresher on the format for each stage and some other house-keeping matters:

Course rules & demonstrations:

Given the tight turnaround from my arrival to the day of the competition, courses and rules for each stage will be available on Friday, August 16 at the earliest. If we encounter delays, we may only be able to publish the courses on Saturday, August 17.

While Ninja Academy will be closed to the public on Saturday, August 17 for the 24-hour Pull-Up Challenge, it is our understanding that the course is due to be reset on Wednesday, August 14, so you will have an opportunity to try out some obstacles before the competition – although not every obstacle will be included.

We will publish the rules to our YouTube page and email you a link when they are ready, but be sure to subscribe to our channel just in case the email goes to junk or spam.

Athletes will be expected to have watched and understood the rules for each stage ahead of the competition – there will be no rules walkthrough on the day, but we will conduct reach checks to ensure athletes can access the starts of obstacles as needed.

Stage 1:

In the first stage, competitors will face a speed course with a tight time limit, and must hit the buzzer to officially progress to Stage 2. If a competitor falls on Stage 1, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

If less than 10 competitors clear Stage 1, then unofficial runs will be given to the next best performing competitors until there are 10 runners in Stage 2.

As there are less than 10 competitors in each division at this competition – all competitors will be guaranteed either an official or unofficial run on Stage 2 – so be sure to stick around!

Stage 2:

In the second stage, competitors will face a more technical, challenging course with a more generous time limit, with final rankings determined by furthest fastest.

Any unofficial runners will attempt Stage 2 first, followed by official runners.

If an unofficial runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will be over and they will have to clear the course for the next athlete without attempting any remaining obstacles.

If an official runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

Results:

Live results for each stage will be posted on our website here: https://www.ninjachallengeleague.com/wa-youth-finals-2024/

These will only be finalised after the conclusion of the event, to allow time for any reviews and challenges.

Schedule:

• 9:45am to 10:00am: Kids & Mature Kids competitor sign-in and t-shirt collection
• 10:00am to 10:15am: Kids Division – Stage 1
• 10:15pm to 10:30am: Mature Kids Division – Stage 1
• 10:30am to 10:20am: Kids Division – Stage 2
• 10:20am to 10:40am: Mature Kids Division – Stage 2
• 10:40am to 10:50am: Kids & Mature Kids Divisions Podiums
• 10:50am to 11:00am: Pre-Teens & Teens Division competitor sign-in and t-shirt collection + course changes
• 11:00am to 11:20am: Pre-Teens Division – Stage 1
• 11:20am to 11:35am: Teens Division – Stage 1
• 11:35am to 11:45am: Course changes
• 11:45am to 12:15pm: Pre-Teens Division – Stage 2
• 12:15pm to 12:35pm: Teens Division – Stage 2
• 12:35pm: Pre-Teens Division & Teens Divisions Podiums

Run order:

Kids Division

1. Arthur Preston –
2. James Artis
3. Chloe Harper
4. Thomas Grosser
5. Cooper Spry
6. Lara Bovari

Mature Kids Division

1. Blake Artis
2. Lilla Bovari
3. Nate Spry
4. Ronan Pietzsch
5. Dion Joyce

Pre-Teens Division

1. Hannah Markus
2. Milla Graham-Arho
3. Logan Chambers
4. Tara Pietzsch
5. Isabella Grosser
6. Kobi Roberts

Teens Division

1. Heidi McPhee
2. Noah Brown
3. Liam Joyce
4. Jai Whitby

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask – otherwise we’ll see you this weekend!

All the best,

Mark Ravi
NCL Commissioner

That’s a wrap on the SA Youth Finals sponsored by Goodman Grips!

We want to congratulate all the athletes who stepped up to compete on demanding courses at SA Base Camp on Sunday – we hope we were able to make a familiar space feel fresh and provide a new challenge to all competitors.

A special thanks to Jai Whitby from Western Australia, Kobi Roberts from New South Wales and Ella Kemp from Victoria, who all paid their own way to Queensland to compete alongside the South Australia’s finest – competitions always feel a bit more special when you get a chance to make new friends from other states.

The biggest congratulations go to our podium athletes, who rose to the occasion and in many cases, exceeded what they thought possible to secure a medal.

Kids Division

1st: Kyle Holt (SA)
2nd: Samuel Cooper (SA)
3rd: Riley Swift (SA)

Mature Kids Division

1st: Zaki Andary (SA)
2nd: Noah Roper (SA)
3rd: Savannah McSwain (SA)

Pre-Teens Division

1st: Noah Wardrop (SA)
2nd: Kobi Roberts (NSW)
3rd: Sofia Harrigan (QLD)

Teens Division

1st: Jai Whitby (WA)
2nd: Zara Dobie (SA)
3rd: Nicholas Edwards (SA)

Full results are available here: https://www.ninjachallengeleague.com/sa-youth-finals-2024/

Our thanks go out to Blake Slater and Jasmine Lelliot from Base Camp, Jobie and Taya Wright, Matilda Taylor Johnson, Angela Sabljak and the Burgoyne family for assisting with setting up and running the event.

Up next, WA Youth Finals 2024 at Ninja Academy Perth on Sunday, August 18.

The courses and rules for Stage 1 for all divisions of the SA Youth Finals 2024 have been revealed:

Stage 1:

Kids Division: Stage 1 – 3 minutes
Mature Kids Division: Stage 1 – 2 minutes, 45 seconds
Pre-Teens Division: Stage 1 – 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Teens Division: Stage 1 – 2 minutes, 15 seconds

Stage 2:

We encountered a slight delay filming the final obstacle of Stage 2, which will be filmed and uploaded as soon as Base Camp’s doors open. Apologies for the inconvenience, but stay tuned to our YouTube channel.

Competitors will not be able to attempt any of the obstacles before their official run.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask – otherwise we’ll see you soon for some awesome ninja action!

All the best,

Mark Ravi
NCL Commissioner

Hi all,

Bookings have now closed and the field is set for an exciting SA Youth Finals 2024 at SA Base Camp on Sunday, August 11. We can’t wait to see what our incredible athletes from SA, WA, NSW and VIC can achieve on our challenging two-stage courses.

Below you’ll find the official run orders and a rough schedule for the day.

But before that, a quick refresher on the format for each stage and some other house-keeping matters:

Course rules & demonstrations:

Given the tight turnaround from my arrival to the day of the competition, courses and rules for each stage will be available in the evening of Saturday, August 10 at the earliest. If we encounter delays, we may need to continue finalising filming of the demonstrations on the morning of Sunday, August 11.

We will publish the rules to our YouTube page and email you a link when they are ready, but be sure to subscribe to our channel just in case the email goes to junk or spam.

Athletes will be expected to have watched and understood the rules for each stage ahead of the competition – there will be no rules walkthrough on the day.

Stage 1:

In the first stage, competitors will face a speed course with a tight time limit, and must hit the buzzer to officially progress to Stage 2. If a competitor falls on Stage 1, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

If less than 10 competitors clear Stage 1, then unofficial runs will be given to the next best performing competitors until there are 10 runners in Stage 2.

Stage 2:

In the second stage, competitors will face a more technical, challenging course with a more generous time limit, with final rankings determined by furthest fastest.

Any unofficial runners will attempt Stage 2 first, followed by official runners.

If an unofficial runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will be over and they will have to clear the course for the next athlete without attempting any remaining obstacles.

If an official runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

Results:

Live results for each stage will be posted on our website: https://www.ninjachallengeleague.com/sa-youth-finals-2024/ but these will only be finalised after the conclusion of the event, to allow time for any reviews and challenges.

Schedule:

9:30am: Kids & Mature Kids competitors check-in, warm-up and t-shirt collection
9:45am: Kids Division Stage 1
10:05am: Mature Kids Division Stage 1
10:45am: Course changes
11:00am: Kids Division Stage 2
11:20am: Mature Kids Division Stage 2
12:00pm: Kids & Mature Kids Divisions Podiums
12:10pm: Course changes and lunch break
12:45pm: Pre-Teens & Teens Division check-in and t-shirt collection
1:00pm: Pre-Teens Division Stage 1
1:20pm: Teens Division Stage 1
1:40pm: Course changes
1:55pm: Pre-Teens Division Stage 2
2:25pm: Teens Division Stage 2
2:50pm: Pre-Teens & Teens Division Podiums

Run order:

A note on the run order: The run order for Stage 1 is based on season seeding. The run order for Stage 2 is also based on season seeding, but competitors who don’t clear Stage 1 and are doing an unofficial run, will all run before the first official competitor on Stage 2.

Kids Division

1. Riley Swift – SA
2. Samuel Cooper – SA
3. Layla Stone – SA
4. Kyle Holt – SA

Mature Kids Division

1. Cooper Granich – SA
2. Harry Loveday – SA
3. Elijah Cook – SA
4. Ella Skipworth – SA
5. Lachlan Edwards – SA
6. Daniel Green – SA
7. Hylas Cooper – SA
8. Harvey Jones – SA
9. Sebastian Daumann – SA
10. Noah Roper – SA
11. Madelyn Brown – SA
12. Ella Kemp – VIC
13. Isabel Burgoyne – SA
14. Zaki Andary – SA
15. Savannah McSwain – SA

Pre-Teens Division

1. Sophie Flavel – SA
2. Charlie Klose – SA
3. Sofia Harrigan – SA
4. Noah Wardrop – SA
5. Connor Jones – SA
6. Kobi Roberts – NSW

Teens Division

1. Zara Dobie – SA
2. Benjamin Zeitz – SA
3. Maja Papillo – SA
4. Nicholas Edwards – SA
5. Jai Whitby – WA

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask – otherwise we’ll see you in just under two weeks!

All the best,

Mark Ravi
NCL Commissioner

That’s a wrap on the QLD Youth Finals!

We want to congratulate all the athletes who stepped up to compete on demanding courses at Urban Xtreme on Saturday evening – we hope we were able to make a familiar space feel fresh and provide a new challenge to all competitors.

A special thanks to Jai Whitby from Western Australia, Kobi Roberts from New South Wales and Miles Janes from Victoria, who all paid their own way to Queensland to compete alongside the Sunshine State’s finest – competitions always feel a bit more special when you get a chance to make new friends from other states.

The biggest congratulations go to our podium athletes, who rose to the occasion and in many cases, exceeded what they thought possible to secure a medal.

Kids Division
1^st: Dominic Dows (QLD)
2^nd: Callum Nagel (QLD)
3^rd: Lucas Tibaldi (QLD)

Mature Kids Division
1^st: Donovan Bennie (QLD)
2^nd: John Stanton (QLD)
3^rd: Julian Halsall (QLD)

Pre-Teens Division
1^st: Benjamin Dows (QLD)
2^nd: Kobi Roberts (NSW)
3^rd: Dominic Halsall (QLD)

Teens Division
1^st: Jai Whitby (WA)
2^nd: Bailee Myers (QLD)
3^rd: Lily Farley (QLD)

Full results are available here: https://www.ninjachallengeleague.com/finals/ncl-finals-australian-ninja-open-2024/qld-youth-finals-2024/

Our thanks go out to Paul Russell, Katie Thomas, Hayden Ussher, Joseph Davissen, Tegan Dows, Abbey Cutts, the entire Urban Xtreme staff and team members and everyone else who assisted with setting up and running the event.

Up next, SA Youth Finals 2024 at SA Base Camp on Sunday, August 11.

The courses and rules for all stages and divisions of the QLD Youth Finals 2024 have been revealed:

Stage 1:

Kids Division: Stage 1 – 2 minutes, 30 seconds
Mature Kids Division: Stage 1 – 2 minutes, 15 seconds
Pre-Teens Division: Stage 1 – 2 minutes
Teens Division: Stage 1 – 1 minute, 50 seconds

Stage 2:

Kids Division: Stage 2 – 4 minutes
Mature Kids Division: Stage 2 – 3 minutes, 30 seconds
Pre-Teens Division: Stage 2 – 3 minutes, 15 seconds
Teens Division: Stage 2 – 3 minutes

Competitors are welcome to visit Urban Xtreme ahead of the competition beginning and train what equipment is already set up, but the full courses (and certain boxes, etc), won’t be available until the competition itself.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask – otherwise we’ll see you this afternoon for some amazing ninja action!

All the best,

Mark Ravi
NCL Commissioner

Bookings have now closed and the field is set for an exciting QLD Youth Finals 2024 at Urban Xtreme on Saturday, August 3. We can’t wait to see what our incredible athletes from QLD, WA and VIC can achieve on our challenging two-stage courses.

Below you’ll find the official run orders and a rough schedule for the day.

But before that, a quick refresher on the format for each stage and some other house-keeping matters:

Course rules & demonstrations:

Given the tight turnaround from my arrival to the day of the competition, courses and rules for each stage will be available on Friday, August 2 at the earliest. If we encounter delays, we may need to continue finalising filming of the demonstrations on the morning of Saturday, August 3.

We will publish the rules to our YouTube page and email you a link when they are ready, but be sure to subscribe to our channel just in case the email goes to junk or spam.

Athletes will be expected to have watched and understood the rules for each stage ahead of the competition – there will be no rules walkthrough on the day.

Stage 1:

In the first stage, competitors will face a speed course with a tight time limit, and must hit the buzzer to officially progress to Stage 2. If a competitor falls on Stage 1, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

If less than 10 competitors clear Stage 1, then unofficial runs will be given to the next best performing competitors until there are 10 runners in Stage 2.

Stage 2:

In the second stage, competitors will face a more technical, challenging course with a more generous time limit, with final rankings determined by furthest fastest.

Any unofficial runners will attempt Stage 2 first, followed by official runners.

If an unofficial runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will be over and they will have to clear the course for the next athlete without attempting any remaining obstacles.

If an official runner fails on an obstacle on Stage 2, their run will officially be over, but they’ll be able to attempt the remaining obstacles until their time limit expires.

Results:

Live results for each stage will be posted on our website (we will share a link once it is available), but these will only be finalised after the conclusion of the event, to allow time for any reviews and challenges.

Schedule:

• 3:30 to 4pm: Kids & Mature Kids (MK) competitor sign-in and t-shirt collection
• 4pm to 4:15pm: Kids Stage 1
• 4:15pm to 4:30pm: MK Stage 1
• 4:30pm to 4:50pm to 5:00pm: Kids Stage 2
• 4:50pm to 5:10pm: MK Stage 2
• 5:10pm to 5:15pm: Kids & MK Podiums
• 5:15pm to 5:30pm: Pre-Teens (PT) & Teens competitor sign-in and t-shirt collection + course changes
• 5:30pm to 6:05pm: PT Stage 1
• 6:05pm to 6:30pm: Teens Stage 1
• 6:30pm to 7:20pm: Pre-Teens Stage 2
• 7:20pm to 8:00pm: Teens Stage 2
• 8:00pm: PT & Teens Podiums

Run order:

Kids Division

1. Henry Neill
2. Lucas Tibaldi
3. Edward Rafter-Sharpe
4. Dominic Dows
5. Callum Nagel

Mature Kids Division

1. John Stanton
2. Hartley Smith
3. Julian Halsall
4. Donovan Bennie

Pre-Teens Division

1. Jett Woolnough
2. Flynn Jones
3. Dylan Cleary
4. Theo Chambers
5. Darcey Jenkins
6. Quinn Healy
7. Elliot Newman
8. Isabella Allen
9. Alison Szulc
10. Christian Pitot
11. Dominic Halsall
12. Kobi Roberts
13. Benjamin Dows

Teens Division

1. Elsie Koch
2. Miles Janes
3. Zachary Willis
4. Bailee Myers
5. Lily Farley
6. Stevie Klein
7. Stephen Rogers
8. Jai Whitby

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask – otherwise we’ll see you in just under two weeks!

All the best,

Mark Ravi
NCL Commissioner

With the field of NCL Finals competitors set, we can open up all remaining spots for the Australian Ninja Open to anyone born in 2011 or older – no qualifying required!

That’s right, as long as you have a 2024 NCL Membership and meet the minimum age requirement, you can sign up to take on Stage 1 of the NCL Finals to secure a spot in the Ninja Draft and be part of a team in the Australia Ninja Open.

Now, if you weren’t at the NCL Adult Finals in 2023, you might be wondering what the Australian Ninja Open is… don’t worry, we’re happy to explain it for you in a question and answer format.

What is the Australia Ninja Open?

The Australian Ninja Open is the Ninja Challenge League’s team competition format – a high-octane relay competition that requires strategy, skill and strength to succeed.

When is the Australian Ninja Open?

The Australian Ninja Open takes place alongside the NCL Finals on October 5&6, 2024. Stage One and the Ninja Draft will take place on Saturday, October 5, while the team competitions will take place after the conclusion of Stage Three on Sunday, October 6.

Where is the Australian Ninja Open?

This year’s Australian Ninja Open will be hosted at Geelong Ninjas in Victoria.

Do I sign up as an individual or as a team?

As an individual – as part of the Australian Ninja Open’s unique format, teams are formed as part of the competition itself.

What do I get with my Australian Ninja Open ticket?

An Australian Ninja Open only ticket guarantees you a run on Stage 1 of the Ninja Challenge League Finals course. If you finish in the top 90 competitors on Stage 1, you will join a team and you will be guaranteed a minimum of two team runs, up to a maximum of six team runs if your team makes it all the way to the championship round. More details on team selection and qualifying below.

What makes the Australian Ninja Open different from other team competitions?

What sets the ANO apart from other team ninja competitions is the way teams are formed. We’ve all been to team competitions where you show up to the event and one team is absolutely stacked with the best ninjas in the country who train together that almost always wins.

The ANO solves that problem by borrowing from a tried and true approach to parity used in most professional team sports (and fantasy sports leagues) – an athlete draft!

Instead of the signing up as a team, athletes enter the Australian Ninja Open as an individual and captains take turns picking ninja athletes to fill out their teams on the day of competition.

Using a snake draft system where the draft order reverses every round, it means if the captain chooses wisely, every team should have a fair chance at success – making for a much more fun competition.

It also means that each year of competition is unique – as teams will be different every year.

How does the relay format work?

The Relay Format sees four athletes from each team work together to defeat an eight-obstacle course.

The team captain assigns each athlete to a starting spot at the beginning of the 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th, and 7^th obstacles.

The athletes will attempt to clear their pair of obstacles in order and tag the next team member. Once an athlete tags the next competitor on their team, they cannot attempt any further obstacles.

If an athlete fails an obstacle, the next athlete in the order will have to make their way to the start of the failed obstacle from their starting platform and attempt to complete those obstacles in addition to their own until they reach the next athlete’s starting position.

If the replacement athlete also fails an obstacle, the next team member in the order attempts the obstacle until all athletes have failed an obstacle or completed the course.

Teams have to think carefully about where they place each athlete – do you put your best athlete at the end so they can bail out the rest of the team or do you put them on the obstacle they are best at regardless of where it sits on the course?

The relay format is about strategy as much as it is about strength and skill.

That all sounds a bit confusing, can I see it in action?

Absolutely! We promise it will make sense once you see it – here are some of our favourite runs from past events:

• The run when it all goes wrong
• The run where they risk it for the biscuit
• The run with the team effort
• The run with the breakthrough moment
• The run where it all goes right
• The run with the one-man team
• The run for all the marbles

You can also check out the Australian Ninja Open 2023 or 2021 in full:

• Australian Ninja Open 2023
• Australian Ninja Open 2021

How many rounds will there be this year?

There will be a minimum of two pool rounds for each team, followed by four rounds of team vs team elimination matches using a bracket system:

How many spots are available?

We’ve set the cap at 150 total spots across the NCL Finals and Australian Ninja Open. With 80 NCL Finals competitors confirmed, there are 70 spots available for non-Finalists.

Do I automatically get through to the Australian Ninja Open with my ticket?

No, you’ll get a chance to earn a spot in the Ninja Draft by taking on Stage One of the Ninja Challenge League Finals – whether you’re a Finalist or not.

Then how many people get through from Stage One and how many teams will there be?

A massive 90 competitors! That includes team captains and four team members for a massive 18 teams! Of the 90 total spots, 18 are reserved for team captains, with the remaining 72 for team members. That means that more than half of the maximum number of competitors will be eligible to participate in the Australian Ninja Open.

How will the captains be chosen?

Last year, we made the top-performing Young Adults from Stage One captains as it was the first year they were included as a separate division. This year, we’re making the top-performing Masters Division athletes from Stage One the team captains.

There are only 13 Masters Division aged athletes in the NCL Finals, which means as of right now they will all automatically qualify for the Australian Ninja Open as team captains.

And if you don’t mind a bit of math, that means that five more Team Captain spots are available for automatic qualification for the Australian Ninja Open.

So if you’re turning 40 this year or are older, you have a pretty good chance of automatically getting through as a team captain for the Australian Ninja Open!

What happens if there aren’t enough Masters Division competitors for each team to have a captain?

Any shortfall in Masters Division athletes will be filled by the best performing competitor born in 1985 until all gaps are filled, and then in 1986, and so on.

Where can I sign up?

Through the NCL website, or right here: TICKETS

Where can I find more information?

Full details on the Australian Ninja Open 2024 are available here: https://www.ninjachallengeleague.com/australian-ninja-open/2024-australian-ninja-open/.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to contact@ninjachallengeleague.com.