With agreements that secure significant investment and infrastructure support for our sport while giving our members ample planning time, we are delighted to award Mildura Swimming Club with the 2025 and 2027 Country LC Championships, and Barwon South West Swimming Association (Geelong) the 2026 Country LC Championships.
The 2025 and 2027 Country LC Championships will be held at Mildura Waves, showcasing a powerhouse partnership between Mildura Rural City Council, Aligned Leisure and Mildura Swimming Club.
Mildura Rural City Council have allocated $100,000 from their 2023/24 capital works program for infrastructure upgrades to assist Mildura Swimming Club in purchasing a fully automatic timing system and scoreboard.
Mayor of Mildura Rural City Council, Liam Wood said, “Hosting the 2025 and 2027 Victorian Country LC Championships is a major coup for our region and for the sport of swimming in our municipality. These prestigious events will attract a whole host of new visitors, who we look forward to welcoming with open arms and showcasing our wonderful city and surrounding towns too.
They’ll also help further raise the profile of swimming as a sport in our community and all the social and physical wellbeing benefits it provides. I’d like to thank both the Mildura Swimming Club and Swimming Victoria for bringing the Victorian Country LC Championships to our region”
Aligned Leisure Mildura Manager, Caitlin Simmons said, “The Mildura region has a proud and long-standing history of competitive swimming, making us proud to partner with Mildura Swimming Club and Mildura Rural City Council to once again bringing an event of this calibre to Mildura Waves. Our sincere thanks goes to Swimming Victoria for recognising the efforts of the many hard-working committee members and volunteers that make up the Mildura Swimming Club and entrusting our community with the great honour of hosting these events for our State. Following the success of the 2022 event, we look forward to bringing to life the 2025 and 2027 events in an even bigger and better way!
Mildura Swimming Club President, Brendan Dean said, “The Mildura Swimming Club is proud to be hosting the 2025 and 2027 Victorian Country LC Championships as it allows us to exhibit the wonderful region we live in to the best country swimmers in Victoria. We look forward to welcoming the participants, their clubs, coaches, family and friends. Our partnerships with the Mildura Rural City Council and Aligned Leisure will allow us to ensure that these championships have a lasting legacy on swimmers throughout our region. On behalf of our committee, volunteers, and all of our members I would like to thank Swimming Victoria for this honour, we can't wait to see you all here next summer!”
The club says profits will be reinvested back into the running of the club, facilitating swimmers locally to achieve a higher level of swimming, alongside key items in their Strategic Plan including: employing and upskilling coaches, developing a technical officials program and further improvements to infrastructure.
The 2026 Victorian Country LC Championships will be held at Kardinia Aquatic Centre, with hosts Barwon South West Swimming Association (BSWSA) excited to once again bring the event into their district, having previously hosted two successful Victorian LC Country Championships, with the most recent event being held in Warrnambool in 2020.
City of Greater Geelong Mayor, Mayor Trent Sullivan said, “The addition of these state championships will provide a social and economic boost to a summer events calendar that is already among the best in the country. We are excited to be able to showcase our facilities at Kardinia Aquatic Centre and to welcome swimmers and their families from across Victoria.”
With BSWSA seeking major events funding through the City of Greater Geelong (COGG), the district says the profits from the event will be used to invest in swimmer and technical official development across all 11 BSWSA clubs.
BSWSA President Ben Crowley said “We are delighted to be announced as the host for the 2026 Victorian Country LC Championships in Geelong. BSWSA is looking forward to welcoming and hosting swimmers, coaches, officials and spectators from all over country Victoria for an exciting and successful event in January 2026.”
Swimming Victoria Events Experience Manager, Narelle Holding said: “We are thrilled to lock in our hosts for the next three Victorian Country LC Championships, and are delighted to once again be working with Mildura Swimming Club and Barwon South West Swimming Association to deliver these fantastic events. With such experienced hosts, combined with impressive facilities, strong local partnerships and long term planning goals around infrastructure I’m sure that these Championships will be a wonderful celebration of Victorian country swimming.”
The Victorian Country LC Championships are open to Swimming Victoria registered members of affiliated country clubs.
2025 & 2027 Victorian Country LC Championships
Location: Mildura Swimming Club
Venue: Mildura Waves
Dates: 18 – 20 January 2025, TBC January 2027
2026 Victorian Country LC Championships
Location: Barwon South West Swimming Association
Venue: Kardinia Aquatic Centre
Dates: TBC January 2026
