GB at the World Rafting Cup 2026 – Val di Sole, Italy

By Nicola Childs

Eight amazing women representing Senior GB1 (Red Rose) and GB3 (Fun Times) travelled to Mezzana in Val di Sole, in the Italian Alps, to race on the beautiful, icy River Noce.

After a costly passport mishap involving one that was valid for more than 10 years—check yours before you travel—the teams made the most of sprint training on Thursday.

Friday brought the sprint race. Under the new World Rafting rules, the sprint result is based on the best of two runs.

Red Rose finished 4th out of 6 with a time of 1:34.12.

Fun Times finished 5th out of 6 with a time of 1:35.47.

The Italian teams, competing on home water and young enough to be our daughters, dominated the field—but we certainly gave them a paddle for their money.

Saturday featured the exciting RX event, where two teams race head-to-head whilst navigating both upstream and downstream obstacles in a knockout format through to the final.

Red Rose raced Austria, won their heat, progressed to the next stage and ultimately finished 4th overall.

Fun Times faced the eventual 2nd-place finishers, ASD Canoe Rafting Pescantina Bussolengo, and finished 5th overall.

Sunday’s slalom—our favourite race—was technically demanding. Watching the strength and skill of the top men’s teams was a thrill. The women’s teams tended to take a more technical approach rather than relying on power, but even so, some gates remained out of reach for most teams.

Times were close once again, with Italy taking the top three places, Fun Times finishing 4th and Red Rose 5th.

Overall, the true spirit of sport was evident throughout the event—from the organisers and bank safety teams to the competitors, including three para teams. We are proud of our teams Red Rose and Fun times coming away with 4th and 5th place respectively.