The IRF Board of Directors (BOD) announce that the IRF 2021 Congress will be virtual and on the 23 and 24 November 2021.

Without a doubt, the pandemic has created the most difficult times ever faced by the world’s sports organisations, and the IRF is no exception. However, even though faced with these extraordinary circumstances, we’ve managed to achieve some great successes.

Taking into consideration that our 2021 Congress cannot be convened this year during a WRC, the BOD has voted to convene a ‘virtual’ 2021 Congress using online technology that most all of us have become very familiar with.

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He’s no stranger to medals and recognition and just last month, Graham “Fredi” Maifredi added the highest pinnacle to date receiving an Order of Australia Medal (OAM). Congratulations Graham Maifredi OAM!

Appointments to the Order of Australia in the Australian honours system confer the highest recognition for outstanding achievement and service. The Medal of the Order of Australia is awarded for service worthy of particular recognition.

Graham was recently interviewed on Australia’s ABC Saturday Breakfast where he regaled of his recognition, the impacts of the IRF World Rafting Championships 2019 and the potential for more rafting events in Australia including a potential idea to bid for a future World Rafting Championship.

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What can 130 people, a bunch of rafts, kayaks and SUPs achieve in just a few hours? 50 cubic metres of rubbish collected in the Buzau river clean up is what!

Words and photos by Mihai Mares.

Buzau river is one of the strangest in Romania. And remember, we talk about the country of vampires, Count Dracula and the Merry Cemetery! 

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Many teams have been impacted by the pandemic these last 18 months but that hasn’t stopped a new generation of rafters from wanting to race. Anastasia Gubanenkova is used to competitive raft racing having raced for several years with the Russian Open Women’s team. She has since taken up coaching a new generation of Russian teams. Here she introduces two of the newest teams on the Russian raft racing circuit.

Inspiring a new generation

Words and photos by Anastasia Gubanenkova

Once upon a time six young sportsmen from Saint-Petersburg decided to take part in the Russian National Selections in the Open category at the beginning of June on Belaya river.

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If we believe in ourselves, we believe in children of water

“We are connected by rivers, there are no borders. There are only good people sharing the same thought. Small rivers join and form large and powerful ones, just like many small actions make a big impact. If we believe in ourselves, we believe in children of water. ”

These are the final words from the documentary “Children of Water” created by Natasa Milivojevic and Marko Prodanovic.

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Last month we were invited to the Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). As full sports entity members we took part in the discussion for future projects. We were also invited to speak regarding the linkage with our other partner the United Nations Framework for Climate Change (Sports for Climate Action).

The mission of Sport and Sustainability International is to accelerate sustainability in and through sport across the globe. This is achieved by initiating and promoting exchanges between athletes, sporting stakeholders and non-sporting stakeholders alike, to drive impactful and measurable changes.

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The Australian Rafting Federation (ARF) held their Annual General Meeting on 17th June, at which they elected a new Committee for the 2021/22 year. In a resounding effort for reaching equality, more than 50% of the committee are women!

The new committee comprises of familiar faces to many on the racing circuit including recent Order of Australia Inductee, Graham “Fredi” Maifredi as President. Vice President is Nicola Miller who is now more familiar with race rules and schedules than most parents should ever be, having coached and mentored the Australian U19 Men team to gold medals at the 2019 World Rafting Championship.

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