Down Under Championship 2027: the event and its WFP spots

Run by Functional Sports Network and billed as 'Excite. Ignite. Unite.', the DUC brings athletes from around the world to compete against the best of the region over three days in Wollongong, with Elite, Masters, Futures, Adaptive, pairs and team divisions. The 2022 edition drew over 10,000 spectators, athletes, staff and volunteers. From 2026 it runs in partnership with World Fitness Project, and DUC27 is part of the 2027 World Fitness Series.

Three-day live event at the WIN Entertainment Centre. In past editions, places were earned through a DUC online qualifier (DUCQ) on Competition Corner, run in two weekly releases (Elite first, then Masters, Futures, RX Pairs and Intermediate Teams), plus a limited number of direct invitations; the 2027 qualifier process has not been published yet.

1. Sep 24 – 26, 2027

   Sep 24 – 26, 2027

   DUC27 live event

   WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong.

The 2027 qualification process has not been published. For DUC26 the online qualifier (DUCQ26) ran on Competition Corner in two releases: Elite Individuals and Elite Pairs from 6am AEST Thursday 2 July to 6pm AEST Thursday 9 July 2026, and Masters, Futures, RX Pairs and Intermediate Teams from 6am AEST 16 July to 6pm AEST 23 July 2026; Adaptive was by invitation.

DUC lists 10+ World Fitness Championship spots: 3 in Elite Individual, 1+ in Masters Individual, 1+ in Next Gen Individual and 1+ in each pairs division (Elite, RX, Intermediate, Scaled, Masters). WFP lists 10 qualifying spots across 8 divisions. All other DUC divisions also return in 2027 but without WFP spots.

1. 01

   Down Under Championship

   Sep 24 – 26, 2027 in Wollongong. Divisions marked WFP award spots.

2. 02

   10 spots

   Across 8 divisions. Counted by division, not by athlete.

3. 03

   World Fitness Championship

   The final of the World Fitness Project's 2027 season. Date and venue to be confirmed.

• Sage Hotel Wollongong (preferred hotel partner)

  Discount code DUC26 was offered for the 2026 edition; a 2027 code is not published.

• Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort (preferred family-friendly accommodation)

  Apartments, bungalows, cabins and campsites.

• Destination Wollongong (more accommodation)

  Accommodation partner of the event.

1. 2026

   DUC26, 27-29 November 2026 at the WIN Entertainment Centre, the first edition in partnership with World Fitness Project (still to be held at the time of writing). Online qualifier in July 2026 (A$40 individual, A$80 pair, A$120 team of 3); final registration A$265 individual, A$530 pair, A$795 team of 3 (invite only). Final places: top 20 Elite men and women, top 20 Elite pairs, top 32 RX pairs, top 24 Intermediate teams, top 8 per Masters age group, top 8 Futures. Tickets on Ticketmaster: single day A$69-90, Core Pass A$155, Gold A$210, Platinum A$240; every division livestreamed on YouTube for US$4.99.

2. 2025

   24-26 October 2025, Wollongong; seven workouts for the Elite fields. Elite winners: Bayley Martin (Zane Healy 2nd, Ben Fowler 3rd) and Poppy Hay (Daisy McDonald 2nd, Isabella Vallejo 3rd). Elite pairs: Brandyn Gaskill and Liam Ford; Marnie Sykes and Briony Challis. Final registration was A$240 per individual.

3. 2024

   18-20 October 2024, Wollongong; first year of Elite pairs. Elite winners: Peter Ellis (Ben Fowler 2nd, Isaac Newman 3rd) and Aimee Cringle (Jessi Smith 2nd, Christina Livaditakis 3rd). Elite pairs: Ricky Garard and Aniol Ekai; Charlotte Baldwin and Julia Hannaford.

4. 2023

   1-3 December 2023 at the WIN Entertainment Centre, as an official CrossFit licensed event with over 380 athletes; the Futures (16-19) division was new. Elite winners: Peter Ellis and Madeline Sturt. Teams: Team Frog Grips (men) and California Gurls (women).

5. 2022

   18-20 November 2022 at the WIN Entertainment Centre; over 10,000 spectators, athletes, staff and volunteers. Elite winners: Jay Crouch and Maddie Sturt. Elite teams: Men at Work (Noah Ohlsen, Chandler Smith, Saxon Panchik) and LSKD Gold (Briony Challis, Christee Hollard, Emily De Rooy).

• 2027 qualifier dates, format and platform
• 2027 registration fees
• DUC27 tickets
• Workouts and standards for 2027
• Schedule
• Prize money
• Rulebook
• Number of finalists per division in 2027
• Eligibility for Intermediate, Scaled and Masters pairs
• Next Gen age bands
• Whether the 3 Elite spots are split by sex

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3. 03Atlantic Coast ClassicDaytona Beach · Jul 2 – 4, 2027
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6. 06TCBSão Paulo · Sep 4 – 7, 2027
7. 07WodcelonaBarcelona · Sep 10 – 12, 2027
8. 08Down Under ChampionshipWollongong · Sep 24 – 26, 2027
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