Cook Islands to Host the 2028 IVF World Distance Championships

Rarotonga will welcome the va’a world in November 2028 as the Cook Islands prepare to host their first International Va’a Federation World Championship, bringing global attention to a destination with a rich outrigger canoeing heritage.

The International Va’a Federation (IVF) has announced that the Cook Islands will host the 2028 IVF World Distance Championships in November 2028, marking the first time the Pacific nation will stage an IVF World Championship.

The decision was approved by IVF members following a vote on the hosting bids. The announcement, made on October 23, 2026, also confirmed Aotearoa New Zealand as the host of the 2030 IVF World Sprint Championships, scheduled for March 2030.

For the Cook Islands, the upcoming championships represent a significant moment for a country where va’a is closely connected to cultural identity, community life and the ocean.

With its established paddling scene and experience welcoming international competitors through the Vaka Eiva festival, the country is preparing to take another step onto the global stage.

Cook Islands: A spectacular Pacific destination

Located in the South Pacific Ocean, between New Zealand and Hawai‘i, the Cook Islands is an archipelago of 15 islands renowned for its turquoise lagoons, coral reefs, tropical beaches and volcanic landscapes.

Rarotonga, the country’s main island and home to its capital, Avarua, is surrounded by a lagoon and coral reef, with dramatic green mountains rising inland. Its combination of coastal scenery and Pacific culture makes it a distinctive destination for international visitors and ocean sports enthusiasts.

The precise venue and race courses for the 2028 World Distance Championships have not yet been announced. However, the location offers an exciting backdrop for an event centred on endurance, ocean conditions and the skills required to race va’a over long distances.

For athletes and supporters travelling to the championships, the event will also offer an opportunity to experience a part of the Pacific where traditional canoeing remains an important element of local heritage.

Va’a in the Cook Islands: A tradition built around the ocean

The Cook Islands already has a strong reputation within the international paddling community, largely thanks to Vaka Eiva, the annual paddling festival held in Rarotonga.

Established in 2004, Vaka Eiva has developed into a major gathering for local and international paddlers. Organised by the Cook Islands Canoeing Association, the festival celebrates oe vaka — the Cook Islands’ outrigger canoeing tradition — through a programme of ocean races, relays and other paddling competitions.

Its signature challenges include the Round Raro Relay, which takes crews around Rarotonga, and ocean iron races that test athletes’ endurance and teamwork.

Over two decades, Vaka Eiva has helped bring thousands of international paddlers to the islands, strengthening connections between the Cook Islands and other major va’a communities across the Pacific and beyond.

This experience provides a valuable foundation for the 2028 World Distance Championships. While Vaka Eiva is an established annual festival, the IVF World Championships will represent a new milestone: the first time the Cook Islands host the federation’s flagship international competition.

The event is expected to bring further international attention to the country’s paddling community, although participation numbers, competition venues and the official race programme remain to be confirmed.

From Brazil to the Pacific: The next chapter of World Distance racing

The 2028 championships will follow the 2025 IVF World Distance Championships in Niterói, Brazil, continuing the international rotation of major va’a competitions.

Brazil has become an important part of the global paddling landscape, with a growing community of athletes competing in va’a, surfski and other ocean paddling disciplines. The 2025 championships in Niterói brought the international distance-racing community together in South America before the IVF World Sprint Championships moved to Singapore in 2026.

The upcoming Cook Islands edition will bring the World Distance Championships back to the Pacific, a region with a particularly deep connection to outrigger canoeing.

From the competitive paddling communities of Hawai‘i and Tahiti to the established waka ama scene in New Zealand and the expanding sport in Brazil, international va’a continues to connect athletes across continents through a shared passion for the water.

The 2028 event will add a new destination to that history, combining a major international competition with the cultural setting of the Cook Islands.

Aotearoa New Zealand confirmed for the 2030 World Sprints

Alongside the Cook Islands announcement, the IVF confirmed that Aotearoa New Zealand will host the 2030 IVF World Sprint Championships in March 2030.

New Zealand, where the sport is known as waka ama, has a long history in international va’a competition. The IVF announcement identifies Ōrākei as the venue for the country’s first World Championships in 1990 and Lake Karāpiro as the host of the 2006 IVF World Sprint Championships.

The 2030 edition will mark the return of the World Sprint Championships to New Zealand after 24 years. The specific venue and competition schedule have yet to be announced.

The countdown to November 2028 begins

For the Cook Islands, hosting the 2028 IVF World Distance Championships is more than an opportunity to welcome elite international paddlers. It is also a chance to showcase a longstanding canoeing tradition to the wider sporting world.

With Rarotonga’s distinctive landscape, the experience of Vaka Eiva and the country’s deep-rooted relationship with the ocean, the championships will bring a new dimension to the international va’a calendar.

Further details, including the competition venue, courses and official schedule, will be released by the IVF and the local organising bodies in due course.

The destination is confirmed: the international va’a community will head to the Cook Islands in November 2028 for a World Distance Championship with a distinctly Pacific setting.