Dragon Boat Victoria

Dragon Boat Victoria DBV is the State Sporting Association for dragon boat racing in Victoria. We run regular racing events, and have many diverse teams paddling in Victoria.

Dragon boating is a sport that captivates its participants. It is also an event that showcases the preparedness of Australians to accept and enjoy a cultural activity that has its roots in ancient China and celebrates the many unique aspects of Chinese culture. Due to the nature of a team involving a large amount of people (22+!) its a sport with that involves many people of all ages and backgrounds. Our premier event is the Melbourne International Dragon Boat Festival, an event we have held annually since 1985, which this year sees a return to the fantastic Yarra River. In addition to competing in the Festival and various other events, teams train regularly on Melbourne’s magnificent waterways, enjoying some of Melbourne’s most spectacular views as they train.

Whilst some of our crews competed locally at yesterday’s Battle on the Barwon, a number of DBV Clubs and members recentl...
14/09/2026

Whilst some of our crews competed locally at yesterday’s Battle on the Barwon, a number of DBV Clubs and members recently competed at the Official IDBF Club Crew World Championships.

Congratulations on representing Victoria with such distinction!

As we prepare to hit the water at the National Water Sports Centre in Carrum this weekend, it’s the perfect opportunity ...
14/08/2026

As we prepare to hit the water at the National Water Sports Centre in Carrum this weekend, it’s the perfect opportunity to release footage from our episode of ABC’s ‘Play On’ series. Created by highly respected Journalist Paul Kennedy, it takes a look at what makes Dragon Boat such a pivotal part of local communities, along with the friendships and connections the sport generates.

Thank you to ABC International. To watch head to DBV’s YouTube Channel - https://youtu.be/Y0wBiC4cpLg?si=k8Lrjq7AMDBwp4KF

The VIC27 family is growing.Join us in congratulating our newly expanded Leadership Team! Team Manager Bio’s are availab...
31/07/2026

The VIC27 family is growing.

Join us in congratulating our newly expanded Leadership Team! Team Manager Bio’s are available on the VIC27 page.

Division Team Manager:
*Kylie Armstrong - Senior C
*Nicole Body - Senior B
*Grietje Bruinsma-Wansink - Senior A
*Olivia Morley - Premier
*Yuki Shuck - 24U
*Zonda Lynn - 18U
*Johann Ruth - Regional
*BCP - Vacant
*Paradragon - Vacant

To discuss the vacant positions, please contact [email protected].

The next batch of our VIC27 leaders - some of our Divisional Coaches. A mix of new and returning faces, we warmly welcom...
10/07/2026

The next batch of our VIC27 leaders - some of our Divisional Coaches.

A mix of new and returning faces, we warmly welcome;
* Lisa Smallbone - Senior C
* Nic Guala - Senior B
* Shirleen Ho - Premier
* Bethan B Sinclair - 18U
* Helen Johnston - BCP

The Regional (NE & SE), Senior A, 24U and Paradragon positions remain vacant. If you are interested in discussing these roles please reach out to Kathryn and Gloria via [email protected].

Want to know about our Coaches? Bios are available on the VIC27 page of the DBV website.

As the VIC27 campaign starts to take shape, DBV is proud to commence announcing some of the leaders driving us towards A...
08/07/2026

As the VIC27 campaign starts to take shape, DBV is proud to commence announcing some of the leaders driving us towards Aus Champs.

Starting with our returning Head Coach Kathryn Sanford, who is now joined by Campaign Manager Gloria Lau. Welcome back Kathryn and congratulations Gloria. Our State Coaches, Managers and Athletes are in safe hands.

To view Kathryn and Gloria’s Bio, head to the VIC27 page on the DBV website - https://www.dragonboatvictoria.com.au/vic27.

11/06/2026

VIC26 has almost wrapped up, and what a journey it’s been 🙏 !

We’ve put together the best of the VIC26 campaign - from fitness benchmarking in October 25, through to race day in April 26.

Take a moment to look back and enjoy what we’ve done together. Huge thanks to Bailey Yang for pulling this together on behalf of VIC26 leadership.

In terms of a final wrap up - your insights have been collated and are currently under review by the DBV Board alongside the VIC27 proposal.

We look forward to sharing the VIC26 summary and VIC27 plan with you in the coming weeks as we shift our focus to the next campaign 🔜 .

03/06/2026

Episode 2 of Beyond the Boats featuring members of our VIC26 Campaign.

Australian University Team Heavily Represented by Victoria 💙🤍.Earlier this month the crew travelled to Liaocheng, China ...
29/05/2026

Australian University Team Heavily Represented by Victoria 💙🤍.

Earlier this month the crew travelled to Liaocheng, China to compete in the Asian University Dragon Boat Championships. Aside from having loads of fun and making questionable social media reels, the Women’s small boat took out a Bronze medal in the 2km, 500m and 200m event.

Representing Victoria were:
Racheal Blake (Coach)
Bethan Sinclair (Peninsula Dragonfly’s)
Olivia Morley (CYSM)
Rookie Zhao (MUDs)
Yan Tong Lim (MUDs)
Shibli Siddiquee (MUDs)
Yifan Qin (MUDs)
Nerys Blake (MUDs)
Bella Rabuku (Flames)
Cosmos Qu (CYSM)

Following months of planning, Dragon Boat Victoria is today releasing the 2026/27 Season Calendar. The regatta schedule ...
27/05/2026

Following months of planning, Dragon Boat Victoria is today releasing the 2026/27 Season Calendar.

The regatta schedule is guided by:

* Accessible venues across metro & regional areas,
* Fair racing with quality course setups,
* More opportunities for paddlers and sweeps,
* Commitment to key events (Falls Creek & Cross Border),
* A varied calendar (Sat, Sun & multi-day events) shaped by member feedback.

In due course DBV will confirm racing distances and categories for each regatta. We look forward to another successful season ahead.

19/05/2026

In the first of our series “Beyond the Boats”, State Head Coach Kathryn Sanford caught up with DBV President Annie Somerville to get her thoughts on this years Aus Champs.

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Albert Park, VIC

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