TEAM AUS SET FOR OCEANIA MX DEFENCE

Australia’s bid for a third consecutive victory in the FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup has been ignited, with again a star-studded roster to compete at the March 21-22 event in Wonthaggi. Selected by Motorcycling Australia’s Motocross Commission, the team will again be led by captain and multiple Australian ProMX champion Charli Cannon (Honda), who will be joined by Taylah McCutcheon (Kawasaki), Taylor Thompson (KTM) and 18-year-old event rookie Darci Whalley (Honda) as they take on New Zealand, USA, and FIM Asia in an event that has now firmly established itself as a beacon of world-class women’s motocross.

Also held in Wonthaggi, the 2025 showdown was exceptional with Australia rallying to defeat the United States of America in the final moto, with the difference between the two teams ultimately coming down to the speed and free-flowing brilliance of Cannon. Cannon wrapped up her fourth consecutive ProMX women’s title in 2025, ahead of McCutcheon and Thompson, while Whalley finished in sixth on a countback. The quartet then competed as wildcards in Darwin’s season-ending round of the FIM Women’s World Motocross Championship, impressing against the battle-hardened internationals which included Cannon scoring her first podium at the highest level.

Motorcycling New Zealand has also announced its team for the 2026 FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup, which will feature the sublime talent of four-time world champion Courtney Duncan. The 2026 FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup will run in conjunction with Round 1 of the 2026 Penrite ProMX Championship. The Oceania component will feature three motos across the weekend: a standalone shootout, and two motos integrated into the Ezilift ProMX Women’s Championship. The point-scoring system allows each team to drop its worst result to determine the final standings and the overall winning team.

Peter Doyle, Motorcycling Australia CEO:
“The FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup has, in two short years, established itself as a major event on the motocross calendar, which has been a major source of pride. I’m delighted to see such a strong Australian team selected to go for the three-peat in 2026, in what we expect will be another exciting spectacle that goes down to the wire. I’d like to welcome Darci Whalley into the Australian team for the first time, and to FIM Asia for joining the line-up. It’s going to be another thrilling contest.”

Team Australia Manager, Mark Luksich:
“I’m really excited about the 2026 FIM Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup. Last year’s event was superb and attracted a huge amount of interest globally, raising the sport to even more viewers. Our ladies are working hard to prepare for this and I’m confident in their ability. I know the competition are coming to fight us hard, but Australia will give its all to make it three from three.”