The Official Website of the Canberra Cockatoos



The Canberra Cockatoos represent the ACT in the National Orienteering League. Pictured above are members of the 2016 Senior and Junior Men's and Women's Teams, after the Australian Championships in Stanthorpe Queensland.

National Orienteering League

The National Orienteering League is Australia's premier orienteering competition. The League is primarily a teams’ competition: each State fields teams of at least three men and three women in a number of stages (a total of 14-18 per season). In addition, there is a points competition, the National Series, for individual glory.

The competitions are similar to the Tour de France in that the teams’ competition is based on the placings of team members in stages. However, rather than all the stages being conducted consecutively, the stages are spread throughout the year in rounds of events (4 to 5 rounds per year).

Competition Format

There are four divisions of the National League and of the National Orienteering Series:

  • Senior Men
  • Senior Women
  • Junior Men
  • Junior Women

Except for Relays, National League points are awarded on the basis of the fastest times for the first three competitors  from each team in each division of each stage of the National Series. Relay points are awarded on the basis of first team to finish for each State team.

The seven teams in the competition are: Canberra Cockatoos, NSW Stingers, Queensland Cyclones, Southern Arrows, Tassie Foresters, Victorian Nuggets and the Western Nomads.

Canberra Cockatoos Win Men’s National League on Mixed Day for ACT Orienteers

Monday, 6 October 2014

On Sunday the Canberra Cockatoos men’s team clinched the 2014 National League competition, but other teams had mixed success in the Australian Relay Championships, the finale of the 2014 Australian Championships Carnival. 


The provisional
National League and National Series results were:


Australian Relay Championships: MEN: Victorian Nuggets 2hr260min15sec, Western Nomads 2hr27min07sec, NSW Stingers 2hr33min27sec; WOMEN: Queensland Cyclones 2hr46min20sec, Victorian Nuggets 2hr48min18sec, Western Nomads 3hr06min18sec.

Final points: Men: Canberra Cockatoos 117, Victorian Nuggets 109, NSW Stingers 89; Women: Victorian Nuggets 106, Queensland Cyclones 102, Canberra Cockatoos 101.


Australian Long Distance Championships: Men: 15.7 km: T Norskov (Den) 1hr27min00sec I Lawford (ACT) 1hr31min24sec, Tim Robertson 1hr31min43sec. Women: 10.7 km: L Ingham (ACT) 1hr10min34sec, L Robertson (NZL) 1hr18min55sec, A Prendergast (Vic) 1hr25min23sec.

Final points: Men: S Uppill (SA) 220, I Lawford (ACT) 201, D Shepherd (ACT) 193; Women: H Allston (Tas) 228, L Ingham (ACT) 195, J Neve (Vic) 194.


Other ACT placings in the Australian Long Distance
Championships were:

  • Bushflyers: 2nd: Toni Brown (W50A), 3rd: Ian de Jongh (M20A), Ari Piiroinen (M50A), Ella Cuthbert (W12A)

  • Parawanga: 1st: Liz Abbott (W55A), Lucy Barton (WJuniorB)

  • Weston Emus: 1st: Hermann Wehner (M90A)

Full results are here and splits here


Results for other ACT teams which finished the Australian Relay
Championships were:

  • MOpenB: 1st: Mark Glanville, Ryan Stocks, Christian Piiroinen

  • W21AS: 1st: Heather Lane, Pat Miethke, Kelly Young

  • W16A: 2nd & 1st AUS team: Zoe Melhuish, Caitlin Young, Tara Melhuish

  • M21AS: 2nd: Ian de Jongh, Jesse Piiroinen, John Scown

  • M55A: 3rd: Bruce Bowen, Hugh Moore, David Poland

  • M20E: 5th: Ciaran Lane, Oliver Mill, Stephen Melhuish

  • M16A: 7th: Noah Poland, Tristan Miller, Patrick Miller

Unfortunately four teams did not finish because of mispunches. Full results are here.

Cockatoos News
Orienteering Resumes and Cockatoos win Thursday, 6 October 2016 Orienteering Resumes and Cockatoos win
Canberra Cockatoos Enjoy Success At Season’s End Sunday, 4 October 2015 Canberra Cockatoos wrapped up their 2015 National League season with successes in both the Senior Men’s team and individual competitions
Senior Men Canberra Cockatoos Best Results in AUS 3-Days Prologue Friday, 3 April 2015 The Canberra Cockatoos senior men’s team filled three of the top five placings in the 2015 AUS 3-Days Prologue
Canberra Cockatoos Among Finalists for ACT SportStar Awards Monday, 20 October 2014 The Canberra Cockatoos team and coach Grant McDonald are among those named as finalists for the 2014 The Tradies ACT SportStar of the Year Annual awards
Canberra Cockatoos Win Men’s National League on Mixed Day for ACT Orienteers Monday, 6 October 2014 The Canberra Cockatoos men’s team clinched the 2014 National League competition