Australia has claimed the inaugural Trans-Tasman Challenge, defeating New Zealand in a clean sweep to claim all three test matches.

The Challenge, which saw 4 men and 4 women from each country compete against each other, was the first international action for many of the athletes since 2019.

Opening on Saturday, it was Australia’s Men’s Doubles Pair of Ricky Tang and Jack Yu who put the first point on the board for Australia, before Sydney Go and Kayson Goh further extended Australia’s lead, winning the Women’s and Men’s Singles respectively.

“This is my first international tournament since the Singapore Youth International 2019, so it feels fun and exciting to be back on court,” said Goh.

“I really like being part of a team, especially when you play singles, as you have your teammates backing you up from the side of the court.”

New Zealand Women’s Pair Berry Ng and Camellia Zhou claimed the first win for their country in the Doubles, before Australia’s Mixed Doubles duo of Otto Zhao and Yuelin Zhang fought determinedly to win the third and deciding game, securing Australia an overall 4-1 victory.

Returning to the courts once again that afternoon, Australia went on to secure another overall 4-1 victory, with wins in the Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles competitions.

With the outcome of the Challenge already determined, it was Australia’s to win as they took to the courts on Sunday for the final matches.

Opening with the Men’s Doubles, the duo of Yu and Zhao got off to a fiery start, claiming an early lead for Australia with the win.

The Women’s Singles win went to New Zealander Victoria Guo, before Australia claimed both the Men’s Singles and Women’s Doubles, finishing out the third test with a 3-2 victory.

The team will now depart for the BWF World Junior Championships in Santander, Spain, with Australian Coach Leanne Choo recognising the importance of the Challenge for the preparation.

“This was massively important for their World Championships preparations as they are able to play outside of what they are used to and it’s also the first time this specific group has been together, so it’s been a good team bonding experience which is really important,” said Choo.

The BWF World Junior Championships will take place from 17 – 30 October.

View all the footage from the three test matches on Badminton Oceania’s YouTube Channel.

You can also view all images from the event in the Facebook Photo Albums.

All results are available to view on Tournament Software.