New Chapter for XC National Team

New Chapter for Cross Country Skiing National Team

For 21 years Falls Creek has been the official home of the Australian Cross Country Ski Team. After November 1 that era comes to an end, with the Falls Creek Alpine Resort and Snow Australia negotiating a new MOU to replace the previous National Training Centre partnership agreement.

Snow Australia extends its sincere thanks to Falls Creek for their incredible support of our Cross Country National Team over this period.

Throughout this partnership, Falls Creek has been a valued part of the Snow Australia community, contributing to the growth and success of our athletes, programs, and events at every level of the sport. Their commitment has helped create countless opportunities for Australian cross country skiing, and has been deeply appreciated by athletes, coaches, and supporters alike.

While Falls Creek has decided to step away as the National Team sponsor, we’re pleased that they will continue to play an important role in the sport by supporting athletes training at Falls Creek and hosting Cross Country events, including FIS races and the Kangaroo Hoppet. We look forward to continuing to work with them into the future and thank them once again for their outstanding contribution and support over so many years.

Snow Australia's current XC Program Director and Head Coach of the National Team for the first 12 years of the partnership, Finn Marsland, says that the support from Falls Creek has been a critical component in building the National Team structure and program that is in place today.

“A key factor to the success of the program has been consistent year-round coaching, which would not have been possible without the Falls Creek funding”, said Marsland. “In 2002 we had no cross country athletes at the Winter Olympics. At the past two games we have had a team of six athletes, and we are on track to have our largest team ever for Milano-Cortina 2026 with currently a quota of seven. We are also incredibly proud to have been able to support decently sized teams at the World Junior and U23 Championships every year.”

Falls Creek will continue to provide in-kind support for National Team athletes and coaches, including the provision of resort entry passes and gym access, and Snow Australia will continue to work with Falls Creek in promoting cross country skiing at the resort. However, the additional financial contribution that has enabled Snow Australia to employ a coach at Falls Creek throughout the winter and support the team competing overseas is no longer possible, with Alpine Resorts Victoria facing budget pressures across all resorts.

The Snow Australia Cross Country international programs for 2025/2026 will not be significantly affected by the loss of this financial partner, with two new smaller sponsors coming on board to contribute towards team land transport expenses on the World Cup circuit. For the 2026 domestic season, Snow Australia welcomes interest from potential new commercial or philanthropic partners to assist in supporting the year-round National Team program.