Divers return to Sandwell for 2026 National Age Group Championships

The event once again brings together leading age-group athletes from across England, all aiming to secure national titles, podium finishes and valuable points for their clubs in one of the highlights of the domestic diving calendar.

Four days of action get underway

This year’s championships open on in Smethwick on Thursday with an exciting schedule featuring some of the youngest competitors in action from the start.

Opening the four days of diving are the Female Group A 3m and Female Group B 1m events. In session two, attention turns to the open categories as the competition expands, with the Open Group D 3m and Open Group C Platform events kicking off their campaigns.

From there, the programme builds across the weekend, with athletes competing across multiple age groups on the 1m and 3m springboards and platform. You can view the full schedule here.

Clubs chasing the Dawdon Shield

Alongside individual honours, clubs will once again be targeting the coveted Dawdon Shield Trophy, awarded to the top-performing team across the championships.

All eyes will be on reigning champions Dive London Aquatics Club, who claimed the 2025 title in impressive fashion. Their haul of 19 medals – seven gold, six silver and six bronze – earned them 255 points.

They finished ahead of Southend Diving (231 points) and Plymouth Diving (199 points), both of whom will be determined to challenge for top spot this time around.

A stage for future stars

The National Age Group Championships remain a crucial part of the performance pathway in English diving, providing athletes aged from the youngest development levels up to late teens with a platform to test themselves on the national stage.

Many competitors will be looking not only for medals, but also to build experience they aim to progress towards junior (inter)national opportunities and beyond.

With world-class facilities and a packed competition schedule, the Sandwell Aquatics Centre is once again set to host an exciting showcase of the sport’s rising stars for the third year in a row.

Event imagery will be provided by Will Johnston Photography and you can find more information about the competition available on the event webpage.