Jeffreys Bay will not feature on the 2026 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour, with organisers citing a lack of financial backing as the key reason for its exclusion.

The announcement comes as the WSL revealed that Raglan, New Zealand, will join the elite tour as the fourth stop of the 2026 season.

WSL CEO Ryan Crosby said the decision was a difficult one, describing Jeffreys Bay as one of the best waves in the world and praising the local community for hosting the event over many years. However, he says the financial support required to stage the contest was not secured in time for the 2026 season.

According to the WSL, maintaining a sustainable global tour sometimes requires tough trade-offs to protect the long-term health of professional surfing. Organisers said they will continue exploring ways to bring the Championship Tour back to Jeffreys Bay in the future.

J-Bay has long been considered one of the crown jewels of the tour, famous for its long, fast right-hand point break and rich competitive history. Its absence will be felt by surfers and fans alike, where the event has been a major highlight on the sporting calendar.

Surfing South Africa director Johnny Bakker has expressed his disappointment, saying this is a blow not just for South Africa, but for Africa as a whole.

“Jeffreys Bay has always been one of the best stops along the WSL world tour, with the best waves and a very well-organised event year after year.”

It will also hurt the coffers of the Kouga Municipality, which has for many years relied on the influx of surfers and surf-enthusiasts following the Championship calendar.

The blame is being put at the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton Makenzie’s door.

Kouga’s mayor, Hattingh Bornman, has expressed his regret.

“The absence of a confirmed funding commitment from the national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has led to this decision.”

He added that the municipality’s annual budget of R2-million for the Championship was not enough to secure the event.

“Over the last three or four years, there have been many discussions with provincial and national governments, and while a lot of verbal commitments were made, these commitments were never put into action. Therefore, the WSL has decided to withdraw the South African event.”

Meanwhile, the Department has distanced itself from allegations that it is to blame.

“In the case of the WSL event, the department and ministry did not receive any formal application submitted in accordance with the regulations. As no request for national government funding, guarantees or associated services was formally submitted for consideration, no funding decision was therefore taken at the national level. All public comments that are now seeking to place blame at the feet of the minister for the inability to secure a WSL event for 2026 are misguided, a form of deflection and unjustified scapegoating.”