ANGLING TRUST PARTNER WITH SENSAS FOR INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE

The Angling Trust has signed a partnership deal with bait giant Sensas to become joint organisers of the Angling Trust Sensas Challenge in 2025 and beyond.

The long-running teams-of-five competition is the UK’s premier event fished to international rules and attracts the cream of British match teams each season.

Each year over 30 teams compete over two, four-hour matches with the winners earning an invite to the Sensas Challenge International final in France each season.

By partnering with the Angling Trust, the competition will also gain the connection with the sport’s world governing body. This means that the top English team will also become eligible for a place in the FIPS World Club Float Championship.

This place will be in addition to the winners of the Division 1 National Championships who earn a guaranteed place each year. Should a team win both events then the second team invite will be extended to the runner up in the Division 1 National.

The new event partnership comes as Sensas and Team England celebrate a 35-year anniversary of working together in support of our international coarse squads.

“We’ve always admired the scale and international flavour the Sensas Challenge brings to UK matchfishing and we continue to enjoy working with Sensas as the official bait supplier and sponsor of England coarse teams, so this partnership was a simple one,” said Angling Trust Head of Competitions Steve Fitzpatrick.

“A true international style event was missing from our domestic calendar too, and rather than introduce a new competition to an already packed season, it makes complete sense to partner with an existing event and add benefit for our member clubs.”

Mark Downes, head of Sensas UK, believes the partnership will only see the competition grow and help to strengthen our international credentials.

“The Sensas Challenge has been going on for over 25 years and is the only true international-based FIPS rules event in the UK. It has grown and grown and sold out each year with the top teams in the UK fishing it and it is now one of the pinnacles of matchfishing year,” Mark said. “With the Trust getting on board, it will only make the event better and with my England hat on, having a team qualify for the World Club Champs off the back of fishing an international rules event is great, as they’ll have that experience of what to expect under their belt already and the necessary skills.”

The event is open to all Angling Trust member clubs and, following a vote from team captains at the end of the 2024 event, the two-day match will once again take place on its long-serving home venue, the Gloucester Canal in early 2025. Dates, sections, and timings will be confirmed soon.