Categories and pathways

Competition pathways

Fencers usually start competing in competitions run by their clubs, before progressing on to external competitions for increasing levels of challenge. 

Step 1 > club or school

Step 2 > inter-club, inter-school, or inter-varsity

Step 3 > state

Step 4 > national

Step 5 > international: Oceania Zone Championships, Asian Zone Championships, Commonwealth Championships, Junior World Cups, Senior World Cups, World Championships, Youth Olympic Games, Olympic Games. NB Fencers need to be a member of the National Squad to represent Australia in those international events subject to selection. For more information about the National Squad and High Performance program at the national level here.

Competition categories

• School
• Novice
• B grade
• Aged events
  • U11 – for fencers aged under 11 years
  • U13 – for fencers aged under 13 years
  • Youth – for fencers aged under 15 years
  • Cadet – for fencers aged under 17 years
  • Junior – for fencers aged under 20 years
  • Senior – for fencers aged 13 years and over
  • Veterans – for fencers aged 40 years and over
    
    Age exemption can be applied for if the fencer is aged at least 12 at the time of the tournament, and has achieved a state podium or national top 8 in the next age category down, or a national top 16 in the same age category.

Eligibility for entry

Age

• For veterans aged events, your age for competition is determined by the age you turn in the currrent year. For example, if you turn 40 this year, you're eligible to fence in veterans events.
• For all other aged categories, your age for competition is determined by the age you are on 1 January. For example, if you're aged 16 on 1 January, and turn 17 the next day, you're still considered to be aged 16 for the current year and so eligible to enter Cadet events.
• For senior events, the minimum age is 13 at the date of the tournament.

Experience

Novice events

Novice events are intended as opportunities for fencers new to competing to develop capacity and confidence. Novice events are run in standard age categories, and fencers are eligible to fence in NSW Fencing Novice events:

• or a maximum of two consecutive years from their first NSW Fencing Novice event, or

• until they win any NSW Fencing tournament in that weapon. However, if the event had low entries and so was run as a mixed gender event, the fencer may continue to fence in novice events for that weapon until they win an event which was run as a single gender event.

These eligibility criteria are only applicable to Novice events commencing in 2025, prior events do not apply, so if you’ve previously competed in Novice events, these do not count towards the total of two years. 

All fencers who have not placed in a NSW Fencing event in the two years prior to 2025 are eligible to fence in NSW Fencing Novice events in 2025.

B grade

B Grade events are intended as opportunities for fencers with some competition experience to challenge themselves on the way to competing in state tournaments. B Grade events are run in standard age categories, and fencers are eligible to fence in NSW Fencing B Grade events:

• until they win two B Grade events in that weapon

• until they win or place in any state category NSW Fencing tournament in that weapon.

All fencers who have not finished in the top half of the field in a national event (with a minimum of 8 fencers) in that weapon, or placed at a NSW Fencing event in that weapon, are eligible to fence in NSW Fencing B Grade events in that weapon.

Hors Concours 

In 2025 NSW Fencing has introduced Hors Concours (HC) for Novice and B Grade tournaments, to allow more opportunities for participation. A fencer who does NOT meet the eligibility criteria for Novice and B Grade events may compete in these events under Hors Concours, meaning they may still compete in that event however will be ineligible to receive a placing/medal in the event. 

• Example 1: If a fencer wins a Novice event but does not feel they are ready to leave the novice category, they can continue to compete in Novice events however will not be awarded place or medal, regardless of where they finish in the field. 
• Example 2: If a fencer who has placed in a NSW Fencing state event is recovering from injury, they can compete Hors Concours in Novice and B Grade events, however will not be awarded place or medal, regardless of where they finish in the field.

Fencers competing under Hors Concours may not proceed further than T8 in the Direct Elimination (DE) round.

NSW Fencing membership

If you reside in NSW, you must be a member of NSW Fencing to enter state and national competitions. Interstate and overseas visitors are welcome to participate in NSW events provided they have the appropriate registration in their own state or country.