Rally organiser Ultimate Rally Group (URG) has announced that the Silver Fern Rally will return to New Zealand in 2026.
Scheduled to run from November 27 to December 4, Silver Fern Rally New Zealand is regarded among the rally fraternity as one of the world’s great gravel special-stage marathons.
For 2026, the roughly 2700km event – featuring around 1050km of closed-road stages – moves back to New Zealand’s North Island, centred on the Bay of Plenty, after the most recent 2024 edition ran from Christchurch to Wanaka. The rally will start and finish in Rotorua, with scrutineering and documentation on Friday, November 27, and the competitive start on Saturday, November 28
The region lays claim to some of the world’s finest gravel stages and has long been a cornerstone of New Zealand rallying. Fittingly, the 2026 route includes the legendary Motu Road Stage where Colin McRae dominated in 1993 to secure the first of his 25 WRC victories. McRae would go on to win WRC New Zealand on three occasions during his illustrious career.
The area is also synonymous with the Ultimate Rally Group’s Targa Rotorua, and with Rally Rotorua during its Asia-Pacific Rally Championship era.
After Saturday’s Bay of Plenty stages and a second night in Rotorua, on Sunday November 29 the rally moves to Gisborne – the country’s easternmost city and the first to see the sunrise.
After two nights in Gisborne the rally heads southwards to an overnight stop in Napier, before continuing to Palmerston North on December 2 and the ski town of Ohakune on December 3. Friday December 4 sees contestants tackle a challenging final day before returning to Rotorua for the finish and prize-giving ceremony.
The British pairing of James Ford/Neil Shanks won the previous two editions in their Ford Escort RS1800, with Robbie and Amy Stokes pushing them hard in 2024.
URG managing director Peter Martin says the return to the North Island and a route drawing on classic WRC/APRC territory is expected to attract strong international interest. Entrants can register via the Silver Fern Rally website here.
