News

Alternative rifle club to USI for Biathlon Australia members-NSW

Published Thu 18 Jun 2026

Dear Biathlon Australia (BA) members of NSW,

As you are aware, USI advised earlier in the year, that they were keen for BA members to find or form another club. On Monday this week, USI offered that we could remain members of USI, providing full USI membership fees and club protocols were followed. We understand full USI fees include annual adult membership of $405, with U25 membership being $185. Following further discussions, we understand the fee includes 5 range fees or shoots worth $22 each. We understand that should you have already made arrangements to continue your membership with USI and would now like to transfer (refer below) then a process will exist for this to occur. Please reply to us with your preference. We take this opportunity to thank USI, and in particular Doug, for being so accommodating and helpful over many years. We also thank NSWRA and the NRAA for their ongoing support of the sport of biathlon.

Thankfully, an alternative less expensive club option for BA members, has been found as a viable option for biathlon members to consider. That club is the Canberra Rifle Club (CRC) which is within the ACT Association and affiliated to NRAA. More importantly, as a border club it is formally recognised by the NSW Firearms Registry (noting CRC already has NSW residents as members) so we will be able maintain our NSW firearms compliance. We have also been advised by the NSWRA that we will continue to have access to use the Anzac range at Malabar, with arrangements for access and payment to be confirmed. Of course, by joining CRC, we are also welcome to shoot on the McIntosh Range in Canberra. There are already many BA members who are members of CRC and who are active on the McIntosh Range.

If you are not with the USI club, the following information may not be of interest to you!
But please read on, if you are interested.

The website for the CRC is https://www.canberrarifleclub.com.au/ which includes links to the Range Standing Orders.

The details that we have received from the CRC club are:

Fees:

Adult $250
U25 $155
U18 $125
With further household discounts for families.

A pathway described below will be offered to BA members that wish to join CRC.
Paul Garai, former president of BA has offered to be the sponsor of any biathlon members moving from USI to CRC. Many thanks to Paul on behalf of everyone.

The pathway:

BA to send a list of transferring members to CRC – refer below.
Individuals to complete an Application Form that will be collated by BA
– so that we can send them to CRC as a block transfer.
The CRC Committee can then endorse everyone wishing to transfer.
Invoices will be emailed out to each transferring member, for payment by 30th June. Prompt payment will ensure insurance coverage continues.
A confirmation email will then be issued by our new club.

If you are a current USI club member please advise us by return email by Monday 22 June 2026 whether or not you wish to be included in this process to join the CRC.

To ensure that our records are up to date, when we share the member details with the CRC, can you please log into your BA profile and ensure that the rifle club listed on your profile is current. As stated, we have been advised that we need to send a spreadsheet to the CRC which will include full name, address, DOB, shooting licence number and existing gun club membership etc.

Please note that you will be required to determine which club you will be continuing with as of 1 July 2026 and required to inform BA of your club for 2027 to meet your firearms licence and BA membership requirements.

If all NSW members could please check our membership records held are up to date that would be most helpful. Please also complete this check by Monday 22 June 2026, so that we can ensure that we are sending up to date data to the CRC.

To update your club, login to the BA system. Under your account, click the profile button.