Event Recap

Darwin Heats
2026

Friday 18 September, 2026

Robertson Barracks, Holtze NT

Heats Major Sponsors

How the day went

Darwin by the numbers

Teams

12 Teams

Veteran and serving teams from across the Top End and beyond.

Venue

Brigade Parade Ground & Pool

Robertson Barracks, Holtze NT, hosted with 1 Brigade.

Date

18 September 2026

Our second annual all day event in Darwin.

Heat Champions

1 CER

1st Combat Engineer Regiment.

The Day

What A Day

The 2026 Veteran Games Darwin Heats brought 12 Veteran teams together at the Brigade Parade Ground for a full day of challenge, teamwork and competition.

From opening remarks at 0900, teams worked through a round robin of Veteran Games events across the Parade Ground, broke for lunch on site, then took on the Pool Event before returning for the afternoon rounds.

Every event demanded a combination of physical effort, problem solving, communication and teamwork, with teams only moving as fast as the people beside them.

Across the day we saw the values that underpin the Veteran Games come to life. Purpose. Community. Identity. Excellence. From teammates pulling each other through the round robin to crews coordinating under pressure in the pool, every competitor showed exactly why this event exists.

Darwin Heats Champions

1st Combat
Engineer Regiment

Congratulations to the Sappers, who took first place from 12 teams that competed hard in the Top End.

The day closed with the awards ceremony at 1600, capping off a heat that was contested hard from the first whistle to the last.

Photo Gallery

Every Angle of the Day

A selection from across the day. Filter by event to see every photo, and click any to open it full size.

All
100M Obstacle
Ninja Wall
Stores Relay
Tug of War
Water Obstacle
Awards Ceremony
Community & Sponsors

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From the Sideline

"The competition was fierce, and the mateship even stronger. Teams backed each other through every challenge and made sure they finished together."

His Honour the Administrator of the Northern Territory, who attended the Darwin Heats at Robertson Barracks

Thank you to everyone involved

A sincere thank you to our Presenting Sponsor – Veterans First Consulting, our Gold Sponsors – The Northern Territory Government and Valhalla Tactical, our Series Sponsors, local Sponsors and Vendors, along with our volunteers, supporters and everyone who came down to be part of the day. Your contribution helps make these events possible and supports our mission of creating a stronger and more connected Veteran community.