Australia–New Zealand Cross-Country Cup: FIS Continental Cup

• In cross-country skiing, ANC stands for the Australia–New Zealand Cup.
• The FIS lists it as a Continental Cup group for Australia and New Zealand.
• The cup combines several races in an international ranking.
• National ski federations enter athletes in the races.
• FIS rules provide the shared framework for the Continental Cups.
• Programmes include sprint and distance formats in classic or free technique.
• Perisher and Falls Creek have hosted FIS cross-country races in the series.

The Australia–New Zealand Cup is the FIS Continental Cup group for cross-country skiing in Australia and New Zealand. The abbreviation ANC identifies the series with the two national federations. The FIS rules list it alongside other regional Continental Cups and provide the organisational framework for the events. A cup coordinator prepares each calendar with the national federations.

Unlike a single race, the cup consists of several FIS events whose results contribute to an overall ranking. Each Continental Cup sets the points system for its events and determines which races count toward the overall standings. The FIS publishes cup standings and individual results, making it possible to follow both a day's result and progress across the series.

The programme may combine sprint events with longer-distance races. A sprint includes qualification and final rounds; longer races may use individual or interval starts. Events use classic or free technique depending on the race. An earlier FIS event at Perisher, for example, combined a free-technique sprint qualification and final with a 15-kilometre classic-style race. Sprint and distance races require different pacing and technique.

National ski federations submit entries. This makes the ANC different in organisation and sporting level from the public Kangaroo Hoppet, which includes shorter popular-race distances alongside the Worldloppet main event. The two event types complement each other: the Hoppet offers a broadly accessible competition at Falls Creek, while the ANC is the FIS race series for federation teams and qualified athletes.

FIS cross-country races in the series have taken place, among other venues, at Perisher in New South Wales and Falls Creek in Victoria. These competition areas are in the Southern Hemisphere, where winter falls during the Northern Hemisphere's summer months. The ANC extends international cross-country skiing with an Australia–New Zealand race series and is one of the events in skiing.