In from Mount Maunganui surfer Kehu Butler will lead the New Zealand Junior Team at this year's world junior sufing champs in Portugal.

Eight of the 12 surfers named are from the Bay of Plenty with seven from Mount Maunganui. The 2016 Vissla ISA World Junior Surfing Championships are being held at the Azores Islands, Portugal in September.

Kehu Butler. Image courtesy of Smith / WSL.

The New Zealand Junior Surfing Team was announced today and his inclusion in the team comes on the back of more international success over the weekend.

Both Butler and fellow Mount Maunganui surfer Raiha Ensor who was also named in the team, were representing New Zealand at the international final of the Rip Curl GromSearch held in Hawaii.

He finished the event runner up behind American Nolan Rapoza.

Meanwhile Raiha Ensor finished third in the Girls Division, eliminated by event winner Brisa Hennessy.

Butlers result comes only one week after he claimed his maiden victory in the World Surf League Australian Pro Junior Series with a win at the Subway Pro Junior held at Cronulla Beach, Australia.

The Pro Junior Series caters for surfers under the age of 18 and the win means Butler finished the year ranked seventh overall.

At the World Junior Championships, Butler will be competing in the Under-16 Boys Division for the third consecutive year.

He will be joined by three additional surfers – Kaya Horne, Jared Gebert and Elliott Brown.

Both Gebert and Brown will compete at the event for the first time as will Lee Ririnui) who has been selected as one of four surfers in the Under-18 Boys Division.

Daniel Farr and Jonas Tawharu move up a division to the Under-18 Boys in 2016, where they are joined by Northland surfer Manu Scott – Arrieta and Ririnui.

In the girls divisions, Britt Kindred and Raiha Ensor will compete in the Under-18 Girls Division while Elin Tawharu will be joined by Kea Smith who makes a return to the team after having competed at the World Junior Championships in 2014.

The girls have six caps between them and will be looking for good results now they are familiar with the international event.

The Azores Islands are located off the coast of Portugal. The event location picks up a lot of swell and when the surf gets over 1.5m, it becomes a powerful beach break with challenging waves.

The New Zealand Team finished 15^th at last year's champs, which was won by the home team USA over France in second and Hawaii in third.

The team is expected to climb back up the rankings this year given the experience of the selected surfers and a surf break that will suit the surfers.

For the first time, the ISA will also utilize a four-man priority system eliminating the need to hassle for waves, a strategy often disadvantages the New Zealand surfers.

The 2016 New Zealand Junior Surfing Team:

Under 18 Boys Daniel Farr (Tara) Jonas Tawharu (Mnt) Lee Ririnui (Mnt) Manu Scott - Arrieta (Sandy Bay) Non travelling reserve – Jack Wilson (Chch)

Under 18 Girls Britt Kindred (Muriwai) Raiha Ensor (Mnt) Non travelling reserve – Zhana Hutchison (Tara)

Under 16 Boys Elliott Brown (Dun) Jared Gebert (Ohope) Kaya Horne (Mnt/Queensland) Kehu Butler (Mnt) Non travelling reserve – Caleb Cutmore (Ham)

Under 16 Girls Elin Tawharu (Mnt) Kea Smith (Mnt) Non travelling reserve – Zhana Hutchison (Tara)

Team Manager: Damien Galvan (Mnt)

Team Coach: Khan Butler (Mnt)