PRESIDENT'S UPDATE - June 2025

Kia ora koutou, Aotearoa Handball Whānau! 

With mid-winter fast approaching, we are now into the thick of the Handball season, with lots of Handball action around the country to get excited about.

 In this month’s update, I take a quick look at what’s been happening on the youth development front before switching to the other end of the experience spectrum with Handball league Aotearoa, and finish off with my favourite subject, NZ Handball admin.

Youth Development

The success of the Intermediate School age regional tournaments in Auckland and Wellington that kicked off last year continues.

In Auckland we had another well-attended U13  Inter-School Regional Handball Championships at the Barfoot Thompson Stadium on 6 June. With over 80 kids taking part and overwhelmingly positive feedback on the event, it is super encouraging for the future of the sport in New Zealand’s most populous region. Thanks to all the volunteers who stepped up to ensure the success of the event.

Wellington also saw an U17 Women’s Inter-College Champs take place in May. While not quite the same numbers as we saw at the younger age level in Auckland, rebuilding the female game in the Nation’s capital is an important spoke in the wheel of maintaining Handball as a national sport. Reports of the enthusiasm shown at that event bodes well for the future.

On 29 July the Wellington focus switches to the U13s, with a three day festival of Handball throwing off featuring 20 local Schools, followed by the Capital’s own U13 Regional Championships on 14 August. Both events take place at the spiritual home of New Zealand Handball, Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Kilbirnie. Once again, the level of interest in these events has been quite overwhelming. While the high-performance and club side of Handball delivers plenty of special moments to celebrate, nothing quite beats the sheer joy you see on the faces of this younger cohort as they get their first tastes of our amazing game. Thanks to our head of youth development Frank Stoltenberg and his group of volunteers for all you do to inspire the next generation of New Zealand Handballers.

Of course, much of the North Island Handball youth development is just playing catch up with the Mainland, and all the amazing work with our youth players that continues in both Christchurch and Dunedin. The depth of the youth game that has developed in the South over the past decade is quite something, and it hasn’t been by accident as our growing Handball communities of Canterbury and Otago continue to do the mahi to secure the future of the sport. A big shout out to all those involved for your ongoing commitment to the growth of youth Handball.

The next step will be progressing an inter-regional competition at the U13 level. Watch this space for more on that in due course.

Women’s Handball

Moving on to the high-performance side of what’s happening in New Zealand Handball, as reported by our national Women’s Team manager and NZ Handball Secretary-General Leanne Dawson, in mid-June our Women's High Performance programme came together for a joint camp in Waimate, with our juniors, youth, and seniors attending.

The squad were well-looked after at Gunns Bush (although it was rather freezing!), and trained together at the Waimate Event Centre. It was great to connect as a group, share learnings and growth across our women's squad. It was also really exciting to see the commitment and development of our women's players, reinforcing the importance of building a unified, supportive community Handball culture. Thank you to everyone involved in organising this event. Another camp is scheduled for late July to build on the success of the June camp.

Handball League Aotearoa

Our high performance inter-regional competition is now in full swing. May saw the opening super weekend at The Peak Stadium in Hamilton, with teams from Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury opening up the 2025 edition of HLA. While hosting an event in the Tron created a few more travel logistics than usual, it was great to take the event outside its traditional bases, and feedback from those who took part was positive. Hopefully the event has inspired a fresh wave of Waikato residents to ring their cowbells at something different!

Both the Southern and Northern Shield exchanges are in play, with the Southerners continuing to meet at Waimate, and the Northerners playing home and away in Wellington on 4-5 July (when they will be joined by Otago, compensating for the Southerners missing the HLA opening in May) and Auckland at the start of August. All is set for the final showdown in Christchurch in October!

Constitution Review Reminder 

Feedback on the proposed changes to NZ Handball’s constitution circulated in April officially close on 30 June. If you still want to chip into the review process, or missed the consultation pack, please get in touch – it is your governing framework, so we want to give all our stakeholders as much opportunity as we can to have their say.

The next step in the process will be a confirmed set of proposed changes being circulated ahead of this year’s AGM in September. Once approved, we will then be able to re-register the organisation under the new laws, well ahead of the April 2026 deadline. For any of our Clubs and Regional Associations who have been set up as incorporated societies who have yet to progress their re-registration process, the clock is well and truly ticking!

Reimbursements

Last up, I am conscious there have been a few delays in processing reimbursements through our system. Apologies for that. We are working hard to try process claims as efficiently as we can, but the system does rely upon volunteers juggling busy day jobs, so your patience is appreciated.

Reimbursements will only be processed if entered online, which you can access from the ‘About’ section of our website  here. You can do your bit to expedite the process by ensuring any reimbursement requests are properly populated with receipts uploaded – and ideally just one receipt per reimbursement claim that you upload – and ensure the relevant manager is aware of the claim so they can approve it being paid. Many of the delays are down to incomplete information, which adds to the workload involved. Claims are usually processed every second Sunday of the month, but If you do experience a delay (as in, more than three weeks have elapsed since you submitted your claim), please get in touch to see where things have gone astray.

That’s all for now. Take care and have fun on court.

Yours in Handball

David Ireland

President, New Zealand Handball Federation

President's Update - April 2025

Ngā mihi o te tau hou, Aotearoa Handball whānau!

As we say farewell to another successful season of Handball on the Beach, we are all set to go for another action-packed season of indoor Handball, Kiwi-style.  Thank you to all those involved in organising the Beach Handball season enjoyed by many.

An admin focus in this month's update, but the overall calendar of domestic Handball events is fast taking shape and it's great to hear of all the training and preparation that is going on around the country.

Handball League Aotearoa, Take Two and Club Champs update

Super exciting to have HLA 2025 kick off in Hamilton on May 24. Ted Fitzpatrick has put in a massive shift to build on the success of the inaugural league in 2024, and taking our sport to the mighty 'Tron’ is another step in the path to turning Handball into a true national game for New Zealand.

For further details, see last month's post. It's not too late to get amongst it, and as usual all games will be livestreamed for those unable to be there in person.

But High Performance 2025 is not just about the HLA. Everything is shaping up nicely for this year's Club Champs in Wellington, and we are already at the stage of needing to turn away interest from overseas Clubs to take part to ensure the event is able to cater for all our New Zealand Clubs. We are aiming to kick off the tournament late afternoon/early evening on Thursday September 4th this year to help manage player loads. We are looking forward to another great showing of Handball talent. Once again we are grateful to the WCC Sports Event Development Fund for another generous grant that will help us keep registration fees at a similar level to previous years and maintain the high quality of the event. 

Player registration

As promised in my February update, our new player registration platform is now fully up and running. The opening weekend of the HLA on 24 May will be the first time we have enforced compulsory player registration on a national database, so please bear with us if there are any teething issues to work through. 

The launch of the new platform, partnering with Esportsdesk to make it happen, is the culmination of a few years' work in trying to pull together a system that is easy to use and administer, and cost-effective for us. The engagement with Esportsdesk over the past few months has been really constructive as we built something tailored to the needs of New Zealand Handball, and we are delighted with the end product. If you experience any issues when trying to use the new platform, please contact Julien at membership@handball.org.nz. Even if you don't have any difficulties with it, we would still love to hear your feedback. This is effectively NZ Handball registration 1.0 - inevitably there will be enhancements we can make, but we want to see how this OG version plays out first, with ease of use a priority for us.

Look out for communications from your Clubs for news on how the new system will impact on Club memberships. For those looking to register as a player with New Zealand Handball, follow this link New Zealand Handball Federation - Powered By esportsdesk.com.

Handball resources

The New Zealand Handball Federation is proud to announce the release of six new skill-based videos as part of our Play Handball series, designed to make Handball even more accessible to students, teachers, and parents across Aotearoa.
These new clips follow the success of our first video, Introduction to Handball, launched six months ago. That video provided an overview of how the sport is played and helped demystify handball for schools and families new to the game."

The link to the series of videos is: Play Handball NZHF - Intro to Handball

Constitution review and re-registration

As promised previously, we are about to circulate a consultation paper along with a set of proposed amendments to the NZ Handball Federation constitution. The bulk of the changes contemplated are to ensure we align with the new laws governing incorporated societies, but we are also taking the opportunity to fine-tune some other aspects of our governing rules. There ends up being quite a lot to get through, and we would really welcome feedback from our stakeholders before progressing to the next step.

And what is that next step? Once we have closed off the initial round of consultation at the end of June, we will reflect on the feedback and then release a further final draft of the proposed replacement constitution in time for it to be voted on at this year's AGM in the back half of September.

Clubs and Regional Associations should have all received from us earlier in the year an outline of what is involved in re-registering under the new Act, including a checklist of the key aspects that need to be covered off. All those stakeholders that are incorporated societies will need to go through the same process as the NZ Handball Federation, with the deadline for re-registration now less than a year away. If any of you need some input from us to make it happen, please get in touch.

That's all

Looking forward to the next update when we will have some Handball action to report on!

Yours in Handball

David Ireland

President, New Zealand Handball Federation

New Skills Video Series Released to Help More Kiwis Play Handball

The New Zealand Handball Federation is proud to announce the release of six new skill-based videos as part of our Play Handball series, designed to make Handball even more accessible to students, teachers, and parents across Aotearoa.

These new clips follow the success of our first video, Introduction to Handball, launched six months ago. That video provided an overview of how the sport is played and helped demystify handball for schools and families new to the game.

Now, we’re diving deeper into the essential skills needed to play, with short, easy-to-follow videos focused on:

• Stemshot

• Jumpshot

• Feinting

• Defense

• Passing

• Goalkeeping

Each video offers clear demonstrations and coaching tips to help new and experienced players alike. They’re perfect for students learning the game, teachers running school sessions, and parents or caregivers wanting to understand and support their children in playing handball.

We hope these resources inspire more schools around the country to pick up the ball and give handball a go.

You can watch all the videos now on our YouTube playlist:

Play Handball Skills Series

Special thanks to our presenters, Anaiwan Ojala and Lara Johns, and to Silas Kane and Saphira Thompson for their support on court. Torven Schalk from Victoria University Handball, offered the technical know-how from the sideline. The videos were filmed and edited by Jun Tanlayco and NZHF’s Youth Development Coordinator, Frank Stoltenberg.

We are also grateful to our clothing partner, Select Sports, and to Mt Cook School in Wellington for once again hosting us.

Let’s keep building handball together — one skill at a time.

Handball League Aotearoa Gears Up for an Exciting 2025 Season

The countdown has begun for the highly anticipated Handball League Aotearoa (HLA) 2025 season, promising fans an exhilarating showcase of speed, skill, and strategy. With both the men’s and women’s leagues set to deliver thrilling matchups, teams from across the country are preparing to battle for national supremacy.

The 2025 season will kick off with a high-stakes opening match featuring reigning champions Canterbury taking on Otago in the South Island derby on May 10th in Waimate, setting the tone for an action-packed season. Throughout the competition, fans can expect key clashes, including a fierce rivalry showdown on the men's side, between Canterbury and last year's runners-up Wellington, to be played in Hamilton on May 24th, which is already being touted as a must-watch encounter. This game will be part of the HLA Super Weekend, which is bringing handball to Hamilton. It is time to turn "The Tron" into "Handballton".

On the women's side, reigning champs Canterbury begin their title defence against Otago in Waimate on May 10th, but the highly anticipated match will be when they face Auckland in Hamilton on May 24th.  Auckland managed to go the 2024 regular season undefeated only to be beaten in the final, they are out to prove they have what it takes to win the big matches.

“The 2025 HLA season is shaping up to be our best yet,” said League Director KarlFitzpatrick. “We have an incredible lineup of teams, and the level of competitioncontinues to rise every year. We can’t wait to see handball fans across NewZealand come together to support their teams and we also want new fans to comeand witness handball firsthand.”

In addition to the main league matches, the season will feature special events, including community engagement initiatives, junior development programs, and opportunities for those new to handball to give it a go.

Fitzpatrick says that "handball is a really exciting sport to watch live and offers something different to the mainstream sports in New Zealand". Spectators are encouraged to give handball a shot and come support the teams at games across the country. Matches will also be streamed online for those unable to attend in person.

More information, including the full schedule and venue details, will be provided later.

Follow Handball League Aotearoa on Instagram @handball_league_aotearoa. For additional information on the league, go to HLA Links.

New Zealand Women's Handball Online Presence

New Zealand Handball Federation is proud to announce the creation of a separate online presence for NZ women’s handball. It is fitting that the creation is in line with International Women’s Day.

Visibility fuels growth. A strong online presence for women's handball in New Zealand isn’t just about showcasing talent—it’s about inspiring the next generation, building a community, and proving that women in sport deserve the spotlight. The more we share, the more we grow.

Leanne Dawson - Manager, National Women’s Team

“We are delighted to launch a site dedicated to the achievements and initiatives of our female representative squads. We are excited about how the site has been developed by the women’s leadership group, and the contribution it will make to the ongoing development and success of women’s handball in New Zealand”.

David Ireland - President, New Zealand Handball Federation

For links to NZ Women’s Handball,

Canterbury Pekapeka wins the 2025 Beach Handball Club Men's and Women's Championships

Canterbury Handball followed last year’s indoor handball success by winning both the men’s and women’s category of this year’s NZ Beach Handball Club Championship. Last year, Canterbury Quakes won both men’s and women’s Handball League Aotearoa and the men’s title of the 2024 NZ Club Championship. They started this year with Canterbury Pekapeka winning both men’s and women’s titles in beach handball.

Canterbury Pekapeka dominated the women’s championship winning all their games and the finals. The men’s tournament was a tighter affair. On the first day, Pekepeka men lost both their matches against Barad-dûr Beach Bros. Barad-dûr Beach Bros won all their matches on the first day. But they could not replicate it on the second day.

2025 Beach Handball Club championship Winners

2025 Beach Handball Club Men’s Championship - Canterbury Pekapeka

Ollly Donaldson (Charrots)

Top Scorer and Most Valuable Attacker

Cameron Ross (Charrots) and Jeremy Clarke (Charrots)

Most Valuable Defender

Jack Gallagher (Charrots) and Alex Brown (BBB)

Best Goalkeeper

2025 Beach Handball Club WOMen’s Championship - Canterbury Pekapeka

Jaclyn Parker (Pekapeka)

Most Valuable Attacker

Kianna Dawson (Parrots)

Top Scorer

Rowan Moloughney (Pekapeka) and Mae Bartlett (Pekapeka)

Most Valuable Defender

Julia Singhal (Pekapeka)

Best Goalkeeper

That concludes the New Zealand Beach Handball season. Good luck to the teams and players going over to the Australian Beach Club Championship starting 3rd of April 2025.

President's Update - February 2025

President’s Update - February 2025

Ngā mihi o te tau hou, Aotearoa Handball whānau!

Better late than never, welcome to another year of Handball, Kiwi-style. Over the summer break your Executive Committee has been working hard on planning for the year ahead, and the planets have now aligned to share an update with you. As always there is more to come as planning continues, but here is a taster of what lies in store:

Handball League Aotearoa 

Building on the success of last year's inaugural national league, we are excited to confirm the programme for the year ahead. A key piece of feedback we received last year was that participants didn't feel they had enough notice of dates for events. We have listened, and that shouldn't be a source of complaint this year!

For 2025 HLA kicks off with the first leg of the Southern Shield in Waimate on May 10 and then we have yet another first on 24-25 May - a full national handball tournament being hosted in Hamilton! We are super-excited to be bringing Handball to the 'Tron with a Super Weekend being held at The Peak Sports Hall. We have received great initial support on the ground in Hamilton to make the most of showcasing the event in New Zealand's 4th largest city, just a bit over an hour's drive south from Auckland airport.

Note that with the HLA Super Weekend being held in Hamilton at this time, the traditional Auckland Open has been deferred this year to help people manage their travel budget.

We then move onto the home and away legs of the Northern Shield - 5-6 July in Wellington, and 2-3 August in Auckland. The 2nd leg of the Southern Shield with HLA points up for grabs then takes Canterbury and Otago back to Waimate on August 23 before it all wraps up in Christchurch on 11-12 October. Between those two events of course we have the NZHF Club Champs in Wellington 4-7 September - another chance to showcase the best that New Zealand Handball has to offer, even if no HLA points are up for grabs. The full schedule will be available on our website shortly.

A huge Handball thank you to Karl Fitzpatrick and the rest of the HLA committee for all the mahi put into getting the programme together. If you are keen on taking part, please contact your local regional association.

Player Registration system

Supporting a more professional approach to the way we manage participation in HLA, we have partnered with Esportsdesk to create a Club and player registration system for New Zealand Handball. As a starting point, all those wanting to take part in HLA and national representative squads will need to register on the new platform, but the plan is for the platform to finally provide an easy to use system to capture registrations for everyone wanting to take part in Handball in New Zealand.

There are still a few final details to nail with the registration system, and Julien Pringot and the team will be in touch with Clubs to provide further information and guidance to help get everything loaded up. This has been another big project for us to progress, and we are indebted to Julien for all the mahi he has put in to make the player registration vision a reality.

Beach Handball

Hard to believe it, but the domestic Beach Handball programme is nearly at an end, with the NZ Beach Club Champs to be held at the Pioneer Sand Courts on 1-2 March. It has been a trimmed down programme this summer to help free up space for players to take part in the Aussie Club Champs at the start of April, but once again we have seen another successful summer of action on the sand, with some exciting new talent coming through and a few of the Beach Handball stalwarts still  getting amongst it and showing the next generation how it is done. For details, teams, game schedule and livestream, go to our NZ Beach Club championship Event page. Thanks to Willy Silcock for all that you do for our Beach Athletes.

Grassroots Youth Development

Of course, it is not all just about High Performance. As a New Zealand community and participant in the global community that is Handball, a key objective for us is to ensure the next generation of players is coming through that will share our passion for this great game, and carry forward the legacy of what has been created into the future. Again building on last year's successes, we are working on a sustainable framework to support Handball develop and thrive amongst our younger enthusiasts and potential enthusiasts. Frank Stoltenberg has put a huge effort into pulling things together for the future benefit of us all, and NZHF is investing significant resources into this project. We will save details to be rolled out in future communications, but for now be assured that while we place a lot of emphasis on our high-performance initiatives, we remain focused on the future health of Handball in New Zealand

Incorporated Society Re-registration

As if all the action on the court and sand wasn't enough, we also have the excitement of the NZHF constitution review and re-registration as an incorporated society to get through this year.  We are well underway with our internal review, and hope to get a consultation paper circulated before HLA kicks off in May. Opportunities to update our governing framework do not come around too often, so we are keen to ensure everyone has a chance to have their say. We take feedback received on board to inform a replacement set of Rules that will be put to the September AGM for adoption.

All Clubs and Regional Associations have been sent a package to help get them underway with their own re-registration processes, where required. So for those with a thirst for governance and governing rules, this is finally your year to get amongst it.

Wrap

That is just a taste of all that is on the go for now - there is plenty of other work going on behind the scenes, and other initiatives in play. If you have any queries or would like to contribute more to what is going on, please do not hesitate to reach out to Leanne at secretary@handball.org.nz. We would love to hear from you.

Ngā mihi nui

David Ireland

President, New Zealand Handball Federation

High Performance Announcement

Happy New Year to the NZ Handball Community!

We are excited to share an important update about the future of the Indoor Handball High-Performance Programme in New Zealand for the upcoming year.

The High-Performance front has gained significant momentum, with the NZ Men's Team starting 2024 on a high note by securing their first-ever victory in the Asian Championships. The year concluded with a successful campaign for the Youth and Junior Men's teams in Tahiti this past December, both finishing as runners-up. In the midst of these achievements, we celebrated the inaugural season of Handball League Aotearoa, featuring over 100 players in competitive matches across the country, showcasing exceptional talent and commitment.

As we enter 2025, we are pleased to announce the key personnel who will be leading our High-Performance Programme and the new structure designed to enhance the development of our national squads. Our primary goal is to provide an environment where aspiring handball players can progress to higher levels of competition. Given handball's status as a relatively young and amateur sport in New Zealand, collaboration is crucial. Sharing knowledge and resources between squads is essential to ensure collective growth and avoid redundant efforts. With several squads either established or in the process of revitalization, we have streamlined our structure by introducing three pivotal roles reporting to the Director of High Performance. These roles will facilitate better coordination among coaches, managers, support staff, and players, fostering shared strategies and addressing challenges collectively.

Introducing Our Key Leaders:

Cyprien Pesques

Cyprien Pesques has been appointed as the High Performance Manager of Women's Handball. Cyprien will oversee coordination among the Senior, Junior, and Youth Women's Squads, ensuring a seamless progression pathway and clear expectations for programme participants. With a deep passion for handball, Cyprien, along with the management team, is committed to implementing a strategic vision for the Women's High-Performance Programme. A detailed update on the Senior, Junior, and Youth squad plans for the coming years will be provided soon.

Roland van den Tillaar

Roland van den Tillaar will continue his role as Head Coach of the Senior Men's squad. Roland will present his vision for the squad in an open call on January 29th at 8 pm (NZ Mens Kick-Off Call). With ambitious goals, Roland aims to build on the success of the 2024 Asian Championship victory and prepare the team for more triumphs in the 2026 event. He is also dedicated to fostering junior players' development, ensuring a strong future for the Senior Men's squad.

Thomas Schmider

Thomas Schmider will lead the Junior and Youth Men's squads as the NZ Youth Men's Programme Lead. Thomas has successfully overseen several campaigns and will work closely with Roland to establish a clear pathway for players advancing to the Senior Men's squad. Thomas and the NZ Youth Men's delegation are finalizing plans for the future and will soon announce them to eligible players, continuing the momentum gained in Tahiti.

As we look ahead to 2025 and beyond, we are enthusiastic about the journey ahead. With driven leaders at the helm and an expanding calendar of events and training opportunities, we are poised for growth. Active participation in Handball League Aotearoa will be a key requirement for NZ-based players aiming to join any of the High-Performance squads. Together, we will elevate the quality of handball in New Zealand and support our players in reaching competitive heights. Once each leader has their plan formalised, we will roll out a calendar highlighting key dates across all squads.

For more information, don't hesitate to reach out to Karl (Ted) Fitzpatrick at high-performance@handball.org.nz. 

Karl Fitzpatrick

Director, NZHF High Performance

NZHF and SELECT NZ partnership extended

NZHF and Select NZ announce the extension of their partnership to 2028.

The Partnership

SELECT NZ started outfitting the Men’s Youth and Junior teams for the 2022 IHF Trophy Oceania in Cook Islands. On March 2023, the partnership was formalised. Since then, SELECT NZ has been involved with all the international tournaments New Zealand national teams have played.

2022 IHF Trophy Oceania Men’s Youth and Junior, Cook Islands

2024 Asian Men’s Championship, Bahrain

2023 IHF Trophy Oceania Women’s Youth and Junior, New Caledonia

2024 IHF Trophy Oceania Men’s Youth and Junior, Tahiti

SELECT NZ was also involved in youth development including the Introduction to Handball video.

And with the creation of Handball League Aotearoa in 2024, SELECT NZ has been the preferred supplier of some of the teams.

The Extension

The original partnership was for 2 years. Both parties agreed to extend the partnership for another 3 years to 2028.

“We are honoured to secure a Contract extension from the New Zealand Handball Federation till 2028 for the supply of Select Playing and Training kit.

This contract extension reaffirms our dedication to providing top-quality gear for their athletes and staff, and supporting their journey to success.”

— PUSHKAR KULKARNI, Managing Director, Select NZ

“We are delighted to have extended the term of our supply agreement with Select for another three years. The quality of the playing kit supplied for our national teams has been first class, and the Select Sports team’s ability to turn around complex team orders in a hurry has been outstanding. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Select brand through to 2028.”

— DAVE IRELAND, President, NZHF

How NZ Handball Secured Silver and Shined at the Oceania Championships 2024

As the dust settles on a thrilling campaign at the Oceania Championships in Tahiti, we’re not just celebrating the remarkable achievement of our Men’s U18 and U20 teams securing silver medals, but also the thriving talent across New Zealand’s regions that made this possible.

Insights from Past and Present Men's Teams

Handball in New Zealand is experiencing a renaissance, fueled by passionate players from diverse regions. Our annual reflection on regional representation showcases the tangible growth and dedication at the grassroots level.

Regional Representation of Men's Teams Over the Years

Here’s a glimpse at how our teams have evolved:

Canterbury: A beacon of consistent growth, doubling its U20 representation since 2022.

Otago: Home to a strong university program, although there’s been a slight dip, the region remains a steady contributor to our national squads.

Auckland: Facing challenges in the U18 category but showing resilience and improvement in the U20 division.

Wellington: Wellington showed significant progress this year, more than doubling its U18 representation, highlighting the impact of its local training programs.

These figures reflect not just the hard work of individuals but the collective effort of clubs, coaches, and the community nurturing these young talents.

Breaking Down Handball NZ's Recent Campaign

The path to the Oceania Championships was paved with rigorous preparation and a unified team spirit, highlighted by our structured training camps:

Training Camps: Building Unity and High Performance

1. First Training Camp in Christchurch: Focus on tactical awareness and team dynamics.

2. Second Camp in Rangiora: Enhanced technical skills under pressure.

3. Third Camp in Christchurch: Strategy refinement and mental preparation.

4. Final Session in Auckland: Last-minute tactics before flying out to Tahiti.

Each camp was a stepping stone towards not just competing but excelling on the international stage.

Learning from Legends: A Day at the All Blacks Experience

Before heading to Tahiti, our teams participated in a memorable team-building session in Auckland, featuring insights from former All Black Michael Jones about the honor and responsibility of wearing the New Zealand jersey. This experience not only motivated our players but also deepened their understanding of sportsmanship and national pride.

Performance at the Championships

The IHF Trophy 2024 showcased intense competition and captivating gameplay from the U18 and U20 New Zealand handball teams. Both teams demonstrated remarkable skill and resilience, concluding in their appearances in the finals against New Caledonia.

U18 Team Performance

The U18 team had a strong showing throughout the tournament, decisively winning their initial matches, including a significant 54:17 victory against American Samoa and a 48:41 win against Tahiti in the semifinals. These victories underscored their robust defensive strategies and efficient scoring capabilities. However, the final against New Caledonia proved challenging. The New Zealand U18 team faced a tough opponent and, despite their best efforts and a tournament filled with strong performances, they were defeated 27:47. This match highlighted areas for growth, particularly in handling high-pressure games against skilled opponents.

U20 Team Performance

The U20 team showcased exceptional teamwork and strategic acumen throughout the tournament, highlighted by their notable victories. They secured a strong start with a 23:23 tie against Australia, demonstrating their ability to compete against tough opponents. They followed this with a decisive 29:20 victory over New Caledonia in the group phase, showcasing effective offensive strategies and solid defense.

As they progressed to the finals, their rematch against New Caledonia was a test of their ability to apply lessons learned from earlier matches. Despite improved tactics and team cohesion, the final proved challenging, and the New Zealand U20 team was defeated with a score of 27:32. This close final match highlighted areas for tactical improvement and personal growth for the players.

Key Takeaways from the IHF Trophy in Tahiti

Both teams' journeys through the IHF Trophy 2024 highlight their competitive spirit and the high level of handball talent developing within New Zealand. These experiences not only provided the teams with invaluable international exposure but also highlighted key areas for tactical enhancements. The finals demonstrated the need for further development in maintaining composure under pressure and executing strategies against equally matched or superior teams.

As the teams return from the tournament, the focus will be on harnessing the insights gained from these high-stakes matches to refine their approaches, enhance player skills, and build on their mental toughness. The dedication of the players and the coaching staff continues to be a driving force in the pursuit of excellence in the international handball arena.

Celebration and Reflection

Following our success, the team enjoyed a boat trip around Tahiti, celebrating with BBQ and snorkelling, a perfect way to bond and bask in their hard-earned victory.

Acknowledgment of the Delegation

Special thanks to the delegation who put their hearts into this campaign, ensuring our players could perform their best and grow significantly through the experience.

A special shoutout to Jun Tanlayco for capturing the heart and soul of the tournament through his incredible photography. Additionally, we want to acknowledge the efforts of our referees, Herve Roy from Auckland and Willy Makea from Wellington, who represented New Zealand with professionalism and commitment on the court.

A Tribute to Our Backbone: Families and Friends

This journey would have been impossible without the immense support from the families and friends of our players. Your cheers, both from the stands in Tahiti and from homes across New Zealand, have fueled our teams’ spirits. A heartfelt thank you to every family member and friend who has been part of this adventure.

One parent expressed their gratitude beautifully: "Our son cherished every aspect of the tournament and trip. We extend our sincere thanks to the coaches, managers, organizers, and all the dedicated individuals who made this opportunity possible."

A Call to Action: Join the Movement

Our commitment to enhancing handball in New Zealand remains unwavering as we launch new initiatives aimed at developing the skills of both players and coaches. Through collaborations with the IHF and Jochen Beppler, we're committed to facilitating upskilling for coaches to enhance their expertise and methodologies. Additionally, we explore international opportunities, such as attending the ISI Handball School in Denmark, where players can study and play for a semester or a year, furthering their development in the sport. These efforts are aimed at addressing existing challenges and aligning with long-term development goals.

As we look to the future, the growth of handball in New Zealand relies on the continued support and involvement of our community. Whether you’re a player, a potential coach, or someone who can lend a hand in club management, your contribution is invaluable. Let’s work together to uplift each other and push the boundaries of what we can achieve in handball.

Together, we create more than just teams; we build a whanau united by our love for handball. Join us in this exciting journey to develop and promote handball across all regions of New Zealand.

If you’re inspired to join us on this journey or want to learn more about handball in New Zealand, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out to us at youth@handball.org.nz or follow us on Instagram @nzyouthhandball to catch all the highlights from our recent campaign.

Written by

Thomas Schmider

Head of Delegation, U18 & U20 Teams