Meri Kirihimete, Aotearoa Handball Whānau!
A bit like my Christmas shopping, leaving the final NZ Handball President’s Update for the year until the last possible moment.
Rather than run you through reflections on all the fantastic Handball action that has taken place over the course of the year as we have done in past December Updates, this time the focus is on the present and what lies ahead in 2026.
Executive Committee changes
In a changing of the guard, Willy Silcock has now finished his stint as our Treasurer, and has stepped off the Executive Committee altogether. Willy and I were the last members still standing from the Executive Committee that took on the governance of New Zealand Handball in September 2020. Willy has put in a massive shift in overseeing Beach Handball throughout his tenure and taking on the Treasurer role for the past four years or so. Thanks for all you have done for us, Willy, now just the final handover tasks and the wee matter of running an Oceania Beach Champs is all that remains for you (see below).
Also stepping away from the formal role of Secretary-General is Leanne Dawson, who has been looking after that part of our governance equation since joining the Executive in 2024. Leanne is remaining on the Executive for the time-being, but switching her focus to strategic considerations. Thank you for looking after the Secretary-General function so well, Leanne, and we look forward to your ongoing contribution to our evolving strategy to grow New Zealand Handball to its full potential.
I am now delighted to announce that returning to the Executive, via our co-option powers, we have:
life member Iva Sajdl, who will resume the Treasurer role she held in the early days of the Federation’s existence, and
national women’s team stalwart Rowan Moloughney, who will resume the Secretary-General role she vacated when she stepped off the Executive in 2024 to focus on nurturing one of the next generation of New Zealand Handballers.
We now have a full complement on the Executive to steer New Zealand Handball through the year ahead, comprising:
David Ireland, President and Complaints & Integrity Officer
Rowan Moloughney, Secretary-General
Iva Sajdl, Treasurer
Frank Stoltenberg, Youth Development
Julien Pringot, Memberships
Karl Fitzpatrick, High-Performance
Leanne Dawson, Strategy & Women’s Handball
Willy Silcock (officer outside the Executive), Beach Handball
Jun Tanlayco (officer outside the Executive), Media
The next task is to lock down the appointment of a National Coaching Development Co-ordinator and appointments to the NZ Handball Referees Subcommittee. Calls for expressions of interest in these critical roles were published earlier this month and can be found HERE. If you are interested in contributing to these key aspects of New Zealand Handball development, please ensure you get your submissions in ahead of the 25 January deadline.
Keep an eye out for further appointments over the next few months as we look to build out the rest of the structure to deliver on New Zealand Handball’s vision.
Oceania Beach Handball Championships
Time to slap on some sunscreen and slap on a hat, the premiere event on the Oceania Beach Handball calendar is coming to Christchurch’s Pioneer Stadium this Waitangi Weekend. It has been a while since New Zaland got to host this event, so this is a unique chance for lovers of Handball on the sand to check out the best that Oceania has to offer. We look forward to welcoming our friend from around the region in just a few short weeks.
Teams will be warming up on the tailor-made Pioneer sand court on Thursday 5 February, before the competition proper throws off on Waitangi Day, running through to the finals on Sunday 8th. The draw will be published HERE in the New Year once everything has been locked down. Remember, the winning team from each division will gain entry to the World Champs in Croatia in June.
Thanks again to Willy Silcock for delaying his exit from Executive Committee duties (and his family holiday) to run the show. Thanks also to Dentons Kensington Swan for becoming a foundation sponsor for the event, providing a gazebo for much needed cover from the fierce Cantabrian February sun and some even more needed financial support for the event. Watch this space for news of further sponsors and event partners as they come on board.
Regional connect
Having said we would be looking forward in this Update, it would be remiss not to touch on the Regional connect held with representatives of our four Regional Associations last month. We had a great turnout, with thanks to all stakeholders who took time out to update the group on the state of Handball health in their region. Some highlights:
In Otago the College League continues to go from strength to strength. Its success is helping to fuel the New Zealand Youth and Junior national teams, and fortunately for the future health of New Zealand Handball the pipeline of talent that League produces shows no signs of slowing down. That League has also fuelled a strong Committee set up, with a mix of active players and parents of youth players supporting a thriving wee Handball community in the deep south. Great to hear.
Moving up the country, Canterbury has also had another strong year, on and off the court, but with much excitement around its spanking new Pakiore Recreation and Sports Centre now open for play. The hope is that this new sporting hub will help drive further growth in numbers, with the inevitable falling off in numbers as players look to move on.
Wellington had its challenges this year, notwithstanding another well-attended national Club Champs, with insufficient numbers to run a proper Club league for the first time since whenever. The success of the intermediate Schools Handball tournament, with extensive interest shown in establishing a long-term programme, offers a glimmer of hope there.
Auckland has been enjoying good numbers at weekly trainings, with a strong core of long-term resident players creating a good foundation to build on. Auckland hopes to be able to host a return of the ever-popular Auckland Open in the first half of next year if a suitable venue can be locked down. And speaking of appropriate venues, adding the Bruce Pullman Arena with proper Handball lines marked out there has been a major achievement for the year.
Overall, the mood around the Motu seems pretty positive for what the future may hold in each region. All acknowledged the impact the current cost of living challenges has placed on people, and there is a commitment to move Handball opportunities to a more sustainable cost-effective footing, as well as trying to create more playing opportunities at levels other than just high performance. We look forward to helping those plans come to fruition in 2026.
2026 Calendar
The Handball calendar for next year is starting to take shape, but with plenty of gaps still to be filled and events to be confirmed. You can find the latest calendar of events HERE, populated with what we know and what we have some basis for speculating on.
For now, the highlights of the calendar to look out for are the Oceania tournaments New Zealand is hosting to bookend the year – the Oceania Beach Handball Championships over Waitangi Weekend discussed earlier in this Update, and the Men’s IHF Trophy qualifiers taking place in Auckland in the first half of December (details still to be confirmed). And in between, of course, will be the New Zealand Handball Club Champs scheduled for 10-13 September at Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Wellington, with a scattering of HLA and other events in between, as well as the usual regional Handball activity. Plenty of Handball to look forward to in 2026!
As always, we will endeavour to lock in dates for events as early as we can to help people make their travel plans. If you think we have missed something that ought to be on there, please get in touch with Jun at media@handball.org.nz.
That’s a wrap
Thanks all for supporting New Zealand Handball to be the best that it can be in 2025. There has been some great Handball played on both pine and sand, by young and old, and we look forward to another action-packed year ahead.
To our wonderful cohort of volunteers that make the handball magic happen across the length of the country, thanks for all that you do. It can be hard yakker at times, but seeing the product on court and touching an increasing audience makes it all worthwhile.
Travel safe, wherever your Christmas plans may take you, and I look forward to catching up with you all in 2026.
David Ireland
President, New Zealand Handball Federation