Kia ora koutou,
We would like to establish an advisory committee to help provide a stronger voice to women's handball in NZ. Please see the post details and link below. This is not solely High performance focussed, but intends to help better plan the development of women's handball, in terms of how we connect to more players, structure, leagues, and tournaments to better accommodate women's teams, etc.
For more details and to apply, go to Women’s Advisory Committee EOI
Welcome to another year of Handball, Kiwi-style.
In this first update for 2026, we reflect on the fantastic showcase for Beach Handball that was the 2026 Oceania Beach Handball Championships, seek input into our strategy update, and note a couple of highlights for the 2026 calendar.
Christchurch and the Pioneer Stadium sand courts delivered a superb advertisement for the joy and excitement that is Beach Handball this Waitangi weekend. Despite some last minute hiccups (our friends from Kiribati weren’t able to secure their Visas in time to make the start of the tournament, prompting a major re-shuffling of the game schedule to enable them to take a full part in the event when they eventually arrive on the afternoon of the 2nd day) the organisation of the event was first class, and an awesome product was able to be beamed around the world on the IHF YouTube channel.
Congratulations to the Australian squad who took out both the Men’s and Women’s divisions. They now go on to represent Oceania at the Beach Handball World Championships in Croatia in June, and we wish them all the very best for that.
Australia Mens and Womens teams
But the Aussies didn’t have it all their own way. A massive shout out to the New Zealand men who went through pool play undefeated, taking the Australians down 2-0 on the way to the final. Sadly our men were not able to repeat that outcome in the close-fought gold medal match, missing out on taking the final to a penalty shoot-out with a thrilling golden point overtime loss. Well done as well to our women who ended up in a three-way tie after pool play with two wins and a loss, but had to settle for playing off for third place in a count back.
Cook Islands Mens and Womens teams
And heart-felt congratulations to the Cook Islands women who upset their Australian counterparts in pool play to reach the final, securing the Cook Islands first ever win over Australia. That was a massive result. For Oceania to make an impact on the global stage it is critical for the competitiveness of our tournaments to increase. With the Cook Islands men also pushing both Australia and New Zealand hard on the sand at Pioneer Stadium, that increased level of competition was there for all to see. With some encouraging signs coming from other Oceania nations, the Kiribati delegation hopefully learning from their experience down under, and Tahiti and New Caledonia adding to the mix at the youth and junior level, Oceania Handball is on the up!
Willy Silcock with Romanian referees Daniela Andreea Enache and Corina Floriana Radut
At the conclusion of the Championships a very moving thank you and haka was given to tournament director and retiring New Zealand Beach Handball co-ordinator Willy Silcock by the New Zealand Handball squad. Willy, you put in an amazing shift to pull the Oceania Championships together to provide a fitting swansong for all your years in charge of New Zealand Beach Handball. The beach community and New Zealand Handball are deeply indebted to you for all you have done.
Thank you to the International Handball Federation, the Oceania Continent Handball Federation, the Christchurch City Council and law firm Dentons Kensington Swan for their support of the event. The IHF in particular really came to the party to ensure the Championships could still go ahead, despite the delay in the Kiribati delegation’s arrival. It was encouraging to see our international body’s often-stated commitment to our region playing out in practice, and much appreciated.
Last, a big thank you to the amazing Jun, and to Aaron and George, for their awesome work behind the lens and on livestream to capture all the action. And thanks also to all the volunteers from Canterbury Handball for making the event such a success.
The NZHF Executive Committee is heading into a strategic planning session at the end of the month and we want to hear from as many of our stakeholders as possible to help inform that process.
Whether you're a player, coach, referee, club admin, volunteer, parent, or passionate supporter, your voice matters.
This is your opportunity to:
✔ Tell us what’s working
✔ Be honest about what’s not
✔ Share ideas
✔ Help set the direction for Handball in Aotearoa
Please take a few minutes to complete the Survey for Aotearoa Handball, answering the questions relevant to your role and experience.
Survey closes 26 February 2026
The Exec will be meeting on 28 February and 1 March to crunch through ideas on how we can best deliver on our core purpose of growing New Zealand Handball to its full potential, and delivering great Handball opportunities for all. The more voices we hear to contribute to that session, the better the outcome.
The domestic Handball programme for 2026 continues to take shape, but now with most of the key high-performance dates bolted down.
More details will follow on each of these events over the coming months, with further opportunities to get amongst it to be announced once details are known. And of course, in addition to these events each of our centres have their own initiatives under way, and we have some exciting school-based tournaments planned that will feature in future updates.
28 February-1 March, Auckland - Men’s junior and Open Try-out camp (for male players under 20 at the start of 2026, forming part of the IHF Trophy campaign but open to all comers). Additional try-out camps are planned to be held in Wellington, Canterbury and Otago during the first half of 2026.Contact youth@handball.org.nz for further details
28-29 March, Christchurch – Beach Handball Club Championships
23-24 May, Hamilton – opening weekend for HLA
27-28 June, Dunedin – 2nd HLA super weekend
10-13 September, Wellington – NZ Handball Cub Championships
17-18 October, Christchurch – HLA Finals weekend
6-11 December, Auckland – Oceania IHF Trophy for Junior Men (under 20 at the start of 2026) and Youth Men (under 18 at the start of 2026)
All of us have a part to play in the success of New Zealand Handball in 2026 and beyond. If you feel you have something to contribute, we would love to hear from you at secretary@handball.org.nz.
Yours in Handball
David Ireland
President, New Zealand Handball Federation
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
It’s been an action-packed past couple of months since my last update, plenty to report on and still some remaining Handball action to take place before Santa comes calling.
First up, our Junior and Youth girls returned to New Zealand a week or so ago, fresh from a fantastic experience at the IHF Trophy Oceania qualifiers in Rarotonga.
Led by Head of Delegation & NZ Handball Life Member Iva Sajdl, Junior Head Coach Jill James and Assistant Coach/Manager Mariel Azcona, Youth Head Coach Annalise Wilson and Assistant Coach Kristina Hames, ably assisted by Federation Rep & Squad Van Driver Julien Pringot and Official Photographer for the Tournament & NZ Handball Life Member Jun Tanlayco – alongwith visiting exchange student Dominik Mayer and a pack of cheering Kiwi supporters – our girls took on the best that Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia and Tahiti had to offer. And they didn’t disappoint!
With an outstanding team effort and many individual highlights, our Youth girls (Under 17 at the start of 2025) triumphed in all their games up to the final contest against a very strong, also undefeated, New Caledonia Team. That final was one for the ages, with New Zealand dominating early and then needing to fight their way back into it with a pulsating final few minutes before going down by the narrowest of margins. Following in the footsteps of the Junior and Youth boys from a year ago, the Youth girls finished a very creditable runner-up, earning themselves an invitation to the Under 18 IHF Youth World Champs in China mid-2026.
Our Junior girls (Under 19 at the start of 2025) had a far tougher time of it. Unlike the Youth girls, our Juniors only had a smattering of experience to call on. Some only met their teammates for the first time as they were about to head off to the tournament, many of them were still young enough to be eligible to take part in the Youth division, and some had never played a competitive game of Handball before. They did, however, enjoy a fabulous write up in The Post before they departed. Despite having the odds stacked against them, the girls acquitted themselves well with some outstanding moments, making it to the semi-finals before ending up 4th.
Congratulations to New Caledonia who took out both divisions, and to the Cook Islands Federation who put on an excellent event and were fabulous hosts, as always. They have set the bar very high as we look to host the boys’ equivalent event in a bit over a year. Special thanks to our travelling referees Josh Bruce-Campbell and Michael Zandbergen who performed a sterling job on the whistle throughout the tournament. Additional appreciation to Canterbury Quakes’ Justin Cope who diligently analysed the games and supplied our coaches with late night stats after each day’s play to help prepare for the games ahead. And of course, congratulations to our girls from both divisions and our entire delegation to the Cooks! You did the nation proud.
Earlier in the month we saw the final weekend’s play for the 2025 edition of Handball League Aotearoa at Christchurch’s Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub. With games spread across two courts, and mixing in some last-minute training sessions for our Junior and Youth girls before they headed away on the Sunday afternoon of the finals, it was great to see such a strong gathering of players and supporters from across the Motu.
Going into finals weekend, the Canterbury Quakes were leading on points in both divisions and heavy favourites to take out both titles once again. And so it transpired, but not without a fight and fierce opposition in both finals, with the Quakes sneaking home by two goals over Auckland in the Women’s final and by the same margin over Wellington in the Men’s. So congratulations to the Canterbury Quakes, worthy winners now of both 2024 and 2025 editions of HLA. A massive shout out to Karl ‘Ted’ Fitzpatrick who put in a huge shift to bring it all together, working tirelessly on a myriad of logistical challenges over the year to make the on-court Handball magic happen.
Switching to the governance and administration side of our great sport, thanks to all those who tuned in for the 19th Annual General Meeting of the New Zealand Handball Federation on 28 September. I appreciate that attending these sorts of events is not quite the same annual highlight on the Handball calendar as it is for me. But we are an incorporated society, and your participation is critical to the ongoing health of the organisation.
Highlights of this year’s AGM included:
Re-election of Karl Fitzpatrick and Julien Pringot to serve another two-year term on the Executive Committee
After five years on the Exec, Treasurer and Beach Handball portfolio head Willy Silcock opted not to offer himself for re-election. Willy has made a massive contribution to New Zealand Handball over the years and we are heavily indebted to him. The Executive Committee showed their appreciation for all he has done by immediately co-opting him back on to the Exec on an interim basis as we look for a permanent replacement to take over the Federation’s finances.
The Federation’s financials remain in good health, largely thanks to the ongoing flow of funding from the TAB.
An extensive suite of changes was made to the Federation’s constitution, concluding the consultation process kicked off earlier in the year.
With the constitution now meeting the new legislative requirements, the Executive Committee was approved to apply for re-registration of the Federation under the new law. That will have some implications for the way we need to operate moving forward with a bit more red-tape for the Executive Committee to cover off (yay), but our stakeholders will be protected from that as far as possible. Hopefully all our Clubs and Regional Associations that are set up as incorporated societies have their own re-registration requirements in hand, with the Federation now formally available as a dispute resolution option for you all.
A record of the AGM, including our annual report, financial report and draft minutes, can be found here.
Following the AGM, the Executive Committee met to conclude governance arrangements for the year ahead. Sadly, Secretary-General Leanne Dawson has advised that she will be stepping away from Exec duties (although will continue in her role as manager of the New Zealand Women’s Handball Team). We are grateful that she is continuing on the Exec in a transitionary capacity for the time being, and appreciate the contribution she has made to the governance and administration of New Zealand Handball over the past year. Leanne played a key role behind the scenes driving our review of strategies and priorities since coming on board at last year’s AGM.
The make-up of the Executive Committee following that meeting is as follows:
President & Complaints Officer – David Ireland
Secretary-General – Leanne Dawson (temporary)
Treasurer & Beach portfolio – Willy Silcock (temporary)
High-Performance portfolio – Karl Fitzpatrick
Membership portfolio – Julien Pringot
Life Member representative & Youth portfolio – Frank Stoltenberg
We are in the process of co-opting a couple more stakeholders to join the Exec through to the next AGM. Willy and Leanne can then slip out of the mix for a well-earned break. Further news will be included in a future Update once that process has concluded.
The official Beach calendar throws off at the start of November with an open camp at Christchurch’s Pioneer Stadium on 1-2 November. The full programme, as it currently stands, can be found here.
The highlight of the upcoming season of sand is undoubtedly the Oceania Beach Handball Qualifiers we are hosting at Pioneer Stadium over Waitangi Weekend 6-8 February. We look forward to welcoming our wider Beach Handball whānau from around Oceania, and finally having the opportunity to return the hospitality we have enjoyed around the region in years past. The winners of the Men’s and Women’s divisions of the Oceania Qualifiers are expected to qualify for the IHF Beach handball World Champs to be held in Croatia in June next year.
The New Zealand men last qualified for the Beach Handball World Champs and World Games in 2022 where they acquitted themselves with distinction. So there’s plenty at stake, and plenty of mahi required on and off the sand to prepare ourselves. Fortunately, Willy Silcock has agreed to carry on with the Beach portfolio to oversee the event, but other volunteers will be needed – if you can lend a hand, please reach out to Willy at beach@handball.org.nz.
Rounding out this month’s update, we look forward to the Handball Festival that Auckland Handball is hosting at the Bruce Pullman Arena on 1-2 November. Unfortunately we couldn’t escape a scheduling clash with the Beach Handball Open Camp being held in Christchurch the same weekend, What it means is that those who prefer to play on solid ground get a final chance at a hit out before we bring the curtain down on another successful year of indoor handball, Kiwi-style.
And next year’s Handball calendar is starting to take shape. Building on the success of this year’s format, we have Club Champs locked in at Wellington’s Ākau Tangi Sports Centre for 10-13 September, throwing off at around 4pm on the Thursday and concluding around 5pm on the Sunday.
That’s more than enough for this month. Thanks to those of you who hung in until the end, and more importantly, thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who do all the heavy lifting needed to keep the New Zealand Handball lights on.
Ngā mihi, nui
David Ireland
President, New Zealand Handball Federation
We are now down to the business end of the Handball calendar, on and off the court, with something for everyone in the weeks ahead. While we lead off with a promo for the Club Champs that are just around the corner, please continue reading through to some important messaging regarding next month’s AGM, with an acknowledgment of our youth and junior women’s teams set to take on the rest of Oceania in October to round out this month’s update.
Not long to go until the pinnacle event on the New Zealand Handball calendar takes place - the 2025 edition of the New Zealand Handball Club Championships. Once again the event will run from Wellington's fabulous Ākau Tangi Sports Centre. For the first time we are running the event over four days, with the opening game throwing off at 4.30pm on Thursday 4 September, the action continuing throughout the days on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th, and the event culminating in the placement games and finals for each division on Sunday 7th.
This year we have another strong showing from our friends across the Tasman. Brisbane will be represented in both the Men's and Women's divisions for the 2nd year in a row, UNSW will be back once again, having become a regular fixture in the Men's division over the past few years, and for the first time we welcome a team from Melbourne to contest the Women's division. And of course there is the usual line up of New Zealand Clubs from around the Motu descending on Wellington to join the local Clubs taking part, with many hardened campaigners and plenty of fresh talent hitting the courts. We look forward to seeing you all in action!
There will be plenty of spectator seating for the main court on Sunday 7 September, where you will be able to witness the Women's bronze medal game at 9am, the Women's final at 11am, and the Men's final at 1pm. All the other placement games will be taking place at 9am or 11am on the other courts, with all games livestreamed thanks to the technical wizardry of New Zealand Handball life member Jun Tanlayco. If you can't get along to watch the action live, be sure to tune in at NZHandballLive YouTube channel
Thanks to the Wellington City Council Sports Event Partnership Fund for its generous support of the event, allowing us to keep the team registration fees down. Thanks also to the cohort of volunteers who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to pull it all together, and our event supporters Trinity Group (and in particular the Cambridge Hotel where the social will be held on the Saturday evening at the conclusion of the day’s action) and the Brentwood Hotel. Our clothing partner Select is also coming to the party with vouchers for tournament award winners.
As if Club Champs wasn't enough excitement for one month, on Sunday 28 September at 8pm we will be holding the 2025 AGM for the New Zealand Handball Federation. As with past years, the AGM will be held online. The agenda and link to the event will be sent to our official Club contacts closer to the time. All New Zealand Handball Stakeholders are welcome to sit in on the event, although only the nominated Club representatives, Life Members and the Executive Committee are able to vote.
Nominations for people wanting to join the Executive Committee to be voted on at the AGM close on Saturday 13 September. If you are interested in rolling your sleeves up to do some of the heavy lifting required to keep New Zealand Handball moving forward, please speak with your Club committee and seek their nomination.
This year's AGM is particularly significant as we consider and vote on changes to our constitution that are required to enable the Federation to re-register under our governing legislation next year. We are also taking the opportunity to tweak a few of the provisions in the constitution to better align with how we want to see New Zealand Handball operating. The proposed constitution changes were circulated to the Club contacts earlier in the year, and a final form will be included with the agenda when that is sent out next month. If you would like to have a look at what the proposed replacement constitution looks like, please contact secretary@handball.org.nz.
Congratulations to our youth and junior Women's players who have gained selection to represent New Zealand at the IHF Trophy in the Cook Islands in October! We know it has been a fairly intense few months for you all with multiple training camps and many taking part in Handball League Aotearoa. We look forward to seeing you put all that hard work into action come mid-October. To those that missed the selection cut, I am sure there will be other opportunities for you in the future. Hopefully you have all enjoyed the taste of participating in a New Zealand handball high performance squad - and that taste has left you hungry for more!
Yours in Handball
David Ireland
President, New Zealand Handball Federation
As we celebrate International Handball Week, it’s a great time to shine a light on the youth who represent the future of our sport here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Over the past couple of years, the New Zealand Handball Federation (NZHF) has been laying the foundations for long-term growth by focusing on youth development. With the support of clubs, coaches, teachers, and volunteers, we’re creating clear pathways for young players to not only enjoy the game — but also to develop and compete at higher levels.
NZHF’s regional youth tournaments are more than just events — they’re stepping stones. Designed for intermediate school-aged players (ages 11 to 12), these tournaments offer a fun and competitive environment where young athletes can grow their skills, connect with others, and dream big.
Handball is more than just a sport — it's a tool for building confidence, community, and lifelong friendships. By embedding the sport in schools, partnering with PE teachers, and running open-entry competitions, we’re helping kids of all backgrounds access the game. Whether they go on to play socially or aim for national teams, every player matters.
“I never knew handball was a thing here. Now I’ve played in this tournament, and we won! So now I want to make the Wellington rep squad!”
– 12-year-old participant, Wellington Youth Tournament 2024
As we look ahead, our goal is clear: make handball visible, accessible, and sustainable for all tamariki and rangatahi. That means continuing to invest in youth competitions, coach development, and school outreach — and celebrating the wins, big and small, that happen along the way.
To every player, parent, coach, and volunteer: thank you for helping us grow the game. Together, we’re building something incredible.
🔗 Follow us on @newzealand_handball_federation or visit [www.handball.org.nz] to learn more and get involved.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 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,
