Mainland is buzzing with excitement as our region will host two of the biggest events on the Netball calendar in 2026: the South Island Secondary Schools (SISS) Tournament in Nelson, and the Netball NZ U18 Champs in Christchurch.

But before the main events, our players and umpires will have plenty more chances to take the court, let’s look at some of the other tournaments in our Zone this season:

Geraldine Hodgson Pre‑Season Festival Day, Nelson - Sunday 19th April

A great chance for teams to build connections early in the season.

U16 Tupuranga Championship & U18 Kings Birthday Tournament, Christchurch - King’s Birthday Weekend

King’s Birthday weekend signifies the beginning of the representative season, with both the U16s and U18s tournaments being held in Christchurch.

Betty Woodham Top of the South Tournament, Blenheim - Sunday 7th June

A staple on the calendar for Centres such as Kaikōura, Nelson, Buller and Selwyn.

Field Day Tournament, Hurunui - Sunday 28th June

This tournament brings together teams from NCNC, Hurunui, Kaikōura, Malvern, and Selwyn.

Junior SISS, Christchurch - 6th-9th July

An important development tournament on the journey to major tournaments such as SISS. 

Hanan Shield, Ashburton - 16th August

The Hanan Shield is contested annually by Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury, and North Otago.

Senior Whakataetae, Ashburton - 5th-6th September

A classic fixture on the Senior representative calendar, hosted annually by Mid Canterbury Netball. 

Kawatiri Cup & Buller-Westland Field Days – to be confirmed

For our West Coast Representative players, keep an ear out about the Kawatiri Cup and Buller-Westland Field Days tournaments – 2026 locations and dates are coming soon.

With so many opportunities on offer across the Zone, 2026 promised to be an exciting year to play, watch and enjoy representative Netball. We look forward to seeing you all out there, and best of luck to all those competing.

Article added: Monday 09 March 2026