Southern Zone Rugby League has wrapped up another successful One NZ Warriors South Island 14s Tournament, with two days of exciting rugby league showcasing the next generation of talent from across the South Island.

Hosted at Jubilee Park in Nelson, the tournament brought together boys and girls representing Canterbury, Aoraki, West Coast, Otago, Southland and Te Tauihu, with strong crowds and plenty of foot traffic across the weekend creating a fantastic atmosphere around the grounds.

For Southern Zone Rugby League, the tournament remains an important part of the player and coach development pathway - providing young athletes with the opportunity to represent their district, compete against the best emerging talent in the South Island and take another step towards future representative opportunities.

Record representation in the girls’ game

One of the biggest highlights of the weekend was the continued growth of the female game.

The 2026 tournament featured the strongest district representation in the history of the South Island 14s Girls competition, with all districts represented.

There were plenty of encouraging signs across the grade, particularly from players experiencing representative rugby league, and in some cases rugby league itself - for the first time.

A thrilling semifinal between Te Tauihu and Otago was one of the matches of the tournament. The two sides could not be separated through regulation time and two periods of overtime before Te Tauihu eventually secured the win in sudden death to book a place in the Grand Final.

Canterbury came out firing in the final and ultimately claimed the Girls title, but the performance of Te Tauihu across the weekend was a significant achievement, particularly with many of their players new to the code.

The tournament also provided Southern Zone with an opportunity to identify emerging female talent as planning continues for increased investment in the U15 girls development pathway in 2027.

Boys competition goes down to the wire

The Boys competition was equally competitive, with the round-robin format producing an incredibly tight finish.

Heading into the final round, the championship remained wide open, with three teams eventually finishing level and the title decided on points differential.

It was Aoraki Rugby League who emerged on top to claim the 2026 South Island 14s Boys title.

The closeness of the competition reflected the growing depth across the South Island, with every district producing players capable of competing strongly at this level.

Across both days there was an abundance of emerging talent on display, giving Southern Zone selectors and development staff plenty to be excited about as players progress through the pathway.

More than a tournament

While results are celebrated, the South Island 14s Tournament is ultimately about much more than trophies.

It is an opportunity to develop players, coaches, managers and volunteers while strengthening connections between districts and providing meaningful representative experiences for young people throughout the South Island.

Southern Zone Rugby League General Manager Zara Fa’avae-Mika said the weekend demonstrated the importance of continuing to invest in opportunities at district level.

“What was most exciting was seeing the depth of talent across our districts and, particularly, the growth we are beginning to see in the girls’ game.

"Having every district represented in the girls’ competition is a significant step forward for our Zone. There were girls playing their first season - and some their first games - of rugby league competing in a South Island representative tournament.

"Our responsibility now is to make sure this isn’t where the experience ends. We want to continue investing in these players, their coaches and our districts so there is a genuine development pathway beyond this tournament.”

Southern Zone will also continue working closely on the ground in Te Tauihu, with the Zone currently responsible for supporting rugby league delivery and development in the district. Building stronger local capability, increasing opportunities within schools and clubs, and supporting sustainable player and coach development will be key priorities heading into 2027.

Thank you to our rugby league community

Southern Zone Rugby League acknowledges the enormous contribution of the coaches, managers, trainers, match officials, volunteers, district representatives and whānau who made the weekend possible.

A special thank you also goes to the One NZ Warriors for their continued investment in rugby league throughout the South Island and their support of opportunities that allow our young players to develop, compete and aspire to the next level.

To the Te Tauihu community and everyone who stopped in at Jubilee Park across the weekend to support the teams - thank you.

Most importantly, congratulations to every young player who pulled on their district jersey and represented their whānau and communities with pride.

The future of South Island rugby league was well and truly on display.

Article added: Tuesday 06 October 2026