Touch New Zealand is pleased to confirm the Host Cities and venues for our upcoming 2026–27 national events season, as we prepare to reconnect our touch whānau from across Aotearoa for another exciting year of competition.

Our season begins with the already announced NZ Secondary Schools Nationals in Gisborne. While there was initially mixed feedback following the announcement, entries have remained strong and we have worked closely with local stakeholders and accommodation providers to help overcome some of the challenges raised by our community.

Our Touch New Zealand Community Engagement & Partnerships Manager Pat Spellman said the finalised season schedule reflects the strong relationships built with councils and local stakeholders throughout the country.

“Working alongside councils and local stakeholders has allowed us to land on quality venues that are not only fit for purpose, but are familiar with our community,” said Spellman.

“Our people have played at many of these venues before, they have given great feedback, and we have been able to work with these venues to come up with options that work for everyone. It is going to be a great season.”

The Touch New Zealand Youth National Championships will once again return to Christchurch, with the world class Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub hosting our premier youth event.

“We have a strong relationship with Christchurch City Council and returning to the Garden City is always a highlight for our touch community,” Spellman said.

This season also continues our return to the Wellington region following a successful reintroduction of national events in the area this year.

For the first time in decades, we returned to the region with national tournaments hosted in both Upper and Lower Hutt. We are pleased to confirm that Fraser Park in Lower Hutt will once again host both the Masters Touch Nationals and the National Touch Championships.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban welcomed the return of the events to the city.

“We are proud to be welcoming Touch NZ back to Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt, hosting both the National Open and National Masters Touch Championships.

“Events like these bring real energy and vibrancy to our city, support local businesses and hospitality, and showcase Lower Hutt as a destination capable of hosting significant national sporting events.

“Securing multi-year tournaments reflects the strength of our facilities, our people, and our growing reputation as a major events city, while giving visitors the chance to experience everything Lower Hutt has to offer.”

We also want to acknowledge the significant commitment our members make each season to attend national events throughout Aotearoa. We appreciate the time, energy and resources that players, coaches, referees, volunteers and whānau invest into our game, and we look forward to connecting our community again throughout the new season.

Alongside our event delivery, we are continuing to work closely with broadcast partner Sportway to further enhance the viewing experience across our national tournaments through Touch TV.

“Our goal is to bring our community live, uninterrupted coverage from every field across our national events this season,” Spellman said.

2026/27 DATES AND VENUES: 

2026 NZSS - Friday 11th - Sunday 13th December - Harry Barker Reserve & Nelson Park, Gisborne
2027 Youth Nationals - Friday 5th – Sunday 7th February - Ngā Puna Wai, Christchurch
2027 Opens Nationals - Friday 5th – Sunday 7th March - Fraser Park, Lower Hutt
2027 Masters Nationals - Thursday 18th - Sat 20th March - Fraser Park, Lower Hutt

Article added: Friday 22 May 2026