Champions Crowned at the 2025 U18 Men’s & Women’s National Tournaments
The 2025 U18 National Hockey Tournament came to a close last week, delivering a full schedule of regional rivalries and closely contested matches.
The men’s tournament was hosted in Timaru, giving their newly minted turf its first major test after being put in early this year.
Tournament Director Richard Baggs made note of the high standard of hockey commenting, “It was an excellent week with a number of great matches throughout both the pool and final stages. As expected, teams brought passion and intensity to every match, challenging the officiating team to show up at their best to every game. Hockey South Canterbury did an amazing job as tournament hosts, going above and beyond looking after the team”.
Final results saw Auckland secure the gold medal after a week of dominant performances, with Otago giving them a real run for their money in the final – a true North v South showdown. Top field goal scorer Julius Sailer opened the scoring in the 17th minute with a controlled flick into the net, and from there, the game was on. Otago pulled one back in the 60th minute, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap, with Auckland closing out the match 5–3.
The Bronze match equally delivered a tense contest with a close-fought game between Waikato and Wellington. The game was locked up at 1-1 at full-time, forcing a shootout with Waikato edging out Wellies to claim third.
The U18 Women’s National Tournament concluded in style at North Harbour Hockey Stadium, with Canterbury producing a dominant performance to secure gold in the grand final against a determined Hawke’s Bay outfit.
From the opening whistle, Canterbury came out firing, applying relentless pressure in the attacking third. Their early intent was rewarded in just the 4th minute, as Annabelle Barker found the back of the net, giving her side an early lead. While Hawke’s Bay worked tirelessly to regain control, Canterbury maintained their grip on the match, hitting the post on multiple occasions and constantly threatening to double their advantage.
The breakthrough came in the 48th minute when Maggie Lundy scored a decisive second goal, sealing a 2-0 victory and sparking jubilant celebrations from the red-and-black contingent.
A touching and emotional moment followed as the Canterbury players lifted the Amanda Hooper Memorial Trophy; named in honour of the former Black Stick and proud Cantabrian who tragically lost her life in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
Canterbury head coach Joe Piggott praised the team as a great group to coach, adding that winning the title was just the bonus.
Piggott commented, “I’m incredibly proud of the girls and everything they brought to the week. They played with pride and were united both on and off the turf all week. It was special to see how much they grew throughout the campaign, which really showed in their calm and composed final”.
In the bronze medal match, it was Waikato who came out on top in a tightly contested battle with Wellington. Both teams created chances throughout, but it was Holly Parker’s 55th-minute goal that proved the difference. The result capped off an impressive tournament for Waikato, backing up the men’s bronze with one of their own; a strong double podium finish for the region.