2025 NZRL NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT ENDS CANTERBURY’S THREE-DECADE WAIT

Next week’s NZRL National Youth Tournament at Ngā Puna Wai in Ōtautahi Christchurch has been 32 years in the making.

A national age-group competition of this variety has not been staged in our region since 1993, when 13 teams from around the country descended on Burnham Military Camp for a 15-year-olds tournament.

From September 22-26, a total of 36 rangatahi teams from 12 regions will proudly represent their districts in the Boys 16s and 18s (Monday-Wednesday), and Girls 16s and 18s (Wednesday-Friday) tournaments on Ngā Puna Wai’s world-class fields.

Northern Swords, Akarana Falcons, Auckland Vulcans, Counties Manukau Stingrays, Bay of Plenty Lakers, Tairāwhiti (Gisborne), Mid Central Vipers, Wellington Orcas, Manawatu Mustangs, Waikato and South Island Scorpions will send teams to compete alongside the Canterbury Bulls squads.

SEE THE FULL 2025 NZRL NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT DRAW HERE

The significance of Canterbury hosting the National Youth Tournament cannot be understated.

“We are grateful to NZRL for having the foresight to bring the tournament to Canterbury, knowing there would be some resistance from North Island districts,” Canterbury Rugby League CEO Malcolm Humm says.

The tournament is traditionally held in Rotorua, having run in its current form since 2010.

National Youth Tournament hosting rights coincide with the ongoing process of Canterbury Rugby League’s return to standalone district status for the purposes of playing in NZRL competitions, which started in February 2024 following the signing of an MoU with Southern Zone Rugby League.

After the adoption of a zonal model in 2009, Canterbury’s rangatahi played in South Island Scorpions teams at National Youth Tournaments. Canterbury re-entered boys teams in the 2024 National Youth Tournament, while this year marks our region’s girls players’ first opportunity to again wear the red and black jersey as Canterbury Bulls.

“Having lost our identity at this level for 16 years, we are excited and proud for our rangatahi to be able to represent their home district again,” Humm adds.

CANTERBURY BULLS TEAMS TO REPRESENT REGION AT SENIOR AND YOUTH TOURNAMENTS IN 17-YEAR FIRST

In 1993 at Burnham, an Auckland side featuring the likes of future Warriors Monty Betham and Odell Manuel took out the title, ahead of a Canterbury team that included Shane Beyers and future Kiwi Setaimata Sa.

Canterbury and New Zealand Māori rep Phil Bergman, who had professional stints with the Warriors, Sydney Roosters and Paris St Germain, was CRL’s development officer at the time.

“We had a great marketing manager, George Kenton, and Bob Brunton was general manager,” Bergman recalls.

“[It was] coming off the back of [Canterbury’s] National Championship win over Auckland, and we had lots of schools playing in intermediate and high school competitions.

“It was a good tournament out at Burnham, all the teams had their own barracks. It ran along the same lines as the [subsequent] tournaments at Hopuhopu [Military Camp].”

Bergman applauds the return of the National Youth Tournament to Canterbury – pinpointing the region’s track record as a breeding ground for elite rugby league talent – and the return to standalone district status.

“We’ve proven to be such a great developmental area for rugby league,” he says.

“It’s awesome for the province and the game nationally to have it somewhere else. I think that gives the game a really good shot in the arm.

“And on the back of St Thomas’ winning the [NZSST in 2023-24], the Bulls continually doing well and the amount of Canterbury juniors that are now playing in the NRL … it’s fantastic.

“As a Cantabrian, we were super proud to don the red and black jersey – we spilled a lot of blood for it. When it went to Southern Zone, I think we lost a bit of that competitiveness. I had a bit of time with Tasman province as well and that also didn’t feel right to be under one banner.

“I appreciate the game had to change a little bit to keep us going, but I’ve always been a fan of provincial rugby league and provincial competition. So coming back to Canterbury now, [boys and girls] both playing in the red and black jerseys, I think it’s magnificent.”

Showcasing Ngā Puna Wai, widely regarded as the best grassroots rugby league facility and playing surface in New Zealand, to hundreds of players, coaches, volunteers and supporters from around the country will be another source of pride for Canterbury Rugby League over the five-day extravaganza.

“We shout out a big thank you to Sport Canterbury and Christchurch City Council for all their support – without their support it would have been a challenge to host the event,” Humm praises.

“We are very proud of our facilities at Ngā Puna Wai.

“The playing fields and supporting facilities are of very high quality, and we are excited to share these with the rugby league community from around New Zealand.

“We would also like to thank CCC Team Leader of Sports Turf Troy Hale and his team – it’s down to their hard work and expertise that the fields are presented so magnificently.”

SEE THE FULL 2025 NZRL NATIONAL YOUTH TOURNAMENT DRAW HERE

Former Canterbury and New Zealand women’s rep Sommer Te Kahu is among a host of well-credentialled coaches who have put their hands up to mentor the Canterbury Bulls youth teams in 2025.

Te Kahu, a Kiwi Fern in 1998 and 2000 and a long-serving youth representative coach, will guide the Canterbury Bulls 16s boys team into the National Youth Tournament.

“It’s just a really exciting time for the rugby league community here in Canterbury to have a lot of opportunities pop up for the kids,” she says.

“I remember back in the nineties – the last time it was here out at Burnham – going along and watching. That was a long time ago, so to have it back here in Christchurch pretty special.

“So I’m really excited about that and so are the boys, to be able to play at home in front of their friends and family. That’s a bit of a theme that we’re bringing into our team as we build our campaign.

“It is exciting to see the growth there with the girls … it’s awesome to see the tournaments run side by side, and an opportunity for, again, more friends and family and exposure to rugby league in the South Island for the girls as well.”