Tournament entries open: 20 April 2026

Tournament entries close: 8 May 2026

Team rosters due: 6 July 2026

Draws released (target): Approximately 4 weeks before tournament start

Secondary School Winter Tournament Week: 31 August – 5 September 2026

Invoices for Umpire Bonds Refund due: 30 September 2026

Schools are afforded the opportunity to decide which tournament they attend, as Tier 3 and Tier 4 tournaments do not have any qualification requirements.

Schools should select tournaments based on the ability of their team and the location of the event. Schools will not be denied entry into tournaments held within their own region.

If a school wishes to enter a tournament outside their regional body, they will be placed on a waitlist. If spaces become available, and the viability of the local tournament is not impacted, schools will be allocated through a randomised selection process.

Hockey NZ strongly recommends schools wait for entry confirmations before booking non-refundable travel arrangements.

Tier 1 & 2 Tournaments

Requires qualification from finishing in the top 2 standings of a Tier 3 tournament. Please read 1. Team Eligibility in the HNZ Secondary School Rules for more information.

Tier 3 Tournaments

Recommended for teams who are aspiring to reach tier 1 & 2, or have consistently performed at tier 4. There are no qualification requirements to enter, however combined teams and 2XI teams are not permitted to enter.

Tier 4 Tournaments

Participation based tournaments that does not include the “new to school” quota, and all teams meeting Hockey NZ eligibility rules can enter.

2XI Tournaments

Specifically for 2XI teams, Hockey NZ’s strong preference is for 2XI teams to attend this tournaments. However, we understand that travel costs can be a factor in prohibiting teams to travel, therefore 2XI have the option to attend a LOCAL Tier 4 Tournament.

Mixed Tournaments

At the North Island and South Island Mixed Tournaments, teams must field a minimum of four (4) players from each gender on the field during play at all times.

Schools should review the following before submitting an entry.

Eligibility Requirements

Secondary school tournaments operate under School Sport NZ eligibility regulations, which schools must comply with. Schools should ensure they are familiar with the updated eligibility requirements from 1 January 2026.

Tournament Rules

Familiarise yourselves with the Hockey NZ Secondary School Tournaments rules - at the bottom of this web page.

Team Registration

Ensure that your team has sufficient playing numbers and players are committed before entering a team.

Teams may register up to 18 players, provided two players are dedicated goalkeepers for the tournament.

The structure of a tournament is heavily reliant on the number of teams entered.

Hockey NZ will endeavour to eliminate as many byes as possible and aim to give teams 5-6 games.

The final match for all tournaments will start no later than 2pm, unless unavoidable.

Seedings for Tier 3 & 4 tournaments will be based on 2025 results.

Seedings for Tier 1 & 2 tournaments:

The pools will be decided via the “bucket” method, being;

• Teams 1–8 placed in pools A-H as per their ranking

• Teams 9-16 are placed in a hat and pulled at random into pools A-H

• Teams 17-24 are placed in a hat and pulled at random into pools A-H

• Teams 25-32 are placed in a hat and pulled at random into pools A-H

Pools should only have a maximum of 2 teams that come from the same local competition in order to provide different teams and experiences for tournament participants