Māori Touch NZ is excited to host the 2025 Māori Touch Nationals at Rotorua International Stadium on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December. This will be the 25^th Māori Touch Nationals, and the 10^th Māori Nationals hosted in Te Arawa.

Māori Touch NZ has received overwhelming response for the event, with over 130+ expressions of interest submitted. This level of enthusiasm from our iwi and rohe is a testament to the strength and growth of our kaupapa.

However, due to limitations around facilities, tournament scheduling, and the capacity of our volunteer workforce—particularly our referees—we are unable to accommodate all entries. To ensure a high-quality and sustainable event, Māori Touch NZ has made the decision to introduce team caps per grade. These caps reflect both the level of interest and the operational capacity within each grade.

Priority placement has been given to teams that have shown long term support of the Māori Touch Kaupapa, with acknowledgment to their commitment over the last five tournaments. The following table details the grade capacities that have been set, and Māori Touch NZ looks forward to welcoming 100 teams to the 2025 Māori Touch Nationals.

As a 100% volunteer-led organisation now hosting arguably the largest touch event(s) in Aotearoa, we are navigating new territory. We are working together with Rotorua Lakes Council and event partners to make this year another success. We also wish to acknowledge the critical role of our referees and are committed to providing additional support to this sector to meet the growing demands of the tournament. 

Next steps

Team confirmations and invoices will be sent shortly, with initial deposits ($100 Youth, $150 Opens and Masters) due 1 September. This deadline has been brought forward so Māori Touch NZ can proceed with tournament planning and allow contingents to assess the viability of the grades they have entered.

Where contingents are unable to meet the deposit deadline, those spots will be offered to teams sitting on the wait list. For this process to work successfully, kōrero between contingent leads and Māori Touch NZ is crucial. Where you may not be able to field a team in a particular grade, please let us know as soon as possible, as there are many teams keen to be involved. 

For teams sitting on the waitlist, e mihi nei ki a koutou. These decisions are not made easily, and we remain respectful of the mahi being done within the rohe to grow our sport.

Looking ahead, Māori Touch NZ are planning for Māori Touch Nationals to expand to a three-day format in 2026. This model will allow for more participation and distribute the operational workload more evenly.

Key Dates

• Early August: Communication sent to teams regarding selection status.
• First weekend of August: Invoices will be issued
• 1 September: Deposits due from selected teams to secure team spots ($100 youth, $150 for open and masters)
• Where deposits are not received on time, kōrero will follow with contingents to assess their entry viability. From this point, Māori Touch NZ will then offer any spots available to teams on the waitlist. 
• Following deposit confirmation: Team Managers will receive a link to register their team via Sporty and can begin player registrations.

Ngā manaakitanga o te wā

Harley Wall

Tournament Director, Secretary & Treasurer – Māori Touch NZ

Article added: Friday 01 August 2025