Māori Touch New Zealand (MTNZ) is proud to announce that the 2026 MTNZ Tamariki Tournament will be held at the newly developed Hopuhopu Sports Complex, Waikato, on Saturday 31 January and Sunday 1 February 2026.

This marks a historic return home for Māori Touch, who last hosted an event at Hopuhopu in 2013 before moving the Māori National Tournament to Rotorua. The 2026 Tamariki Tournament will not only be the first MTNZ event at Hopuhopu in over a decade, but also the first-ever Touch event on the newly redeveloped sports complex, recently confirmed as the venue for Te Matatini 2027.

The inaugural Tamariki Tournament, held earlier this year, proved a massive success — drawing wide praise and earning a place as a finalist at the Sport NZ National Sport & Recreation Awards. With interest already flowing in from across Aotearoa and Australia, participation numbers are expected to grow significantly in 2026.

MTNZ Chairperson Finney Davis expressed his excitement about the announcement:

“For many of these tamariki mokopuna, their parents and grandparents would have played at Māori Nationals on the same fields decades earlier — it is like a full circle moment in many ways. If the success of last year is an indicator, I look forward to seeing Hopuhopu covered in tamariki representing their whakapapa — bring it on!”

Event Details

• Date: Saturday 31 January – Sunday 1 February, 2026
• Venue: Hopuhopu Sports Complex, Waikato
• Registrations: Team Expressions of Interest are now open. Visit www.maoritouch.co.nz to register and for further information.

Article added: Wednesday 17 September 2025