Touch New Zealand

05/10/2026

Ka rere te korimako i te rangi pōkēao
Kua kāpō ōna karu i a Hinekohu
Ka ngau a Hine Takurua ki tōna poho
Ka piki, ka tau ki runga i a Taranaki
Ka tangi apakura atu rā, kei hea rā koe?

Kua riro atu rā te mokopuna o Ngāti Maruwharanui, o te moutere o Mangaia ki tua o te ārai. Kei reira ō tīpuna e whanga mai ana ki a koe, kawea ai ki tō okiokinga roa.

Waiho mātou te hunga ora e rurutu nei te roimata, te tangi hotuhotu o te manawa. Mā mātou ō wawata e kōkiri, kia kore ai e ngaro. E te kōtuku rerenga tahi, haere atu rā.

It is with immense sadness that we acknowledge the sudden passing of Pat Spellman. A treasured and much-loved member of the Touch community, who dedicated years towards the growth and success of Pacific Cup Touch, Māori Touch NZ and Touch New Zealand

A trusted friend and mentor, and a tireless advocate for the touch community – his mahi will leave an everlasting legacy in Aotearoa and across the Pacific. An irreplaceable figure who will be dearly missed.

Tangi arrangements are still to be finalised, and information will be shared in due course. The whānau request privacy at this time, and ask that any enquiries be directed to Harley Wall on 021 1187706 or via messenger.

For those wishing to send koha, please send to:
WAI (We Are Indigenous) Charitable Trust
Account: 38-9026-0876642-00

02/10/2026

Federation of International Touch have released their official programme for the Asia Pacific Seniors Touch Cup.

Official event program for the FIT Asia Pacific Seniors Touch Cup 2026 in Utsunomiya, Japan. Schedule, results, standings and live streams for every division.

25/09/2026

Touch New Zealand extends our deepest condolences following the passing of Ben Bartlett.

Ben was a highly respected member of our Touch whānau, dedicating many years as a player, coach, mentor, representative and leader. His contribution to Auckland Touch, Galaxy Touch and the wider Touch community has left a lasting legacy.

Ben’s generosity, knowledge and aroha for the game and its people will be deeply missed.

Our thoughts are with Ben’s whānau, friends, teammates, colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing him.

Rest in peace, Benny. Moe mai rā.

22/09/2026

📍Kirikiriroa Marae | a final glimpse into camp with our NZ 27 & 35 Women’s teams before the Asia Pacific Seniors Touch Cup in Japan.

🗣️ Coaches Mainu Huirama & Ani Nock
🎥

22/09/2026

🫱🏽‍🫲🏾🫱🏽‍🫲🏾

Behind every Touch Rugby game or tournament, there's a lot of moving. 🚚

Players, gear, gazebos, chilly bins, the lot. NHR Group is proud to be named Official Transport Partner of Touch New Zealand , supporting the events, competitions and programmes that bring people together right across the country.

Touch runs on its players, whānau, volunteers and officials. We're stoked to be helping keep them all moving.

🔗 https://loom.ly/40nkK9Q

15/09/2026

Touch New Zealand is excited to welcome Happy Hire as a new partner for the upcoming 2026/27 National Touch season.

Happy Hire is an experienced New Zealand event infrastructure provider, supporting major sporting events, festivals and events across Aotearoa with marquees, shade structures, furniture, signage and event infrastructure.

This partnership will support our national tournament programme while providing consistent, high-quality service and access to membership rates for Touch New Zealand provinces and our extended touch community.

We’re looking forward to working with the Happy Hire team throughout the season and creating even better event environments for our players, officials, volunteers, whānau and supporters.

Welcome to the Touch New Zealand whānau, Happy Hire!

www.happyhire.co.nz

13/09/2026

Touch New Zealand is deeply saddened to acknowledge the passing of Te Puna Sellars.

Te Puna was a valued friend, teammate and brother to many, both on and off the touch field. His love for touch was immense, particularly through his years representing Auckland at the national level. Our thoughts are also with his club mates at Playin Up Touch Club.

Our heartfelt aroha and condolences are with Te Puna’s whānau, his children, loved ones, friends and all those who had the privilege of knowing and playing alongside him, during this incredibly difficult time.

09/09/2026

Touch New Zealand wishes to advise that the Premier Touch League (PTL) will be placed on indefinite hiatus effective immediately.

The decision has been made following a review of the national competition calendar and the broader high-performance environment, with a key consideration being the increasing demands on the playing calendar.

With international P&HP tournaments scheduled for the latter part of the year in 2027 and 2028, there is an opportunity to better align our domestic competition and representative pathways with the evolving international calendar, rather than maintaining the traditional April window for the PTL.

This decision allows Touch New Zealand to create greater clarity across the national playing calendar while ensuring our competitions and high-performance programmes are positioned to support the ongoing development of the sport and our athletes.

We acknowledge and appreciate the contribution of the players, coaches, officials, volunteers and partners who have supported the Premier Touch League and helped establish it as an important part of the Touch NZ competition landscape.

Thank you to the franchise holders for your investment into the success of the Premier Touch League.

Further information regarding the national competition calendar and future opportunities will be communicated as planning progresses.

09/09/2026

Our mates from NHR Group popped into the Touch NZ office today to catch up with the team and work through plans for the upcoming season.

We also took the opportunity to officially present NHR Group with our brand-new National Referee uniform, proudly featuring NHR branding as part of our exciting new partnership.

This partnership will provide added value for our Touch NZ community, with members able to access savings when booking transport throughout the upcoming season.

Touch NZ Members - keep an eye on your inbox for more details on how you can take advantage of this partnership and save on your transport bookings.

A big welcome to the NHR Group whānau - we’re looking forward to working together! 🫱🏽‍🫲🏾

NHR Group - Truck Rentals NZ & Leasing NZ

08/09/2026

In August, our Chief Executive Joe Sprangers joined various Auckland civic and sports leaders at Bruce Pulman Park.

We received a briefing on the trusts vision for a future South Auckland Sports Campus. Touch NZ is committed to ensuring our code is an integral part of future plans. Exciting times for our game and the wider Tamaki community.

Bruce Pulman Park