New Zealand is hosting a brand-new sporting event this week, as seven nations arrive in Wellington for the first-ever Oceania Senior Women’s Handball Championship.
The tournament kicked off on 10 September 2026 at the Ākau Tangi Sports Centre in Wellington and runs until 14 September. Teams from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, the Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Kiribati and Tahiti are all taking part.
Handball is a fast-paced team sport where players throw a ball into the opposing team’s goal, a bit like a mix of basketball and football. It isn’t played much in New Zealand yet, but the sport is hugely popular in parts of Europe.
David Ireland, president of the New Zealand Handball Federation, said it was a historic moment for the sport in this part of the world. “It’s the first time that so many nations from across Oceania have come together to compete for regional honours at a senior level,” he said.
New Zealand co-captain Rowan Moloughney, who discovered handball back in 2011, said playing at home in front of local fans made the tournament extra special. “Getting the chance to do it at home again, in front of our own handball community, is really special,” she said.
She added that getting seven teams together from across the spread-out Pacific was a big achievement in itself, since travel between the islands can be expensive. The winning team will go on to compete at the 2026 Asian Championship, and New Zealand’s players are hoping this tournament is a stepping stone towards one day reaching the Olympics.
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