22 September 2025
Twelve Zones and Districts arrived in Christchurch ready to compete in the 2025 NZRL National Boys Youth Tournament. With clear and sunny skies providing ideal playing conditions, round-robin matches kicked off across both 16s and 18s grades. Last year’s champions aimed to defend their titles while new challengers looked to make their mark.
In Section A, 2024 champions Akarana and hosts Canterbury opened their campaigns with dominant wins over Bay of Plenty and Gisborne Tairāwhiti. Both teams finished the day with equal points and points differential, setting up a must-watch clash in Round 1 of Day 2 to determine the section winner.
Auckland and Wellington finished the day at the top of Section B. The section was tightly contested with close scorelines including a 12-12 draw between Manawatu and Waikato, and Wellington making a comeback against Manawatu to win 24-16 and secure second placing.
Counties Manukau impressed in Section C to finish the day firmly on top of the table, unbeaten, and having only conceded six points. The South Island Scorpions followed closely behind with two wins of their own. Day 2 will open with a Counties and South Island face clash to find a section winner, while Mid Central and Northland will each endeavour to claim their first win of the tournament.
In the 18s grade, Auckland and Canterbury each defeated Bay of Plenty to take the top two spots in the three-team Section A. Similarly to the 16s grade, Round 1 tomorrow will decide who will enter the afternoon’s semi-finals as section winners.
In the combined Section B & C, Akarana and Counties Manukau lead the standings with two wins each, Akarana delivering a strong 36-0 victory over Manawatu. South Island secured one win throughout the day against Manawatu, while Mid Central edged out Wellington 11-10 after an exciting one-point field goal finish. In the final round of section-play on Day 2, Akarana and Counties will respectively face Mid Central and Manawatu and fight to retain their current positions, as Wellington look for their first win up against the Scorpions.
For all draw and results updates visit sporty.co.nz
On Day 2, Field 1 and 2 will continue to be live-streamed here pages.nzrl.co.nz/watch-national-youth-tournament-2025
