Over 5,000 of the best young players in the country are in action this week as secondary school tournaments for both genders take place from Auckland to Invercargill and many points in between.

The winter tournament week is the highlight of the season for most school football teams and nearly 320 are taking part across 15 tournaments (seven for girls and eight for boys) as each battles for the right to be crowned national champions.

The tournaments are all run by New Zealand Secondary Schools Football and CEO Garry Carnachan is relishing the beautiful game being celebrated and enjoyed by young Kiwis in a competitive environment all over the country.

“With more than 24,000 students pulling on a jersey and representing their school each year, schools football is a big part of the sporting landscape in New Zealand,” says Carnachan, who is also an Executive Committee member of New Zealand Football.

“Tournament week provides the pinnacle event for many of these students and, with a range of options on offer, it is an important development opportunity for players of all ability levels. There is a lot of pride in playing for your school in any sport and that will be on display all week.”

Heather Hepburn, Chairperson of New Zealand Secondary Schools Girls Football, says the range of talent on show is one of the most appealing aspects of a week in which lifelong bonds will be forged.

“These tournaments cater for over 2,000 school girl players of many different abilities, ranging from new to the sport to New Zealand representative,” she says.

“Playing a sport they enjoy for a week, the highs and lows of winning or losing, the comradeship and representing their school – these aspects of tournament week always leave lasting memories of their time at secondary school.”

Nine cities in the North Island will be hosting their share of the action with Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Taupo, Rotorua, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Wanganui all staging tournaments. The South Island is just as busy with Christchurch, Nelson, Blenheim, Dunedin and Invercargill all playing host.

“This is always one of the most exciting weeks on the football calendar and it’s great to see so many young Kiwis both enjoying their football and getting the chance to take on their counterparts from other parts of the country,” says New Zealand Football Interim CEO Andrew Pragnell.

“Secondary schools football has an important role to play in both of our key strategic goals – which are more New Zealanders playing and loving football and our elite teams winning on the world stage. Most players fall in love with the game during their schooling years and many schools are doing an excellent job of providing opportunities to their players and assisting greatly in their development.”

Football has a strong presence in both primary and secondary schools all over the country with many children being introduced to the game at primary school through New Zealand Football’s 5+ A Day Football in Schools programme, which aims to encourage physical activity and healthy eating.

Aside from the action on the pitch at secondary school level, the New Zealand Football player welfare team are regular visitors to schools all over the country, dropping in to deliver the Fit4Football programme.

“This is a pertinent programme for our youth players wanting to enhance their performance and build the ability to play football for life injury-free,” New Zealand Football Player Welfare Manager Megan Crockett says.

“The player welfare team also support ACC SportSmart by working within the secondary schools to support the school’s sports programmes, coaches and players with injury prevention and concussion education.”

Members of the player welfare team will be present this week at both the Boys Premier Tournament in Christchurch and the Girls Premier Tournament in Taupo, as well as the girls Kathy Seaward Tournament in Auckland and the boys Malcolm Cowie Tournament in Papakura.

The defending champions in the Boys Premier Tournament are Hamilton Boys High School while the reigning champions in the Girls Premier Tournament are Saint Kentigern College.

New Zealand Secondary Schools Football Winter Tournament Week

Boys Tournaments

Boys Lotto Premier Tournament: Yaldhurst Park, Christchurch
Rex Dawkins Tournament: Park Island, Napier
Malcolm Cowie Tournament: McLennan Park, Papakura
Jim Wishart Tournament*: Saxton Fields, Nelson
Trident Tournament: Celaeno Park, Palmerston North
Linwood Tournament*: Turnbull Thompson Park, Invercargill
Hillsdene Junior Tournament*: Tauranga Boys College
2^nd XI Tournament*: New Plymouth Boys High School

Girls Tournaments

Girls Lotto Premier Tournament: Crown Park, Taupo
Kathy Seaward Tournament: Seddon Fields, Auckland
Maurice Hulme Tournament: Rotorua International Stadium
Grant Jarvis Tournament: Wembley Park, Wanganui
Gary Sowden Tournament*: A & P Park, Blenheim
Lotto Sportswear Tournament*: Kensington Oval, Dunedin
NZSSGFA*: Gower Park, Hamilton

All tournaments are held during the winter tournament week from Monday 3 September to Friday 7 September (tournaments marked * are played over four days).

To follow results and view draws from the New Zealand Secondary Schools Football winter tournament week please click here

For updates and photos please visit www.facebook.com/NZSSFootball

For more information on New Zealand Secondary Schools Football please visit www.nzssfootball.co.nz

Article added: Wednesday 05 September 2018