Some of the best young players in the country have put their hands up as ones to watch for the future after starring at the annual National Age Group Tournament, which was run by Capital Football in Wellington over five action-packed days.

The event takes place in December each year and features teams from all seven federations, who compete across five categories – girls 14th and 16th grades, and boys 14th, 15th and 16th grades.

The main purpose is to give the nation’s most promising up-and-coming players the rare chance to test their skills against sides from outside their region but the week also offered an opportunity for talent identification. Members of the New Zealand Football development team were on hand to cast their eyes over the players on show and identify those who could go on to be involved in national U-17 and U-20 squads.

The most promising of these players were named in tournament teams for each category while the best-performing federation was Mainland Football, who took out the overall Federation Cup for their consistency across the board. Mainland did not actually win a title in each of the categories though as those honours were shared around.

The only side to win more than one title was Capital Football, who picked up the silverware in both the 16^th grade girls and 16^th grade boys categories. WaiBOP Football took out the 14^th grade boys title while Central Football did likewise in the 14^th grade girls and Auckland Football in the 15^th grade boys.

Andy Boyens, interim technical director for New Zealand Football, was in attendance throughout the tournament and says it is a key part of the talent identification process.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to spend a week watching our brightest young talent perform against their peers from across the country,” Boyens said.

“It’s also a chance to connect with a number of coaches, referees and other staff that help make the game tick around the country. The quality of football was pleasing and it’s always exciting seeing New Zealand’s future stars in action. A big thank you has to go to Capital Football for hosting such a great event.”

New Zealand Football's Player Welfare team were also on site with the Fit4Football programme and activation zones, offering invaluable performance enhancing and player welfare support to coaches, players and referees.

The Player Welfare team offerered warm-ups and cool downs before and after each game, a recovery zone, a chill out area for the players to have some time off their feet and a treatment zone with physiotherapists onsite to provide free injury diagnosis and management for all players and referees.  

"Player welfare is one of the most important cogs in the wheel of a performing team and in developing our players for the future," says Megan Crockett, Player Welfare Manager for New Zealand Football.

"The National Age Group Tournament is a platform for our young, up-and-coming players and is therefore a critical time and opportunity for them to understand the adolescent changes taking place in their growing bodies and what this could mean for them with regards to sport, loading or overloading, rest and recovery, injuries and the management of these."

See below for the winners and runners-up in each category, as well as the individual honours and tournament teams.

For the full National Age Group Tournament results and further information please click here

National Age Group Tournament Results

Overall Federation Cup: Mainland Football

14th Grade Girls 

Champions: Central Football
Runners-up: Auckland Football

Golden Boot: Holly Kleinsman (Central), Emma Pijnenburg (Auckland)
Golden Gloves: Central
MVP: Emma Pijnenburg (Auckland)

Tournament team: Anna McCaw (Central), Sarah Mann (Mainland), Suya Haering (Northern), Emma-Grace Bainbridge (Mainland), Nina Kondo (Mainland), Zoe McMeeken (Mainland), Pepe Oliver-Bell (Capital), Emma Pijnenburg (Auckland), Stella Lawson (Auckland), Holly Kleinsman (Central), Bella Stark (WaiBOP)

14th Grade Boys 

Champions: WaiBOP Football
Runners-up: Mainland Football

Golden Boot: Wilson Souphanthavong (Auckland)
Golden Gloves: WaiBOP
MVP: Jordan Toy (WaiBOP)

Tournament team: Will Charles (Mainland), Ben Campbell (Northern), Mason Barlow (Auckland), Adam Supyk (Mainland), Josh Oakman (Mainland), Joshua Tollervey (WaiBOP), Wilson Souphanthavong (Auckland), Will Mendoza (Auckland), Zander Edwards (Mainland), Jordan Toy (WaiBOP), Joseph Knowles (Auckland)

15th Grade Boys

Champions: Auckland Football
Runners-up: Mainland Football

Golden Boot: James Martin (Capital)
Golden Gloves: Auckland/Mainland
MVP: Josh Galletly (WaiBOP)

Tournament team: Patrick Maher (Auckland), Dean Power (WaiBOP), Marko Lorenz (Capital), Luke White (Mainland), Jack Van Luijken (Auckland), Josh Galletly (WaiBOP), Tahana Pengo (Central), Billy Check (Mainland), James Martin (Capital), Keagan Maclou (Auckland), Oliver Fay (Auckland)

16th Grade Girls

Champions: Capital Football
Runners-up: Central Football

Golden Boot: Hannah Reddy (Northern), Aimee Atkins (Central)
Golden Gloves: Mainland
MVP: Kate Taylor (Mainland)

Tournament team: Annie Foote (Mainland), Kate Taylor (Mainland), Jana Niedermayr (Central), Rudy Rimmer (Auckland), Alyssa Whinham (Mainland), Kate Duncan (Auckland), Tupelo Dugan (Capital), Alaina Granger (Northern), Ruby Anderson (Football South), Ava Collins (Auckland), Petra Buyck (Auckland)

16th Grade Boys 

Champions: Capital Football
Runners-up: Northern Football

Golden Boot: Jesse Randall (Capital)
Golden Gloves: Northern
MVP: Jesse Randall (Capital)

Tournament team: Lobsang Sherpa (Northern), Max Drake (Northern), Milo Brown (Northern), Cam Wallace (Central), Harry Bark (Northern), James Murdoch-Gibbs (Capital), Oliver Collotty (Football South), Lukas Halikas (Capital), Jerson Lagos (WaiBOP), Jesse Randall (Capital), Jake Moosbally (Auckland)

Article added: Tuesday 18 December 2018