Christchurch Matches Festival 2026: Trans-Tasman Rugby Festival Gears Up For 2027’s First International Event

This coming weekend the Christchurch Matches Festival – Te Waka Hūmārie returns to Hagley Park for the fourth time from April 10 to April 12, 2026. The pre-season festival brings together U15 boys and U16 girls teams from New Zealand and Australia for a weekend of rugby rivalry, cultural exchange, and pure sporting passion.

But organisers, Total Sports Tours, are also preparing and fundraising to welcome a new team to next year’s festival - a team of girls from Kolkata, India. Making the Christchurch Matches Festival a truly International event.

Te Waka Hūmārie: Growing Together

At the heart of the festival lies the spirit of "Te Waka Hūmārie," symbolizing unity and collective growth. Participants embark on a shared journey, embodying qualities such as graciousness, humility, willingness, and support. This ethos ensures that every player, coach, and supporter contributes to a festival atmosphere that transcends competition.

The excitement of growing the festival to international levels is a development of Te Waka Hūmārie principles - welcoming teams from other parts of the world and developing women’s rugby is what Phil Robson, Managing Director of Total Sports Tours, has dreamed of for many years.

"The Matches Festival is about more than just rugby—it’s about bringing together young athletes to form lifelong connections through sport," says Phil, "It's a celebration of trans-Tasman rugby, sportsmanship, and the unifying power of the game. But we are heavily committed to doing more for girls rugby specifically.”

A Strong Focus on Girls’ Rugby

The festival is committed to providing young female players with the same opportunities, recognition, and experiences as their male counterparts. This inclusion highlights the rapid rise of women’s rugby in not only New Zealand and Australia, but also in other countries around the world. And Phil Robson is proud to play a role in fostering this development:-

”We want to see the growth of the girls’ division as this festival is a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their talent on an equal footing with the boys. By bringing over the girls from Future Hope School in Kolkata, we hope this will encourage more girls teams to enter from around the world and participate in this totally inclusive event."

Why This is Important:

Trans-Tasman Talent Showcase: See the developing young players from New Zealand and Australia go head-to-head in a festival of rugby.

A Celebration of Girls’ Rugby: Witness the incredible skill and passion of the girls’ teams competing in this year’s event.

Learn more about the Future Hope Girls Team who want to join us in 2027.

Community Engagement: Experience a festival that brings together clubs, schools, and families to support youth rugby.

The Awards ceremony, which will finish off the Festival on Sunday 12th, will take place at Christchurch Girls High School Gymnasium and will recognise the teams and individuals that most embody the values and ethos of Te Waka Hūmārie. Black Fern Pip Love will be in attendance to present the awards and we can ask her to be available for interviews or comments.

Phillipa hails from the tiny Canterbury town Of Southbridge. She studied physical education at a Otago University and played 29 games for Otago Spirit between 2009 and 2014. She made her Black Ferns debut against Canada and played for Canterbury from 2015 to 2023. Following an injury in 2017 Pip returned to the Black Ferns in 2018 and played in the Australian Test series and toured the Northern Hemisphere. She has also represented New Zealand in 2021 and 2023.

We are very proud to have Pip Love attending the Matches Festival this year, inspiring a new generation of rugby players.

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