Canterbury successfully defended their Junior Boys Interprovincial crown with a 4–2 victory over Auckland at Cambridge Golf Club, while Wellington completed an unbeaten week by defeating Canterbury 5–1 in the Junior Girls final at Springfield Golf Club in Rotorua.
The two championships brought together emerging players from across New Zealand, providing valuable representative experience and another opportunity for the country’s next generation to test themselves in team match play.
Canterbury Go Back-To-Back In Junior Boys Championship
Canterbury claimed their third Junior Boys Interprovincial title and second in succession, adding the 2026 crown to victories in 2017 and 2025.
Fourteen teams contested the 27th edition, representing all 15 district associations, with Aorangi and Southland combining.
The defending champions opened with a 6–0 win over Northland before suffering a 4–2 defeat to Tasman.
They responded impressively, winning their remaining pool matches to finish top of Pool A, including convincing victories over Manawatu/Wanganui and Harbour Golf.
Auckland arrived in the final unbeaten after winning all six of their Pool B matches, but Canterbury proved stronger when the title was on the line.
Ryan Mordaunt, Jack Ferguson, James Mordaunt and Jonathan Fry secured Canterbury’s four victories, while Archie Thompson and Kanichiro Katano collected Auckland’s two points.
Hawke’s Bay finished third after defeating Wellington 3.5–2.5.
Wellington Complete Unbeaten Girls Campaign
Wellington produced a dominant week at Springfield Golf Club to win their third Junior Girls Interprovincial title and first since 2021.
Eight districts contested the 16th edition, with Wellington beginning their campaign by beating Harbour Golf 4–2 and Hawke’s Bay 5–1.
Their closest contest came against defending champions Auckland, where victories from Ally Yu, Olivia Lu and Minne St Helens, combined with a halved match from Amy Yu, secured a 3.5–2.5 win.
Further victories over Canterbury and Manawatu/Wanganui sent Wellington into the final unbeaten.
They saved one of their best performances for the decider.
Ally Yu beat Eva Yin 4&3, while Olivia Lu and Minne St Helens each won 1-up. Teisa-Mania Vaka and Elise Barber added 3&2 victories as Wellington completed a commanding 5–1 win over Canterbury.
Alice Fry earned Canterbury’s only point with a 6&5 victory over Amy Yu.
Harbour Golf claimed third place with a 4–2 win over Bay of Plenty, while Waikato defeated Hawke’s Bay 3.5–2.5 to finish fifth.
Qin And Fry Earn Individual Honours
Harbour Golf’s Lewis Qin was named Player of the Tournament in the Junior Boys championship after completing a perfect week with seven wins from seven matches.
Playing at No. 5, Qin remained unbeaten throughout Harbour’s run to fifth place.
Canterbury’s Alice Fry received the corresponding honour in the Junior Girls championship after winning all six of her matches.
Fry was a key contributor throughout Canterbury’s run to the final and capped her week with a 6&5 victory in the championship decider.
Harbour Golf’s Ava Mimmack and Wellington’s Minne St Helens also finished with six wins from six matches, while Bay of Plenty’s Rayeon Lee went unbeaten with three victories and three halves.
Developing New Zealand’s Next Generation
Beyond the trophies, both tournaments continue to play an important role in developing young golfers around New Zealand.
The Junior Boys Interprovincial features teams containing four under-19 and two under-16 players competing in gross match play.
The Junior Girls event combines gross and handicap match play, allowing players at different stages of their development to gain experience representing their districts.
The week also places a strong emphasis on sportsmanship, teamwork and building connections with young golfers from across the country.
For 2026, Canterbury again leave as Junior Boys champions, while Wellington complete a flawless campaign to take the Junior Girls trophy back to the capital.
