Student athletes showcase connection and competition at 2025 UTSNZ National Tertiary Championships

The annual championship spans multiple sports and brings students from all eight universities across Aotearoa New Zealand together. Hosted around the country, these events provide an environment to grow sportsmanship, community and leadership while competing at a national level.

Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University had a total of 80 students representing across seven events. A major highlight was receiving the Te Kaitiaki Spirit Award, recognising the university that best embodies the series’ values through sportsmanship and teamwork, as voted by fellow universities. This is the second time Massey has received the award, first achieving the honour in 2022.

Sport Coordinator Chris Sharrock says the year brought another impressive display of commitment, teamwork and spirit from the student athletes.

“It’s been another massive year for Team Massey. The energy and support these students show each other is always incredible. Winning Te Kaitiaki, the Championship’s Spirit Award again, and knowing it’s voted on by other university teams and players, is a fantastic acknowledgement of the sportsmanship that defines our teams. It’s just one of many highlights from the year, and I’m excited to see what 2026 brings.”

UTSNZ Tertiary Badminton Tournament – 3-4 May

Held in Auckland, Massey faced a tough start against top-seeded University of Auckland and University of Otago but found their rhythm as the weekend progressed. Joelle Chiong and Wei Ong secured a strong win in the women’s doubles during the final pool match against Waikato, even though the overall tie finished 4-1.

In the 5th to 8th semi-final against a strong school team featuring two New Zealand Under-19 representatives, Massey were defeated 5-0, setting up a rematch with Waikato for 7th place. The tie went down to the final mixed doubles, with Deepanshu Misra and Wei Ong pushing the match to a deciding set, narrowly losing 21-19.

The team’s positivity and sportsmanship earned them the event’s Spirit Award.

UTSNZ Tertiary 3x3 Tournament – 17-18 May

Held in Dunedin, Massey’s men’s team bounced back from an initial loss to Waikato University with wins over Lincoln University and University of Auckland, finishing second in the pool. Quarter-final and 5th to 8thsemi-final losses left them seventh after a final win over AUT.

The women’s team began with a strong win over Auckland University, followed by losses to Waikato and Otago. Despite an early injury, they recovered to beat AUT 18-15 in the semi-final, finishing sixth after a play-off loss to Auckland.

Check out some of the highlights from the year:

UTSNZ Tertiary Volleyball Tournament – 5-6 July

In Porirua, Massey’s women’s team had a tough start before securing a 2-1 win over Victoria University in pool play. Standouts Ella Douglas, Georgia Browne, Natalya Taylor and Eloise Bradshaw worked together seamlessly throughout the weekend. In the 5th-8th semi-final, Massey displayed a strong performance against Wellington’s Wolves. However, in the 5th-6th play-off against Otago University, player availability issues led to a 3-0 loss, resulting in a sixth-place finish in the tournament.

The men’s team began with close pool-play losses to AUT, Canterbury and Otago, showing strong teamwork despite limited preparation. After a 3-1 semi-final loss to Auckland, Massey rebounded with a 3-0 win over Lincoln to claim seventh place.

UTSNZ Tertiary Futsal Tournament – 26-28 July

In Palmerston North, Massey women’s team faced late player withdrawals and tough opposition but finished sixth, boosted by Pepi Olliver-Bell and contributions from Mackenzie Butler and Bree Keenan.

The men’s team scored 32 goals, the highest in the tournament. Narrow losses to Auckland, Canterbury and Waikato left them sixth overall. Moh Reynolds took out the Golden Boot Award with 10 goals, highlighting a strong attacking performance across the tournament.

UTSNZ Tertiary Ultimate Tournament – 30-31 August

Back in Auckland, the teams contended with wet and gusty conditions. After pool stage losses, Massey narrowly missed the 7th to 10th play-off, then finished strong with a 7-4 win over Auckland C in the 9th to 10thplay-off.

Massey’s resilience, teamwork and positive attitude earned them the tournament Spirit Award, while Quinlan Huff was named male tournament Most Valuable Player, recognising his standout performances and leadership thought-out a challenging but rewarding weekend for the team.

UTSNZ Tertiary Basketball 5x5 Tournament – 12-14 September

Remaining in Auckland, the Massey women’s team faced some of the strongest national sides. Despite tough losses, their improvement across the weekend earned them the Spirit Award. Standouts included Johaana Jackman, Tess Evans and Frayah Macdonald.

The men’s team won pool games against University of Waikato and Victoria University, lost a close semi-final to Canterbury and finished fourth following a competitive bronze-medal match against Lincoln University. Key contributors were Zion Anderson, Josh Batty, Kale Complain-Lawson and Harlan Roudon.

UTSNZ Tertiary Netball Tournament – 27-28 September

The final event in Christchurch began with a 42-29 loss to University of Otago. Massey bounced back with a 43-27 win over Victoria University and tied 36-all with University of Canterbury in one of the tournament’s most thrilling matches. Team captain Zalika Clarke was selected for the tournament team.

Following this event, Massey officially secured the Te Kaitiaki Spirit Award for 2025, recognising the university’s overall sportsmanship, commitment and positive representation throughout the year.