Begins with Dominant Performances and Early Statements

The opening day of the 2026 Wisden Cup delivered a mix of commanding victories and tightly contested encounters as associations from across New Zealand battled for early supremacy.

North Harbour, Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Wellington North, Otago and Waitakere all took to the courts on Thursday, with several teams making immediate statements in their opening fixtures of the qualifcation round. North Harbour 1, Auckland 1, North Harbour 2, Counties Manukau 1 and Waikato 1 each secured 12-0 victories, showcasing impressive depth across all disciplines and setting the benchmark for the competition.

As the intense qualification came to an end, we saw our 12 association teams split into their respective Wisden and Slazenger Cup round robin pools

Slazenger Cup Highlights:

As the day progressed, matches became increasingly competitive. Wellington North 1 produced a dominant performance to defeat Wellington North 2 by an 11-1 margin, while Waikato 2 and Otago battled fiercely in a closely contested tie. With Waikato 2 ultimately claiming the 6-6 encounter on game difference. Counties Manukau 2 also continued its strong start to the tournament, overcoming Auckland 2 by 8-4 through a consistent team effort across the tie.

Wisden Cup Highlights:

An all-Harbour encounter saw North Harbour 1 defeat North Harbour 2 by 9-3, further highlighting the association's depth across its squads. Counties Manukau 1 then secured one of the tightest results of the day, overcoming Waitakere 7-5 in a closely fought tie, while Auckland 1 rounded out the session with a convincing 9-3 victory over Waikato 1 to remain among the tournament's early pace-setters.

Day One - Qualification Results:

• North Harbour 1 def. Counties Manukau 2, 12-0
• Auckland 1 def. Waikato 2, 12-0
• North Harbour 2 def. Wellington North 2, 12-0
• Counties Manukau 1 def. Otago, 12-0
• Waitakere def. Wellington North 1, 10-2
• Waikato 1 def. Auckland 2, 12-0

Slazenger Cup Results:

• Wellington North 1 def. Wellington North 2, 11-1
• Auckland 2 lost to Counties Manukau 2, 4-8
• Waikato 2 def. Otago, 6-6

Wisden Cup Results:

• North Harbour 1 def. North Harbour 2, 9-3
• Counties Manukau 1 def. Waitakere, 7-5
• Auckland 1 def. Waikato 1, 9-3

With several associations already showing strong form, the race for the 2026 Wisden Cup is shaping up to be highly competitive. As teams head into the second day of competition, every tie and every match will continue to play a crucial role in determining who remains in contention for the coveted title.

Day two Highlights:

Wisden Cup:

The Wisden Cup continued to take shape across both rounds, with North Harbour emerging as the standout association of the day. North Harbour 1 opened with an 11-1 victory over Waikato 1 before following up with a flawless 12-0 win against Counties Manukau 1, while North Harbour 2 recorded convincing victories over Waitakere (9-3) and Waikato 1 (10-2). Auckland 1 suffered a 4-8 defeat to Counties Manukau 1 in the morning before came back in the in the afternoon defeating Waitakere 8-4. With a series of commanding performances, both North Harbour and Auckland strengthened their positions as the tournament progressed.

Slazenger Cup:

The Slazenger Cup produced several closely contested ties throughout the day, with teams trading valuable points in a highly competitive field. Wellington North 1 started strongly with a 10-2 victory over Waikato 2, while Auckland 2 and Counties Manukau 2 recorded solid 9-3 wins over Wellington North 2 and Otago respectively. The afternoon session saw Counties Manukau 2 edge Wellington North 1 by 7-5 and Auckland 2 claim an identical victory over Otago, while Waikato 2 narrowly defeated Wellington North 2 in a 6-6 tie, prevailing on game difference. With multiple teams producing strong performances, the standings remain finely balanced as teams prepare for last day of competition.

Day Two Wisden Results:

• North Harbour 1 def. Waikato 1, 11-1
• North Harbour 2 def. Waitakere, 9-3
• Counties Manukau 1 def. Auckland 1, 8-4
• Auckland 1 def. Waitakere, 8-4
• North Harbour 2 def. Waikato 1, 10-2
• North Harbour 1 def. Counties Manukau 1, 12-0

Day Two Slazenger Results:

• Auckland 2 def. Wellington North 2, 9-3
• Wellington North 1 def. Waikato 2, 10-2
• Counties Manukau 2 def. Otago, 9-3
• Counties Manukau 2 def. Wellington North 1, 7-5
• Auckland 2 def. Otago, 7-5
• Waikato 2 def. Wellington North 2, 6-6 (game difference)

Day Three Highlights

Wisden Cup:

The final round of Wisden Cup pool play delivered several decisive results as teams pushed for strong finishes. North Harbour 1 continued its dominant run through the competition, recording back-to-back 12-0 victories over Waitakere and Auckland 1 to cement its position at the top of the standings. Counties Manukau 1 secured an important 9-3 win over Waikato 1, while North Harbour 2 narrowly defeated Auckland 1 by 7-5 in one of the closest ties of the round. North Harbour 2 ultimately claiming the 7-5 result against Counties Manukau 1 to round out a strong campaign.

Slazenger Cup:

The Slazenger Cup produced another day of competitive badminton, highlighted by several closely contested encounters. Wellington North 1 opened with a 9-3 victory over Otago, while Counties Manukau 2 recorded a 10-2 results against Wellington North 2. In the later round, Otago responded with a convincing 10-2 win over Wellington North 2, while Counties Manukau 2 overcame Waikato 2 by 8-4. Auckland 2 recorded a strong 9-3 victory over Waikato 2 before falling 8-4 to Wellington North 1 in its final tie of the day.

Final Standings:

Links:

Follow draws and results: https://badminton.org.nz/event/wisden-and-slazenger-cup-2026/

More Photos: https://photos.badminton.org.nz/wisdenandslazengercup2026/

The pinnacle Inter-association competition will see all twelve teams begin in a qualification round, with the winning teams progressing into the Division 1 Wisden Cup, and the defeated teams, contesting the Division 2 Slazenger Cup. The teams compete in a 12-match round robin format, with five rounds of ties across the three days.

The 2023 Wisden Cup winners, North Harbour 1 will no doubt be looking to defend their title, as they meet newcomers, Canterbury 2 in the qualification round.

The 2023 Slazenger Cup winners, Counties Manukau, will challenge for a place in the Wisden Cup, as the face sixth-place Canterbury 1 in their qualification round. View the full qualification draw here.

Round One

Friday 3:00pm

Wisden and Slazenger Cup participants have now been decided and teams strategically plan ahead for their remaining five ties of the competition. Round one in the Wisden Cup produced some amazing performances, with top ranked team North Harbour 1 leading from the front, sweeping Wellington North 12-0 in an outstanding display. In the Slazenger Cup, the tie between Auckland 2 and Canterbury 2 finished with Auckland 2 leading 11-1.

Round Two

Saturday 9:00am

In round two of the Wisden Cup all of the predictable associations came out on top. North Harbour 2 vs Wellington North being the closest of all three fixtures with North Harbour 2 taking it narrowly 7-5 over Wellington North. Another fantastic performance from North Harbour 1, saw them defeat Waitakere, 12-0. Counties Manukau had a swift win over Nelson, 10-2. While Auckland 2 and Otago had closer ties against their opponents finishing 8-4.

Round Three

Saturday 3:00pm

In the Wisden Cup round three, North Harbour 1 secures another win over home team North Harbour 2, 11-1. Canterbury 1 also secures a close win against Waitakere, 7-5. In the Slazenger Cup, Auckland 2, Waikato and Counties Manukau all came away with victories.

Round Four

Sunday 9:00am

In the fourth round of the Wisden Cup, North Harbour 2 put up a strong fight but narrowly lost to Auckland 1, who were last year's runners-up, with a score of 5-7. North Harbour 1 and Waitakere walked away with relatively easy victories. In the Slazenger Cup, Counties Manukau, Auckland 2 and Waikato all came away with victories.

Round Five

Sunday 3:00pm

In the fifth and final round of the Wisden Cup, we saw the top seeds battle it out in the finals. North Harbour 1 performed strongly against Auckland 1 to claim the Wisden Cup, While North Harbour 2 defeats Waitakere, claiming third place. In the Slazenger Cup, Counties Manukau narrowly defeats Auckland 2, 7-5 securing the title for a second year. Waikato takes bronze with a swift victory against Otago. Nelson will now have to fight for survival in an end-of-season playoff against the top division three teams, who will certainly be hungry for promotion.

Medallist:

Congratulations to the 2024 Wisden cup winners, North Harbour 1; and Slazenger Cup winners, Counties Manukau.

This event showcases New Zealand's Top Under 15's and 19's players in a fast paced, action filled, team style tournament.

Congratulations to the below players on their selection.

Under 15's

Under 19's

The 2024 Junior NZBL will be held 19 – 21 April at Counties Manukau. 
Team & Coach Announcements will be named 12 April.