Gosal entered the Hawke’s Bay Futsal Tournament for the second time in 2026. As one of New Zealand’s largest youth futsal competitions, the tournament brings together teams from across the country for several days of competitive futsal.

This year, Gosal took an U15 Girls team to the tournament. The opportunity to travel together, compete against teams from other regions and experience tournament-level futsal was incredibly valuable for the players. Not only for their development on the court, but also for the confidence, friendships and memories they gained along the way.

HB Gosal U15 Girls Team 2026 — Hawke’s Bay Gosal U15 Girls Team 2026

What is the Hawke’s Bay Youth Futsal Tournament?

Hosted by HB Futsal in Napier, the Hawke’s Bay Youth Futsal Tournament is one of New Zealand’s largest youth futsal events. The 2026 tournament was held from 17 to 19 July at Rodney Green Arena, bringing together young players and teams from across the country for three days of competitive futsal.

This year, the tournament featured over 70 teams competing across six divisions: U9 Mixed, U11 Mixed, U13 Boys, U13 Girls, U15 Boys and U15 Girls. Around 250 matches were played over the three-day event, giving players the chance to compete against teams from across New Zealand that they would not normally face in their local competitions.

HB Gosal U15 Girls v Titans 2026 — Gosal U15 Girls vs Titans Futsal

How the team was formed

As Gosal is still growing, recruiting enough players to form tournament teams can be challenging. This year, we hoped to take both an U15 Boys and an U15 Girls team. We were successful in forming the U15 Girls team, but unfortunately, we were unable to gather enough interest for the U15 Boys.

For the 2026 tournament, players were invited to be part of the U15 Girls team, with the aim of putting together a group that would work well together on the court. Our main goal was to give players the opportunity to compete at the tournament, and we are grateful that we were able to return with an U15 Girls team for a second year.

Preparation before the tournament

It was important for the players to have opportunities to play and train together before travelling to Hawke’s Bay. We entered the team into the Mainland Youth Futsal League, and the players also trained together in Gosal’s Tuesday night U16 Girls class.

In addition to their regular sessions, the team had a couple of extra training sessions to work through specific set plays and prepare for the tournament. This helped the players become more familiar with one another and build their connection as a team before stepping onto the court in Napier.

Competing in the tournament

The girls played a total of six games over the three days in Napier. The competition began with group-stage matches before moving into the quarter-finals, semi-finals and placing matches.

Playing so many games in a short period was physically and mentally demanding. The team needed to recover quickly, adapt to different opponents and maintain their energy throughout the weekend. They finished the tournament in fourth place in the U15 Girls division, a result we were incredibly proud of.

What the players gain from the experience

One of the biggest benefits of attending the Hawke’s Bay tournament is the opportunity for players to experience futsal at a higher competitive level. By playing against teams from around New Zealand, they are able to put the skills they have been developing in training into a different environment.

As futsal continues to grow in Christchurch, there are still limited opportunities for young players to regularly compete against a wide range of teams. Tournaments like Hawke’s Bay give them the chance to challenge themselves, experience different styles of play and build confidence competing in a stronger environment.

There is no qualification process required to enter the Hawke’s Bay tournament. If Gosal is able to form a team, we are able to enter them into the competition. For us, that means bringing together players who are already part of Gosal and who are ready for the pace and demands of competitive futsal.

For players who are thinking about taking futsal further, this type of tournament can be an important part of their development and a valuable way to gain competitive experience.

But it is not only about futsal development. Travelling together, competing as a team and sharing the experience with their teammates creates memories and friendships that they can carry with them long after the tournament is over.

Looking ahead to 2027

As Gosal continues to grow, one of our goals for 2027 is to take a boys team to the Hawke’s Bay tournament. The tournament currently includes U9 Mixed, U11 Mixed and U13 Boys grades, giving us a few different age groups to work towards.

Invitations to form our tournament teams will go out during Term 1. We try to give families as much notice as possible, as travelling to tournaments like Hawke’s Bay comes with additional costs for travel and accommodation.

If this is something you think your child would be interested in, please let us know. We would love to hear from families who may want to be part of a future Gosal tournament team.

Hawke’s Bay Futsal Tournament 2026