Mad Bois and Parrots share the wins at first-ever NZHF Beach Handball National Championships

08 Mar. 2021

Mad Bois and Parrots share the wins at first-ever NZHF Beach Handball National Championships

Featuring 34 games on two separate courts and 13 teams in the competition, the 2021 NZHF Beach Handball National Championships took place between 6 and 7 March at The Elmwood Club in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Nearly 60 players were registered for the first-ever edition of the NZHF Beach Handball National Championships, with all 34 games running smoothly, as the champions were decided after hard-fought games.

In the men’s final, a shoot-out was needed, with the two sides failing to open a gap larger than three points. Eventually, the Pekapeka Mad Bois secured a 2:1 win against the Parrots, cashing on Paul Pringot’s form, who became the top scorer of the competition with 56 goals.

The women’s tournament was won by the Parrots Shawties, who swept their opponents, winning the final against Toroa 2:0, who boasted the MVP of the competition Annalise Wilson.

The mixed tournament, which had the biggest number of teams at the start (six), saw the unbeaten Parrots cruise to a 2:0 win in the final against Toroa, with Paul Ireland securing the top scorer award with 65 goals.

“It was amazing to play in such a high-quality beach handball tournament. The skill level on display across the tournament, particularly in the women’s was outstanding- a true testament to how much work is being put in to develop our national women’s beach programme. With a mix of experienced internationals and up and coming young guns, it made for exciting and close games,” said Erin Roxburgh-Makea, who won both the women’s title and the mix title with her side, Parrots.

Another highlight of the first-ever NZHF Beach Handball National Championships was the domestic showdown which pitted together teams with players from the North Island against teams from the South Island.

In the men’s game, the North Island took a comfortable 2:0 win, while the women’s game finished with a 2:1 win for the North Island as well.

“It was fantastic to see talented athletes from across New Zealand battling against each other all weekend. The highlight for our High-Performance programme was the Round 2 match up of the North and South teams. With all the player awards going to players under the age of 20, the future is looking bright for NZ Handball on the sand,” said Tim Rayner, an executive board member for the High-Performance department of the New Zealand Handball Federation.

With the current health situation, spectators were allowed only on the last day of the competition, with fans striving to see beach handball on Sunday.

For more information about the New Zealand Handball Federation, visit their official website.

PHOTO: New Zealand Handball Federation