In early January, Wellington Hockey travelled to Taupō for the 2026 U18 Indoor National Championships, and it turned into an unforgettable week, with both the U18 Girls and U18 Boys teams coming home as national champions.

The Wellington U18 Girls had a fantastic tournament, winning their matches through the week to earn a place in the final. In the title match, they made a strong start and built a 5–0 lead with one quarter to play. While their opponents closed the gap late in the game, the Wellington team stayed calm and finished the match well to secure a 6–5 win and claim their first U18 Indoor Championship title.

The U18 Boys had a more difficult start, opening the tournament against a strong Australian Invitational team. After that first game, the team regrouped and improved with each match, eventually earning their place in the final.

The final was an exciting and tense match. Wellington was trailing 3–0 at halftime against Bay of Plenty, but showed great determination to fight back and level the score at 3–3. Bay of Plenty scored again with just two minutes left, but Wellington replied right at the end of the game to make it 4–4 and send the match to a shootout. Wellington held their nerve and won the shootout to secure the championship.

Wellington Hockey would like to congratulate all players, coaches, managers, and supporters on a hugely successful week in Taupō. Two teams, two titles is a fantastic result and a great sign of the strength of Indoor Hockey in Wellington.