Trans-Tasman Championship: A Celebration of Fistball in Oceania

published: April 27, 2026

The Trans-Tasman Championships between Australia and New Zealand are a long-standing highlight of the Oceanian fistball calendar. This year featured a special occasion: for the first time since 2018, the Women’s and Men’s Masters Championships were once again held as part of the same tournament.

In addition, an exciting series took place between the New Zealand U18 national team and an Australian development side (known as “Australia A”). For the young New Zealanders, this marked their first official international appearances and served as an important benchmark ahead of the U18 World Championship in Switzerland. The Australian team featured an intriguing mix of promising young talent and experienced veterans.

Across two days of competition, fistball was played in near-perfect conditions – sunny skies and virtually no wind. Congratulations go to the New Zealand Fistball Association, which once again claimed the coveted Pavlova Plate thanks to convincing victories in the elite Men’s and Women’s divisions.

Despite the ultimately clear overall result, the tournament was anything but one-sided. All four series were played at an impressive level, with every rally fiercely contested until the very end.

Two historic milestones stood out in particular:

  • Success for Australia’s Women: Australia’s women recorded their very first victory over New Zealand in a dramatic seven-set thriller.
  • U18 Breakthrough: New Zealand’s U18 team celebrated the first win in its history in the second match against Australia A. The juniors showed tremendous character by overturning a 4:8 deficit in the deciding set. The result should provide the team with plenty of confidence ahead of the U18 World Championship in Switzerland this coming July.

Only in the Men’s Masters division did New Zealand have to concede, with the trophy going to Australia.

Futures Series

M1. Australia A def. New Zealand U18 Boys, 3:1 (7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9)
M2. New Zealand U18 Boys def. Australia A, 3:2 (5-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9)
M3. Australia A def. New Zealand U18 Boys, 3:1 (11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6)

Futures Series Champions – Australia A (2-1)

Men’s Masters Championship

M1. Australia def. New Zealand, 3:0 (13-11, 14-12, 11-8)
M2. Australia def. New Zealand, 3:1 (15-13, 11-13, 15-13, 11-2)
M3. Australia def. New Zealand, 3:2 (8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10)

Men’s Masters Trans-Tasman Champions – Australia (3-0)

Women’s Championship

M1. New Zealand def. Australia, 3:0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7)
M2. New Zealand def. Australia, 3:1 (9-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-6)
M3. Australia def. New Zealand, 4:3 (11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-5)

Women’s Trans-Tasman Champions – New Zealand (2-1)

Men’s Championship

M1. New Zealand def. Australia, 4:2 (11-2, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-1)
M2. New Zealand def. Australia, 4:1 (11-8, 11-3, 11-8)
M3. New Zealand def. Australia, 4:0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-8)

🏆 Men’s Trans-Tasman Champions – New Zealand (3-0)

Pavlova Plate – New Zealand (retained, 2:2)

Trans-Tasman Games: Ein Fest des Faustballs in Ozeanien

Die Trans-Tasman Games zwischen Australien und Neuseeland sind ein fester Bestandteil des ozeanischen Faustballjahres. In diesem Jahr gab es eine Besonderheit: Erstmals seit 2018 wurden die Masters-Meisterschaften der Frauen und Männer wieder im Rahmen desselben Turniers ausgetragen.

Zusätzlich fand eine packende Serie zwischen der neuseeländischen U18-Nationalmannschaft und einem australischen Nachwuchsteam (bekannt als «Australia A») statt. Für die jungen Neuseeländer war dies der erste offizielle Länderspieleinsatz und eine wichtige Standortbestimmung vor der U18-Weltmeisterschaft in der Schweiz. Das australische Team trat mit einer spannenden Mischung aus vielversprechenden Talenten und erfahrenen Routiniers an.

Insgesamt wurden an zwei Turniertagen bei nahezu perfekten Bedingungen – sonnig und praktisch windstill – Faustball gespielt. Ein herzlicher Glückwunsch geht an den neuseeländischen Faustballverband, der sich dank überzeugender Siege in der Elite-Klasse der Männer und Frauen erneut den begehrten Pavlova-Pokal sicherte.

Trotz des schliesslich deutlichen Gesamtergebnisses war das Turnier alles andere als einseitig. In allen vier Serien zeigten die Teams ein beeindruckendes Niveau, sodass um jeden einzelnen Ballwechsel bis zum Schluss hart gekämpft wurde.

Besonders hervorzuheben sind zwei historische Meilensteine:

  • Erfolg für Australiens Frauen: Den australischen Damen gelang in einem dramatischen Sieben-Satz-Krimi gegen Neuseeland ihr allererster Sieg.
  • U18-Premiere: Das neuseeländische U18-Team feierte in seinem zweiten Spiel gegen Australia A den ersten Sieg der Teamgeschichte. Die Junioren bewiesen enorme Moral, als sie im entscheidenden Satz einen 4:8-Rückstand noch drehten. Dieser Erfolg dürfte dem Team viel Selbstvertrauen für die Reise zur U18-WM in die Schweiz im kommenden Juli geben.

Einzig bei den Masters-Herren musste Neuseeland den Vortritt lassen: Hier ging der Pokal an das Team aus Australien.

Futures Series:

M1. Australia A def New Zealand U18 Boys, 3:1 (7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9)

M2. New Zealand U18 Boys def Australia A, 3:2 (5-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9)

M3. Australia A def New Zealand U18 Boys, 3:1 (11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6)

Futures Series Champions – Australia A (2-1)

Men’s Masters Championship:

M1. Australia def New Zealand, 3:0 (13-11, 14-12, 11-8)

M2. Australia def New Zealand, 3:1 (15-13, 11-13, 15-13, 11-2)

M3. Australia def New Zealand, 3:2 (8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10)

Men’s Masters Trans-Tasman Champions – Australia (3-0)

Women’s Championship:

M1. New Zealand def Australia, 3:0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-7)

M2. New Zealand def Australia, 3:1 (9-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-6)

M3. Australia def New Zealand, 4:3 (11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-9, 3-11, 11-5)

Women’s Trans-Tasman Champions – New Zealand (2-1)

Men’s Championship:

M1. New Zealand def Australia, 4:2 (11-2, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-1)

M2. New Zealand def Australia, 4:1 (11-8, 11-3, 11-8)

M3. New Zealand def  Australia, 4:0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-8)

Men’s Trans-Tasman Champions – 🇳🇿 New Zealand (3-0)

 

Pavlova Plate: New Zealand (Retained 2:2)

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