The 2026 Weir Rose Bowl has changes to the age groups, aligning the long-running event with New Zealand Football’s Whole of Football 2.0 framework and the evolving junior football structure. 

The updated age groups for this year are: 

Boys: U12 (born 2014-15) & U14 (born 2012-13) 

Girls: U13 (born 2013-14) & U15 (born 2011-12) 

Several options were considered, including shifting all age groups up one year or keeping the ages the same and moving entirely to a festival structure.

After much deliberation the decision was made to retain the traditional U12 Boys format – the original format the Weir Rose Bowl started with - while aligning competitive age groups with the Whole of Football 2.0 guidelines. These changes continue to respect the history of the Weir Rose Bowl, while also prioritising player development in a 9v9 game format. 

The U13 and U15 Girls age groups align with the WaiBOP Football 2026 club competitions. 

Festival formats for u12 Boys & u13 Girls age groups 

The U12 Boys and U13 Girls will play in festival-style competitions, with no trophies awarded. This reflects New Zealand Football’s guidance for junior football age groups, of no recorded results or league tables. The focus is on player development, and meaningful playing opportunities across the three days. 

Traditional trophies move to older divisions 

The Weir Rose Bowl trophies will be contested at older age levels in 2026.  

• U14 Boys will compete in a tournament format for the boys’ trophy.  
• U15 Girls will compete in a tournament format for the girls’ trophy. 

Development at the centre 

The main aim of Weir Rose Bowl is to provide a structured event for players, coaches and referees in an enjoyable environment that maximises learning opportunities. For young players, this period in their development is recognised as being the ‘Golden Age of Learning’ and it is therefore important that we maximise every opportunity available to support skill acquisition.  

The recognised value, both technically and tactically, of small-sided games reinforced our decision to retain the 9v9 game format for all age groups at Weir Rose Bowl. 

Further information and entry details are available on the website at: www.weirrosebowl.co.nz

Article added: Thursday 26 February 2026