National Champions Crowned at U16 & U21 Championships

The 2026 Under-16 and Under-21 National Championships have wrapped up following two outstanding tournaments in Canberra and Hobart, showcasing the next generation of Australian hockey talent.

U21 National Championships – Canberra

Held at the EPC Solar Hockey Stadium, the U21 National Championships brought together the country’s best emerging athletes for a thrilling week of competition.

In the men’s competition, Western Australia etched their name into the history books, claiming an unprecedented fifth consecutive title. Their championship win came in dramatic fashion against Tasmania, rallying from 2–0 down to bring it back to 3–2 before a back-and-forth final quarter saw the match end 4–4 at full time. Goalkeeper Travis King proved decisive in the shootout, denying three Tasmanian attempts to secure the title.

New South Wales claimed bronze, with Dylan Downey scoring the only goal in their third-place playoff win over Queensland.

In the women’s competition, Queensland were crowned national champions after an undefeated campaign. The gold medal match was tightly contested, with New South Wales equalising late before Motana Carr struck just minutes later to seal the title. Victoria secured bronze with a 5–2 win over Western Australia, led by a standout hat-trick from captain Zara Geddis.

U21 Award Winners
Women’s Competition
Player of the Championships: Karissa van der Wath (QLD)
Top Goal Scorer: Motana Carr (QLD) & Zara Geddis (VIC)
Play the Whistle Award: Territory Stingers
Men’s Competition
Player of the Championships: Duncan Jackson (VIC)
Top Goal Scorer: Duncan Jackson (VIC)
Play the Whistle Award: South Australia

More than 30 officials supported the tournament, led by Tournament Director Jared Correia, ensuring a high standard of competition throughout.

U16 National Championships – Hobart

The U16 National Championships were held at the Aurora Energy Tasmanian Hockey Centre. Across eight action-packed days and 84 matches, the tournament highlighted the depth of young talent emerging across the country.

For the Girl’s results, Queensland Maroon won the gold medal, New South Wales State claimed silver, and the ACT secured the bronze.

In the Boy’s competition, Victoria won the gold medal, Western Australia Gold claimed silver, and the ACT secured the bronze.

U16 Award Winners
Boys Competition
Player of the Championships: Kryshant Jiwa Mohan (VIC)
Top Goal Scorer: Kryshant Jiwa Mohan (VIC), Joey Bush (TAS), Leonardo Petrou (WA Gold)
Play the Whistle Award: WA Black
Girls Competition
Player of the Championships: Abby Mangan (NSW State)
Top Goal Scorer: Ruby Doll (QLD M), Christine Fernance (NSW S), Lucy Meikle (TAS)
Play the Whistle Award: QLD Gold

Nearly 50 officials contributed to the success of the event, led by Tournament Director Greer Wells.

A sincere thank you to all athletes, officials, and volunteers who contributed to both championships, as well as to host organisations Hockey ACT and Hockey Tasmania.

Special thanks to Badges and Medals for supplying medals and individual awards, and to Click InFocus for capturing the action.

The U16 event was proudly supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.