WELCOME,
This site is a celebration of those Touch athletes who have been selected to represent New Zealand, the businesses and people who have supported them to compete and become better athletes and leaders and the coaches and support teams that help make Touch the successful sport it is becoming in NZ.

This year in July NZ will compete in the Touch World Cup in Nottingham ( click here for detail). This tournament will be the biggest event ever for Touch with over 190 teams participating representing over 40 nations from every continent.

Touch NZ has selected teams to compete in the men’s, women’s, and mixed events (click here for teams) and players are now undergoing intense preparation. As you can imagine Australia, who invented the sport, have been a dominant force but in more recent years NZ have been taking home titles and we look forward to building on this.

For the longer term, NZ has been selected as the host for the 2028 Touch World Cup ( click here) and Touch NZ are going through the process of determining where in NZ would be the best venue to host.

TOUCH RUGBY WORLD CUP – GETTING OUR BEST TEAM THERE NEEDS YOUR HELP

Getting New Zealand’s Touch talent to the Touch Rugby World Cup in 2024 is now the focus of a specialist team I am putting together.

Our collective aspiration as players, parents and supporters is to get New Zealand’s top men and women Touch Players to the World Cup in 2024 and that will take a contribution from all of us. One thing I am extremely aware of is that so often for sports like Touch the teams that represent us are often made up of those who can pay – this does not reflect equity. We have many players who could represent their country and community and come back and contribute to their community and to Touch. I am confident that if we work together we will achieve the sponsorship that will have the best team go to Nottingham and make us proud.

What I have identified is a specialist team who will lead our campaign to raise $400,000. That will not only draw on the skills and networks they have but will require help from the networks and contacts you have.

I appreciate that some of you are hoping to join us in 2024, some aspire to make the top in the future and many of you play in teams that bring business and communities together – my specialist team will be trying to make contact with you to access your networks and communities because this is the only way we will succeed.

As CEO I will own this initiative but you will hear directly from them in the future so let me introduce them so you can support them.

Michael Barnett CNZM.
Michael Barnett, CNZM. Michael was the former CEO of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce so has good business and political networks. His son is Finlay who has represented NZ and knows more about Touch than Michael – but Michael will bring the links we need to help raise the funds that will ensure we field our best teams for the World Cup.

Grahame Christian
Grahame was founder and director of Smart Environmental. He is the true Touch ambassador – has played touch for NZ, played nationally and internationally, has coached men’s, women’s, mixed, masters successfully, his son played for the NZ under 21’s, and he has served on the Board of Touch NZ. Grahame came out of the North but now lives mostly in the Coromandel and as you can see has major networks in the Touch Rugby community.

Tony Sycamore
Tony is the co-founder of the firm Van AART Sycamore and specialises in commercial and business law. Tonys daughter is captain of the women’s open team so has easy access to player needs and aspiration. Tony understands the objective we have in front of us and how we might achieve this.

A great team with a significant goal that needs your help. If you have contacts, you might share or ideas please email Michael (michael@barnett.co.nz ) and he will contact you.

Joe Sprangers, CEO