The ONZ High-Performance Steering Group provides strategic oversight and advice for the development of High-Performance orienteering in New Zealand. The group is responsible for developing High-Performance policy, overseeing athlete development pathways, and providing recommendations on selection policies, development programmes, and other High-Performance initiatives. The group works alongside the National Performance Leader and was created one […]

Orienteering New Zealand (ONZ) has been awarded the hosting rights to the Junior World Orienteering Championships in November 2029. ONZ has put together a list of areas that have the potential to be used. Once a formal organising group has been formed, along with an IOF SEA assigned to the event, final decisions will be […]

Counties Manukau Orienteering Club and Orienteering Waikato are thrilled to be hosting the NZOrienteering Championships 2027 in and around the Waikato and Counties Manukau regions, fromFriday 26 March 2027 to Monday 29 March 2027. The following embargoes will apply to competitionareas. An embargo is a restriction, which prevents athletes accessing a competition area prior to […]

Yes, this is big news and we are so excited. The announcement of the 2029 Junior World Orienteering Championships follows a decision by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) Council at a 6–8 July 2026 meeting.This will be first JWOC to be held in New Zealand and only the second in Oceania.  The event will showcase […]

JWOC26  |  Karlskrona 29 June – 4 July  Individual SprintThe Individual Sprint kicked off the 2026 Junior World Orienteering Championships with 338 Athletes lined up along with and 98 team officials from 40 countries.  It was a sharp-witted start to the first up race. Several runners were caught out by a tricky initial direction decision straight […]

New Zealand produced one of its strongest ever sprint campaigns at the 2026 World Orienteering Championships in Italy. Across six days of racing in the streets, stairways and hills of Genoa, the team demonstrated speed and tactical excellence against the world’s best, finishing the championships with growing confidence for future international campaigns. Sprint qualification opening eventThe championships […]

Nelson and Marlborough Orienteering Clubs invite all orienteers to Te Tau Ihu o te Waka-a-Maui to celebrate high-quality spring orienteering during the A-level 2026 Taitonga South Island Orienteering Championships, Labour Weekend of 24-26 October 2026 in the beautiful Tasman District. We look forward to welcoming fellow orienteers from the South and the North Island of […]

An ONZ Controllers Clinic will be held in Christchurch over the weekend of 7th – 8th of November based at St Martins School.  The Clinic will be run by Alister Metherell. The course will be of interest to course planners, controllers and organisers who wish to update their skill-set, for all events from club events […]

Dates:  Junior Camp – Arrive Mon 14th Dec (pm), depart  Fri 18th Dec (am)  Youth Camp – Arrive Fri 18th Dec (pm), depart Sun 20th Dec (am)  Location:  Teapot Valley, 200 Teapot Valley Road, Brightwater, Nelson More information will be released in the next month

Camp Information Dates: Monday 14 December 2026 (arrival from 3pm) – Friday 18 December 2026 (10am departure)Venue: Teapot Valley Christian Camp, Brightwater, Tasman. 2026 ONZ Junior Camp Lead Coach Position Description: For the Lead Coach in particular, the following will apply Applications close: Friday 15 August 2026 email to gm@orienteering.org.nz 

This embargo notice is the Pokapū Central champs from 21-22 November hosted by Wellington and Orienteering Hutt Valley. Anyone found breaking this embargo or intentionally trying to gain an unfair advantage will be disqualified from competing or coaching at the relevant event and referred to Orienteering New Zealand under the Fair Play rules. MIDDLE DISTANCE […]

The next Australia-New Zealand Challenge will be held in Canberra, Australia from 26 September to 04 October 2026, in conjunction with the Oceania Orienteering Championships. The Challenge will consist of an Individual Challenge, based on the Oceania Long Distance, Middle Distance and Sprint Distance Championships, and a Relay Challenge, based on the Oceania Relay Championships. […]

The fourth round of the 2026 IOF World Cup will be held in the Druskininkai, Lithuania from 22-27 September 2026, in conjunction with the 2026 European Orienteering Championships. The programme will consist of a long distance, middle distance and relay. New Zealand is entitled to enter up to 8 men and 8 women in all […]

New Zealand has been awarded the 2029 Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) following a decision by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) Council from a meeting on 6-8 July 2026. The 2029 event will be only the second time JWOC has been held in Oceania, and the first in New Zealand. Canterbury offers varied and technically diverse orienteering […]

The MTBO Selection Panel has selected the following team to contest the AUS-NZL MTBO Challenge that takes will be contested as part of the Australian MTBO champs help in Ballarat, Victoria 8-11 October 2026 W21 Marquita Gelderman, North West  Lisa Haycock, Bay of Plenty  W40 Karyn Kerrison, Bay of Plenty  Tui Hambrook, Bay of Plenty Nicole […]

Nelson Orienteering Club is hosting King’s Birthday Weekend from 5 to 7 June 2027. The competition includes three World Ranking Events, including the trials for the NZSS team to compete at the Southern Cross Junior Challenge in Australia. Once more we travel to Golden Bay / Mohua to experience a new navigational challenge, this time […]

Following an appeal being upheld, an independent selection panel was convened to reselect the Men’s team for World Cup 3. In accordance with the ONZ Appeals Policy, the reselections are a result of an Appeals Panel decision approved by the Board and are therefore final and binding and not subject to appeal by any athlete. […]

Event details:29 June individual Sprint: Trossö in Karlskrona. 30 June Sprint Relay. Trossö in Karlskrona. Mixed four-member team relay, the first and last legs are women’s legs. 1 July Long DIstance Augerum. Varied vegetation, from beech forest with fast runnability to areas with coniferous forest3 July Middle Distance event Bussevik. Countryside, mainly forest (pine, oak, beech) with a few small areas of […]

School student entries have closed, but public entries are open longer – until 13 July.  Enter hereThere are also several training courses available in Bottle Lake, please visit the website for maps and information:  www.nzssochamps.nz 

2025 ONZ Awards were presented at the 2026 National Championships prize giving evening. During NZ Volunteer Week in June, a number of our volunteers were highlighted in our media. The complete list of awards, including performance awards, is listed below.  Services to ONZ Award   |  Rolf Boswell (WK) When Rolf arrived in the Waikato in 2011, the Waikato Orienteering Club had been in recess […]

The National Orienteering League is the sport’s premier domestic series, fought out over forest and sprint races across the country from December to May, with separate men’s and women’s titles in each discipline. The 2026 season came down to the final weekend at The Auckland Triple Crown competitions, and it delivered four champions and a […]

An was convened to hear an appeal to the Men’s World Cup 3 selections. The appeal was made on grounds:  1.4 (a) Selection criteria were not followed and/or implemented  1.4 (b) Athlete was not afforded a reasonable opportunity to satisfy the selection criteria.  The Appeals Panel recommended to the Board that the appeal be upheld […]

The Southern Cross selectors were once again impressed by the strength and depth of school-level orienteering, which has motivated the decision to take an extended group to Australia again this year. The athletes named below were identified through their results at King’s Birthday and/or through the attitude and commitment they’ve shown.   Above all, we are looking […]

UPDATE 25 June – Matilda Trowsdale has withdrawn interest in attending so has been removed as a reserve. UPDATE 23 June – No appeals have been received so the team has now been finalised. UPDATE 18 June – In accordance with the ONZ Appeals Policy, the convenor of selectors has been approached regarding team selections […]

UPDATE – An appeal was received so the team will remain provisional until the appeal has been considered and any future actions resulting from the appeal (should it be upheld) are actioned. The Senior Selection Panel have named the following team for the third round of the 2026 IOF World Cup will be held in […]

Entries for the 2026 Oceania Championships have just opened. Entries can be made through the event website. The programme is as  follows: Saturday 26 Sep Oceania Middle Champs Bogong Creek / Namadgi National Park Sunday 27 Sep Oceania Relays Honeysuckle Creek / Namadgi National Park Tuesday 29 Sep ASOC Sprint Orana Steiner School Flight of […]

Peninsula and Plains Orienteers welcomes all Year 7–13 students from all over New Zealand. You are invited to four epic days of navigation sport in Canterbury from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 July 2026 for the NZ Secondary Schools Orienteering Champs. Challenge your navigation skills, cheer on your friends in some seriously fun and unique terrain. For more details see […]

The Southern Cross Championships is part of the Australian Schools Orienteering Champs (ASOC) and The Oceania Orienteering Championships 2026 will be held in Canberra, Australia from 26 September – 4 October 2026.  When appointed, Coaches and Managers will be travelling with the team which is departing on Wednesday 23 September and returning on Sunday 4 October. Coach and Manager Roles […]

Jakob Abernethy is thrilled to share that he been selected to attend the IOF Young Leaders Academy 2026, taking place 27 June -4 July in Val di Sole, Italy –  right in the heart of the 5-Days of Italy!  To be considered for selection he had to submit a video introducing himself and sharing his […]

Camp Information Dates: Monday 14 December 2026 (arrival from 3pm) – Friday 18 December 2026 (10am departure)Venue: Teapot Valley Christian Camp, Brightwater, Tasman. 2026 ONZ Junior Camp Lead Coach Position Description: For the Lead Coach in particular, the following will apply Applications close: Friday 15 August 2026 email to gm@orienteering.org.nz