Tauranga City Tridents American Football Club has delivered their most successful National Championships campaign to date.

The club has collected multiple titles and podium finishes across youth and senior divisions as flag football’s rapid growth continued nationwide.

The 2025 championships were split into separate youth and senior tournaments, held across consecutive weekends at Waitematā Rugby Club in Henderson, Auckland.

Across the two events, the Tauranga-based club claimed national titles in the Open Men’s and U15 divisions, finished runners-up in Open Women’s, placed fourth in the inaugural U20 grade, fifth in Legends (35+), and 18th in Open Men’s with development side Moana Toa.

The standout result came from Tridents Gold, who went unbeaten to successfully defend their Open Men’s title and secure back-to-back championships in a competition continuing to lift in quality.

Tauranga City Tridents Open Mens National Champions. Photo / NZAFF

Flag football is the non-contact format of American football, where play is stopped by pulling a flag from the ball carrier rather than by tackling.

After coming through pool play unbeaten, Gold closed out the knockout stages with a 41-19 quarter-final win over Takanini Giants Alpha, a 43-34 semifinal win over Wellington Wolves Gold, and a 31-19 victory over Tamaki Lightning A in the final.

Captain Scott Witney said defending the title carried extra meaning, given the work required across the full season and the improving standard of the national competition.

“To go back-to-back means a lot because of the work that goes in over the whole season,” Witney said.

“The standard around the country is improving, so you have to keep lifting as well. We knew it would take a real team effort to do it again, and the group earned that result.”

Just as significant for the club was the performance of the Tridents Women, who finished runners-up to record the highest placing in the history of the club’s women’s programme.

Tauranga City Tridents Open Women's National runners-up. Photo / NZAFF

After finishing ninth at last year’s event, the team returned with a point to prove and put together a demanding nine-game campaign.

Tridents women's quarterback, Nicole Huala. Photo / NZAFF

They won six of their seven pool matches, with their only loss in that stretch coming against eventual champions Metro Lionesses, the two-time defending titleholders, whose squad included seven current or former international players.

A commanding 42-26 semifinal win over South Auckland Raiders then sent the Tridents into the final, where they again faced Metro Lionesses and capped a breakthrough tournament as national runners-up.

A week earlier, that same sense of progress had been on display at Youth Nationals.

The Tridents’ U15 side made history by winning the inaugural U15 division, giving the club its first title of the two-week campaign. The team went 5-0 across the tournament, overcoming a pair of close early pool matches against Hamilton Hawks and Taranaki Kraken before growing in confidence and control as the weekend went on.

Tauranga City Tridents U15 National Champions. Photo / NZAFF

By the finals stage, Tauranga had found its rhythm, beating Tamaki Lightning 32-12 in the semifinal and then holding off longstanding youth rivals Canterbury Panthers 25-19 in the championship game.

It was a composed finish to a tournament that tested the group in different ways.

U15 coach Lewis Hayward said the result reflected the work the group had done away from the field and the way the team had grown through the tournament.

“K-Jharn [Rimaha], Gideon [Hayward] and Ali [Hiscox] showed real athleticism across the weekend, and that comes from the work they’ve put in outside football as well,” Hayward said.

“It showed when the games got tight, but what I was most pleased with was how adaptable the whole team was. They stayed team-first the whole way through, and that’s why it was such a good win for the group.”

The club’s U20 side also turned in a strong campaign in the inaugural U20 division, finishing fourth overall with a 5–2 record.

After winning all of their pool matches, the Tridents beat Auckland U20 competition finalists Tamaki Lightning 46–34 in the quarter-final.

Their semifinal against Metro Lions was one of the closest and most dramatic matches of the weekend.

Jorja Mouat scoring a touchdown in women's semifinal. Photo / NZAFF

The Tridents trailed early by three scores, then fought their way back into the contest and moved in front early in the second half after Lucas Taula produced two interceptions to shift the momentum.

Metro Lions eventually regained control in the closing stages to win 47-43.

The club’s remaining senior teams also added to the overall picture. The Legends (35+) side finished fifth after a competitive campaign in a growing division, while Moana Toa - the Tridents’ Open Men’s development team - finished 18th in the same division as Gold.

With a number of rookies and youth players stepping up into senior competition, Moana Toa provided valuable experience and another sign of the depth continuing to come through the club.

Tridents Gold quarterback, Mark Riley. Photo / NZAFF

Club head coach Kevin Palalagi said the results across the two weekends reflected the progress being made right through the Tridents programme.

“What stands out is the depth we’re building across the club,” Palalagi said.

“We’re growing year on year, and to see teams competing strongly across youth, women’s, open men’s and legends says a lot about the work that’s going in right through the programme. There’s a lot to be proud of, and just as importantly, there’s more growth still ahead of us.”

Cameron Skilton taking a diving catch in the open men's championship game. Photo / NZAFF