Defending champions the Northern Group Tauranga Whai will open the 2026 Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa season later this year.

The fixture, against the BNZ Northern Kāhu at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre on September 25, will launch the fifth season of New Zealand’s premier women’s basketball competition.

In a media release today, the five-team league unveiled a 30-game schedule spanning a 10-round regular season before playoffs in December.

Tauranga supporters will have an early opportunity to watch a rematch of one of the competition’s biggest rivalries, with the Whai travelling to Christchurch to face the ProBuild Mainland Pouākai on October 9 in a repeat of the 2025 Grand Final.

The two sides will then meet again in Tauranga on October 31.

The Whai will also host the Pouākai in another key late-season clash on November 21 as teams jostle for playoff positions.

Tauihi general manager of leagues Maree Taylor said the schedule was designed to build on the competition’s growing popularity.

“Tauihi continues to grow with every season, and the 2026 schedule gives our athletes another outstanding stage on which to perform.

“We have worked to create a fan-friendly schedule, with the majority of games played across the weekend and high-quality matchups throughout all 10 rounds.

“From opening night in Tauranga through to the Grand Final in December, we are looking forward to delivering another competitive and entertaining season for supporters around the country.”

The Whai will host the final game of the regular season on November 29, again facing the Kāhu in Tauranga, before attention turns to the playoffs.

The league’s home-finals format returns in 2026, rewarding the top-performing teams with the chance to host postseason fixtures. Semi-finals will be played on December 5 and 6, with the Grand Final scheduled for December 13.

Alongside the main competition, Rapid League matches will again be played one hour before each Tauihi fixture, providing a development pathway for emerging players.

All Tauihi games will be broadcast live on Sky Sport.

The Whai enter the season as the team to beat after capturing the 2025 championship and will be aiming to begin their title defence with a win in front of a home Tauranga crowd on opening night.