The 2026 season was the 118th season since the founding of the Auckland Rugby League in 1909. The men's and women's senior season began on April 25. The Fox Memorial Shield competition featured just eight teams for the first time in over a decade with a second division (Sharman Cup) also featuring just eight sides. A third division of five teams was also formed for the first time in over a decade. Richmond, the Fox Memorial winners of 2024, were in the Phelan Shield competition after being unable to field two senior sides which was a requirement to play in the Fox or Sharman competitions. The Steele-Shanks womens premiership competition featured six sides with a Championship featuring three sides (Waitemata, Otara, and a second Richmond side).
On August 16 the Steele-Shanks Womens Premiership final was played at North Harbour Stadium with the Otahuhu Leopards winning a see-sawing contest 32-26 over Mangere East who had twice held the lead. The Otahuhu club completed the double with their mens side defending their title, once again completing an unbeaten season when they beat Mount Albert Lions 20-16 in a tight final. Mt Albert had led with 10 minutes remaining following three second half tries to over turn a 0-14 halftime deficit before a late penalty and try to Otahuhu saw the game swing back their way. The win meant they had won 33 consecutive games and was now just two first grade championship wins behind Mt Albert with 14 to Mt Alberts 16. The Sharman Cup was won for the third time by the Hibiscus Coast Raiders following wins in 1998 and 2001. They defeated Howick Hornets 24-18 in an even contest at North Harbour Stadium on August 15. The win meant they were promoted to the Fox Memorial competition for the 2027 season, replacing Marist Saints who were relegated after finishing last in the Fox competition. Richmond Rovers defeated Pakuranga Jaguars 26-12 in the final of the Phelan Shield. At the conclusion of the club season on August 22 a promotion/relegation match was played between Ponsonby Ponies who had finished second to last in the Fox Memorial Mens Premiership and Hibiscus Coast Raiders who had finished runners up in the Sharman Cup. Ponsonby came back from 10-6 down at halftime to win 24-16 to remain in the Fox Memorial competition for the 2027 season.
News Premier competitions The Fox Memorial Shield competition began on April 25. Due to covid disrupted seasons from 2020 to 2022 the Auckland Rugby League decided that “2023 and 2024 will work as a bridge between the 2022 shortened season and by 2025 will see a return to a more exclusive Fox Memorial Premiership competition”, with the 2025 season seeing only 10 teams in the Fox Memorial premiership, down from the 12 teams of 2023 and 2024. And then it was reduced once more to eight teams for the 2026 season. Te Atatū and Ponsonby were the two teams relegated, though Richmond were unable to field both a premier and reserve grade team meaning they were ineligible for the Fox and Sharman competitions for 2026 and were relegated to the Phelan Shield competition, with Ponsonby taking their place in the Fox Memorial competition for the season. The 2026 season also saw the reintroduction of the Phelan Shield competition, effectively the 3rd division after it had been removed during the covid and post-covid years with all teams being placed in 2 divisions.
The opening round of senior games took place on Anzac Day, April 25. It was announced by Auckland Rugby League that they had formed a partnership with BarTV to show all Fox Memorial and Steele-Shanks games live (streamed). BarTV is an Australian based site which live streams rugby league games across Australia with this being their first move into New Zealand domestic rugby league. It is a subscription site meaning viewers pay to watch the games with a portion of the money going back to the organisations involved.
Death of Eugene Hanna On Tuesday, May 12, Glenora reserve grade player passed away in Auckland Hospital. He had spent two weeks there before succumbing to "an unsurvivable head injury" suffered in their April 25 match with Te Atatu Roosters at Jack Colvin Park. He had collapsed near the conclusion of the match by the Glenora dugout area. The premier match was delayed while an ambulance was called at 2.17pm and they took Hanna to Auckland City Hospital. Glenora chairwoman, Janet Hunt said that "Eugene was a valued player in our Premier Reserves squad and although a new Bears member had good friends within the club". He had also played for several West Auckland football (soccer) clubs including Lynn-Avon and West Auckland based in Kelston.
Clubrooms Northcote Tigers new clubroom Northcote Tigers opened their new clubrooms at the Birkenhead War Memorial. They had been without one for several years after their original clubrooms were demolished as they were beneath the condemned grand stand at the same location. The new clubrooms feature a relatively small indoor seated area but a large deck for entertaining which opens out on to the main field. Howick On April 24 the Howick Hornets opened their new bar in their clubrooms at Paparoa Park in Howick. The same day they played Arataki Bears and drew 11-11. The Marist club began producing an online newsletter with the first edition in April giving an update on the process of building a new club room following their original clubroom at Murray Halberg Park in Ōwairaka being burned down on November 16, 2023. The newsletter said that the committee was exploring two options “1. Moving an existing building on site and renovate fit for purpose. 2. Complete rebuilding.” Following this they would look at costs and then make recommendations, working with funders to proceed.
Fox Memorial Competition The competition featured eight teams who would play a home and away round robin meaning 14 rounds. The competing sides were Bay Roskill, Marist, Manukau, Mt Albert, Otahuhu, Papakura, Pt Chevalier, and Ponsonby.
Fox Memorial Standings TeamPldWDLFAPDPtsOtahuhu Leopards141400576138+43828Manukau Magpies14724348276+7217Mount Albert Lions14716270293-2315Point Chevalier Pirates14626336274+6214Bay Roskill Vikings14536316354-3813Papakura Sea Eagles14608314340-2612Ponsonby Ponies14518309430-12111Marist Saints141013216580-3642
Fixtures Round 1 The match at Bert Henham Park between Otahuhu and Mt Albert was for the Stormont Cup as they were the grand finalists from the previous season. The trophy was first played for in 1925 and at that time was between the winner of the Fox Memorial and winner of the Roope Rooster however in recent decades it was changed to the present match up. Otahuhu added the trophy to their collection with a 32 to 12 win after trailing at halftime 10-12. Phoenix Hunt, the Otahuhu hooker crossed for two tries, while forwards Sebastine Ikahihifo and Connor Taurua-Purcell used their size to crash over for a try each. William Fakatoumafi converted four of their six tries. For Mt Albert hooker and captain Navajo Doyle scored a try and added two conversions.
Round 2 Bay Roskill continued their strong start to the season with a comfortable win over Papakura at Blockhouse Bay Reserve. The features of the match were the very poor handling of Papakura who rarely got to a last tackle kick and the attackign attitude of the home side who moved the ball around in their characteristic style. Vinny Vogel opened the scoring in the 19th minute after an even contest to that point. It opened the floodgates with 18 points in 6 minutes. Josh Tanielu who had started the season in the NZ Warriors NSW Cup side scored a spectacular try when he broke through the defence and stood up Jese Qaraniqo before running another 50 metres to score in the corner and minutes later Justus Leaoseve scored and the conversion gave them an 18-0 lead. Brodie Strickland pulled one back for Papakura 6 minutes before half time. But any hint of a comeback with extinguished by tries to Jarvis Leaoseve and Zion Tanielu. Lorenzo Filimaua scored a long range try for Papakura after he scooped up a loose ball to make it 28-10 before Jarvis Leaoseve finished the scoring for the Vikings. At Fowlds Park the home side, Mt Albert broke out to an early 12-0 lead before Pt Chevelier worked back into the game with tries to Patrick Sipley (23m) and Lani Graham-Taufa (34m). The teams exchanged tries in the second half with Paaua Papanui-Abbott (43m, 56m) and Matagi-Blade Collins-Kamuhemu (44m, 75m) each scoring a double for Mt Albert and Pt Chevalier respectively with Collins-Kamuhemu's second try securing the win with less than five minutes remaining. Wiremu Makea converted all four of Mt Albert's tries while Trujon Nomani-Brown kicked four from five for the Pirates. Manukau bounced back from their opening round defeat to thrash Marist 50-14 at Moyle Park. The teams traded early tries to Ah Fook Ah Fook (3m), and Isileli Ula (8m) before Manukau began to take control with prolific try scorer Kahn Munokoa scoring two tries with the Magpies leading 20-8 at the break. With Takaia Williams scoring in the 48th minute, Tama-Teahorangi Darlington's conversion gave Marist hope at 2014 before the Magpies ran in five tries to blow the score out. Munokoa scored his third while Leti Muller converted all five of them to go with two in the first half. At Prince Edward Park the visiting Ponsonby side, playing in their alternative City-Newton style strip threatened a big upset, going down 18-16 to the Otahuhu side which has now won nineteen consecutive premier games. Saula Solomona scored in the corner for the Ponies after a clever cross field kick from captain Dylan Tavita. Otahuhu replied through tries to Jamel Hunt (19m) and Phoenix Hunt (26m) who pushed through from dummy half. William Fakatoumafi scored from scrappy play and his conversion gave them an 18-4 halftime lead. The second half so an even contest with Ponsonby the only side to score, with a try to Dylan Tavita in the 56th minute and another to Levi Helleur-Atiga (66m) after Jeremiah Poutu had spilled the ball taking a hitup. Tavita converting both. However the Leopards held on for the narrow win to defend the Roope Rooster.
Round 3