Porirua Heat’s women’s and under-18 girls’ teams won closely contested finals in Tauranga, with winning margins of four and three points respectively at the HoopNation Tauranga Classic.
The women beat Wana-tū 34–30, while the under-18 girls defeated Grind Elite 56–53 on the tournament’s final day, Monday 26 October.
The Heat also reached the men’s elite final, finishing runners-up after a 41–34 loss to Feilding-Oroua Jokers.
Eleven teams represented Porirua Heat on the Labour Weekend trip, according to a Facebook post by Kylie Wihapi congratulating the travelling teams and those who reached finals and won their grades.
Held in Tauranga from 23 to 26 October, the four-day tournament brought together youth and adult teams across elite, development and social divisions.
The tournament’s 2026 edition celebrated Charlisse Leger-Walker, who met fans and presented medals during the event.
At Mercury Baypark, the Heat women and under-18 girls were both scheduled to play their finals at 3pm on separate courts in the same venue. Both came away with a title.
The men had earned their place in the final with an even narrower win earlier that afternoon, beating NOX 38–37 in their semi-final. They returned to the court for the 4pm decider against Feilding-Oroua Jokers, who took the title by seven points.
Younger Heat teams also featured in the final day’s elite semi-finals. The under-12 boys lost 52–35 to Tu Tangata, while the under-14 boys were beaten 59–39 by the same club.
Image source: HoopNation.