Competition Update – Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatic Centre the Home for NAGS in 2026

dale493
May 9
3 min read

Updated: May 15

Announcement of the National Championships in Hawke's Bay in 2026

We are thrilled to continue our announcements for dates and locations for the 2026 competition calendar, with the first of the pool competitions announcements following the open water calendar earlier this week.

The 2026 NZ Age Group Swimming Championships will continue to be held at the Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatic Centre in 2026 for the fourth consecutive year. With the successful delivery of these championships in Hawke's Bay over the past three years, we are looking forward to continuing our partnership with Hawke's Bay Tourism, with Hastings District Council and Napier City Council collectively supporting the championships, which was announced as part of the two two-year deal ahead of 2025.

Learn More About Hawke's Bay Partnership

In continuing with the Competition Review recommendations, the championships will be hosted in the first week of the Term 1 school holidays whilst not clashing with the Easter long weekend. In this case, the 2026 NZ Age Group Swimming Championships will be held from Wednesday 8 - Sunday 12 April 2026.

More Competition Review Information

Swimming NZ’s Head of Participation, Competitions & Engagement, Dale Johnson, is looking forward to these championships continuing in Hawke's Bay in 2026.

"The Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatic Centre has become the home for NAGS in previous years and proved to be a great pool. We are thrilled to be returning and continuing to grow swimming in the region."

Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatic Centre's General Manager, Brendan Bourke, is thrilled to have the national championships returning next year.

"The Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatic Centre, powered by Pak'nSave Hastings, is excited to continue our strong partnership with Swimming NZ to once again host NAGS for the fourth consecutive year in our fantastic facility. We will be looking to build on this success of NAGS last month and we look forward to welcoming swimmers and their families from around the country to Hawke's Bay and share all this region has to offer."

Johnson also took the opportunity to thank those involved in confirming these championships.

“We are very grateful for the ongoing support of the region and venue. It's a great pool that produced some special moments earlier this year. Thank you to our partners Hawke's Bay Tourism, Napier City Council, Hastings District Council, Apollo Projects, Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatic Centre, Swimming Hawke's Bay Poverty Bay and Pak'nSave Hastings for their support of hosting these championships.”

Please stay tuned for further calendar announcements for 2025 over the coming weeks. The criteria for each of these championships (eg: information book, schedule and qualifying times) will be released at a time to be confirmed later in the year.

Key Details

2026 NZ Age Group Swimming Championships

Dates: 8 - 12 April

Location: Hawke's Bay Regional Aquatic Centre

Competition Calendar

Book With House of Travel Christchurch City

We know that many will be looking to book their travel for the calendar shortly following the announcement. Our partner House of Travel Christchurch City are ready to help you plan your travels to Auckland. You can contact them via email (christchurch@hot.co.nz) or phone (+64 3-365-7687).

You can also head to the House of Travel website and find some great deals online.

Book Travel Now

Activities in Hawke's Bay

Hawke’s Bay tastes like winery lunches under big blue skies and fresh produce from a farmers' market.

It tastes like delicious stops on easy-riding cycle trails, road trips to hidden swimming spots, real fruit ice creams and long hot days with ocean breezes. It also tastes like vineyard concerts, the energising rhythm of music festivals, tasting flights of chardonnay and languid, long weekends in New Zealand’s Great Wine Capital.

Hawke’s Bay tastes like the very best recipe, with the freshest flavours you can find. But the best part? It is a recipe of your choosing. So, throw some things in a bag, and we'll see you soon. We know you'll find Hawke's Bay to your liking!

Visit Hawke's Bay

Accommodation in Hawke's Bay

There is currently good availability for the dates of our championships in the first week of school holidays. If you’d prefer to avoid commuting on the expressway, we recommend staying on the Hastings and Havelock North side. There are also lots of school boarding house options, with some contact details below too. The friendly locals are ready to help you book your stay.