The NZ Secondary Schools Climbing Cup is the national bouldering competition for New Zealand secondary school students. Climbing New Zealand runs it with School Sport NZ: two days of bouldering each August, qualifying on day one and finals on day two.
Climbers compete for individual category honours. Schools compete for the Top School title, and every climber’s results count towards their school’s total, whether or not they’re on an official school team.
Travel alert — SH3 Awakino Gorge is closed
State Highway 3 through the Awakino Gorge is closed to all traffic from 6am Saturday 29 August until 6pm Tuesday 1 September, between the rest area near the Awakino Historic Tunnel and the SH3/Manganui Road intersection. There are no daily open windows. The road is shut around the clock while three culverts go in.
Travelling from Waikato, Auckland or the central North Island? Take the signposted detour via SH1 and SH4, and allow a lot of extra time. The work depends on the weather and could shift to 5–8 September, so check before you leave: NZTA Journey Planner · SH3 Awakino Gorge project page
Watch live
Can’t get to New Plymouth? We’re streaming the competition online. Bookmark the link now and it’ll go live when we start.
The stream covers the Senior semi-finals and finals only. Day one qualifying and the Junior categories aren’t being streamed. Follow those through the results sheets below.
Event information
Everything for the weekend is in these documents. We update them as the competition runs, so refresh rather than working off a screenshot.
| Document | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Itinerary | Running order and session times across both days |
| Qualifying rounds | Which round each climber is in on day one |
| Qualifier results | Scores from day one, and who goes through to semi-finals |
| Semi-final and final results | Day two scores, podiums and the Top School standings |
We’ll email the judging roster to officials.
Sponsor awards
Three of our sponsors are running awards this year. All three close at 10am on Tuesday 1 September, and winners come from entries on the Climbing New Zealand Facebook and Instagram posts.
Bayleys #altogetherbetter — $200 towards your team’s costs
Bayleys is giving one school team $200 towards the cost of getting to the Cup. Tell them why your team is #altogetherbetter, whether that’s teamwork, spirit or what you’ve come through together. Open to teams competing at the event.
Caltex Good Sport Award
Caltex is sponsoring the Good Sport Award. Nominate a teacher, manager, coach or volunteer who goes above and beyond for the people around them. Tag them, tell us why they deserve it, and use #CaltexGoodSport. Nominees must be at the event to receive the award.
Nateva Leading With Nature Award
Nateva wants to celebrate the student leaders at the Cup: the ones who lead by example and make a difference to the people around them. Nominate one of your own and they could win a 1L insulated Nateva water bottle. Nominees must be at the event to receive the award.
Who can compete
Any student currently enrolled at a New Zealand secondary school who meets the School Sport NZ eligibility regulations.
Climbers enter one of four categories:
- Junior Girls — Years 9–10
- Junior Boys — Years 9–10
- Senior Girls — Years 11–13
- Senior Boys — Years 11–13
Entries are closed. They closed on 15 August 2026, and we can’t take entries on the day. Check the qualifying rounds sheet above to confirm your climbers are on the start list.
Entries were capped at 180 climbers at $70 per student, invoiced to the school. Schools supply one Event Official for every eight students entered.
Competition format
The Cup is bouldering only.
- Day 1 — Qualifying. Four rounds in the Boulder Bash format, up to 45 climbers per round. Fifteen problems each round, scored 10 points for a flash down to 1 point on the tenth attempt, plus a bonus point for the Zone. 150 points available, plus 15 bonus.
- Day 2 — Semi-finals. The top 20 in each category go through. IFSC format: five minutes on, five minutes off, three problems.
- Day 2 — Finals. The top 6 in each category climb for the podium. IFSC format, four minutes per problem.
How the school title works
Every climber earns ranking points based on where they finish (Annex 3 of the IFSC Rules). We add the points from each school’s top three finishers to decide the Top School title.
What to bring
- Climbing shoes. Hire shoes are available at the venue if you don’t own a pair, and bare feet aren’t allowed on the wall.
- Something in your school colours.
- Any personal climbing gear, ready to be safety-checked by the CNZ delegate before you climb.
After the event
Once the Cup wraps up, tell us how it went. The review takes a couple of minutes and it’s open to climbers, teachers, officials and whānau.
Get in touch
Event Director: Peter Lofthouse — events.nzsscc@climbing.nz
We can’t wait to see you and your school there.