The current state of New Zealand Ultimate and looking into the upcoming Mixed season
Sentiments on mixed ultimate post all of the qualifier tournaments
Welcome all! Today, we have a special edition of the blog post, YAY. Today’s blog post is written alongside the Nicholas Whitlock (@Bricklock).
For those of you who do not know Nick, he has been playing ultimate frisbee since 2013! He is probably one of the most decorated ultimate frisbee players in New Zealand, with a Player of the Year award under his belt, including multiple nominations. He has represented New Zealand at many major tournaments, especially the most recent World Ultimate Championships (WUC) with Taniwha (Open’s division). He is also my coach and great friend who is willing to shed some light on the current state of New Zealand Ultimate.
Please make sure to check and support Nick’s blog for a more advanced approach to ultimate frisbee and his amazing experiences playing across the globe.
Gus: How would you describe the current level of Ultimate in New Zealand, and how has it evolved since you started playing?
Nick:
NZ Ultimate is in an era where the amount of people committing lots of time to the game is increasing. We are starting to see this pay dividends at the series events and nationals throughout the year as an increasing amount of teams exist that do not have large athletic disparities, and the strategic and mental side of the sport is becoming more refined. Compare this to when I started playing, and aside from maybe one or two teams nationally, you could be on a nationals squad if you could catch and were mildly athletic. Honestly, I'm super excited about where New Zealand Ultimate goes locally over the next few years, as this will be a great gauge for our prospects looking forward to the global stage.
Gus: What are the key challenges holding New Zealand Ultimate back from becoming a global powerhouse?
Nick:
There are a couple that stand out. They aren’t excuses, but I think they are valuable to recognise. Firstly and most obviously is our spread out small population and our distance from the rest of the world, apart from maybe Australia once a year, we do not get any international exposure outside of WFDF events. The other thing which I think is much more targetable is that Club Ultimate in NZ is too relaxed, what I mean is things like attendance expectations, work rate and intensity at practice, and season planning are all still quite grassroots for the most part. And that's okay. But if we want to step forward, our attitudes need to have the growth of the people around us and self-improvement at heart.
Gus: With Manuka’s recent success at the AOUGC, do you think New Zealand is ready to compete at the highest levels of Ultimate Frisbee?
Nick:
Yes.
I think this result was one where we proved it to ourselves, and a lot of the players from the squad helped lead teams in 2024 at WUC.
Gus: What lessons did you take from the recent World Ultimate Championships regarding New Zealand’s potential in international Ultimate Frisbee?
Nick:
All three of our squads had good performances throughout the tournament. But in particular, I was stoked with the showing Taniwha put on against Japan, as well as Whaitiri beating the European Champs - Germany - to progress in their tournament. The next steps for us, I think, are learning to win and improving the depth at which we analyse our own game and the game plan of our opponents.
Gus: From all the experience and skill you possess, what is something that you would like to see displayed this Mixed season? What do you think would make this mixed season more enjoyable than previous iterations of this tournament?
Nick:
I would love to see a quarterfinal upset at nationals, hopefully not against us, but these are always great for the story. As I am coaching BIG this year, though, I am super excited to showcase some of our novel tactics and see how they mix with the rest of the teams we will play against.
BIG Ultimate Club (@bigultimateclub)
BIG Ultimate Club is an elite mixed-division club that was founded in 2023. The club is relatively fresh to the scene, but they have the experience to run an elite-level club. BIG is the brainchild of Nicholas Whitlock, Tara O’Connor, Jack Keddy and Lucy Parsons. All of them are ridiculously good players and have represented New Zealand through multiple campaigns.
After securing back-to-back victories at the Manawatu Maelstorm (Central region qualifier), they are now setting their sights on gold this season in Division 1. With some fresh talent added to the roster, the team looks prepared and eager to take on the challenge of winning the coveted tournament.
Players to watch:
Gus’s picks (would it be biased if I said everyone, hehe?):
Males: Nick Whitlock, Josh Van Bergen, Joe Penaia-Smith
Females: Tara O’Connor, Sam Ruhlmann, Becca Booth
Nick’s picks (Nope…):
Males: Everyone
Females: Everyone
Marvellous DC (@marvellousdcinc)
The reigning champions from last year’s eventful tournament faced off against their sister team, MDC Kudos (evolved to Te Papapa Ultimate), in the final. MDC is home to some of New Zealand's greatest and most veteran Ultimate Frisbee players.
Liam Haberfield is the face of MDC as he plays in the UFA professionally alongside the likes of Antoine Davies (14-time world champion), Jack Williams, and Ben Jagt for 3-time champions, New York Empire. He was a big factor in their success in last year’s tournament and will still be this year.
With a gigantic roster this year, it seems like they would not be needing to pick up out-of-town talent to help them clinch the title this year. However, the roster consists of a bunch of new and upcoming talent that will develop into the superstars they deserve to be.
Gus’s picks:
Males: Andrew Fitzpatrick-Cockram, Finn Mckenzie
Females: Allison Reilly, Zara Bowen
Nick’s picks:
Males: Andrew Fitzpatrick-Cockram, Darren Leishmann
Females: Allison Reilly, Marah Neal
UNFORTUNATELY, NO PHOTO WAS FOUND OF THE WHOLE TEAM TOGETHER BEFORE I WANTED THIS TO BE PUBLISHED. JUST IMAGINE A GROUP OF 28 PEOPLE IN NAVY-COLOURED T-SHIRTS AND SUPERHERO NAMES ON THE BACK :).Honeys Ultimate (@honeysultimate)
Honeys Ultimate is another rising club from Wellington, established in 2023, that has already made a name for itself in the frisbee community. As an entry-level team in last year’s Division 1 tournament, they met expectations by securing a respectable 9th-place finish last year. However, this season, they have set their sights even higher and are determined to compete among the top contenders, a goal they have the potential to achieve.
With a relatively younger and energetic roster, the team brings both drive and hunger, fueling their ambition to climb the ranks.
Gus’s picks:
Males: Harris Coubrough, Shaun Gardiner
Females: Jess Cook, Olivia Judd
Nick’s picks:
Males: Harris Coubrough, Oliver Swanson
Females: Lucy Nixon, Olivia Judd
Te Papapa Ultimate (@tepapapaultimate)
Previously known as MDC Kudos, Te Papapa Ultimate post-rebrand and partnerships seem to be one of the strongest teams this season. They holster a way younger roster compared to most other teams. Most of the team comprises members recently representing New Zealand at the World Ultimate Championships (WUC) across all three divisions. Which means they are going to be contesting for the title fiercely.
Te Papapa has clearly shown their hard-working ethic and clinical play by earning the first seed in their qualifying tournament (Tamaki Throwdown) after losing to BIG in the finals on Universe. They will be bringing the heat to Nationals, and you best be prepared for it.
Gus’s picks:
Males: Charles Paterson, Hugo Swinson
Females: Tessa Swinson, Zaria Ireland
Nick’s picks:
Males: Charles Paterson, Owen Sun
Females: Holly Mace, Zaria Ireland
Llamantis (@llamas_ultimate)
Llamantis proved their worth at the Tamaki Throwdown by taking second seed in the Auckland region while being the supposed underdogs. They have shown some great resilience on the field at their qualifier and seem likely to do really well at NZMUC if they continue at this rate.
Llamas are known for their unorthodox style of playing Ultimate, but it seems to throw some teams off their footing. Watch out for big hucks, poachy defence, athletic match-ups, and great celebrations.
Gus’ Picks:
Males: Jacob Woodward, Troy Craddock
Females: Petra Craddock, Sheena Wejendorp
Nick’s Picks:
Males: Jacob Woodward, Ryan Smith
Females: Petra Craddock, Sheena Wejendorp
Old Boys Sports Club (@obsc.ultimate)
Quite an ironic name for a mixed club, you might think! You are not wrong about the fact that they are the Old Boys, but it does not show on the field. Old Boys plays some of the most entertaining mixed ultimate with their great male-to-female connections and vice versa. They have a roster of rather talented individuals who are known to put their bodies on the line, which makes it even more entertaining to watch.
They have not particularly had the best success past the semifinals in recent years, but they are not to be underestimated. Old Boys can bring the fire when they need to, and that can make most teams make frantic decisions, leading to a comeback. They are also one of the spirited teams I have played against that always gives plus points.
Gus’s picks:
Males: Fabian Straunch, Rory Hammond
Females: Ai Nee Looi, Emma Whitlock
Nick’s picks:
Males: Blake Hollaway, Rory Hammond
Females: Emma Whitlock, Julia Giurgiu
Apologies in advance for a slightly choppy image…
Hammerton Prime (@hammetronultimate)
Hammertron is one of the two teams that do not hail from the three major hubs of Ultimate Frisbee (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch) in New Zealand. This does not mean that they are not afraid of. They bring the most mahi (work) to the field, and it shows. They also consist of some of the most loyal members I have ever seen (I even saw a tattoo of the hammers on someone, if you know you know)!
They show incredible handler movement, verticality, and athleticism on the field and never give up. This is evident from the nerve-racking pool play game they had at Tamaki Throwdown against Llamanatis (9-8 to Llamas after an impressive set of breaks). Watch out for their hucks and insane skies, and maybe they will pull out their trademark Hex offence from under their sleeve…
Gus’s picks:
Males: Conor Doherty, Jayden Frost
Females: Maringi Horan, Sophia Hall
Nick’s picks:
Males: Jayden Frost, Lucas Willcock
Females: Kelly Carter, Maringi Hogan
United (@unitedfrisbeeclub)
United is the newest club to the Ultimate scene. Being established only this year (2024), they have come out strong after winning the Otautahi Classic (Southern Region qualifier). Headed up by Tony Clark and Maia Mance, this team seems likely to fight amongst the top of the pack and can give some top-tier teams a run for their money. With a lot of experienced high-level ultimate players from Brightside (Opens Club from Christchurch) and Cannons (Women’s Club from Christchurch), I can not wait to see them make amazing plays at NZMUC.
With some stylish old-fashioned collared kit designed by them, they will definitely come out dashing on the field at Division 1. We will see whether that will contribute to them getting all the way to the top.
FYI: They do have a home-turf advantage…
Gus’s picks:
Males: Adam Chung, Harrison Leach
Females: Maia Mance, Megan Edwards
Nick’s picks:
Males: Jack Lewis, Tony Clark
Females: Emma Holdaway, Ocean Simard
Credo (@credoultimateclub)
Credo, one of the most established and respected teams in the New Zealand Ultimate Frisbee community, is stepping into a season filled with new challenges after some key players transitioned to other clubs. Despite this, the team still boasts a strong foundation of experienced and dedicated members who have the potential to deliver a standout performance that could be remembered for years to come.
Over the years, Credo has built a reputation for resilience, skill, and sheer determination, showing time and again that they can face any challenge head-on and come out stronger. This season may throw a few more blade-y discs their way, but it also gives them the perfect chance to highlight their teamwork and grit. With their wealth of experience and willpower, there's no doubt they’ll leave everything on the field. So, grab your popcorn – we’re excited to see what magic they’ll bring to the field this time around!
Gus’s picks:
Males: Charles Utteridge, Theo Macintosh
Females: Natalyn Tiang, Te Atawahi Maginness
Nick’s picks:
Males: Campbell Nauman, Theo Macintosh
Females: Cat Teo-Linnartz, Georgia Lewis
Dunedin Mixed Team (@o.u.u.c)
DMT primarily consists of the Otago University team that came 2nd at the NZTUC (New Zealand Tertiary Mixed Championships) after being upset by the University of Canterbury Honey Badgers in the final. They did win the previous iteration of the NZTUC and have been playing with that level of intensity. They carried that intensity through the Otautahi Classic (Southern Region qualifier) and placed 3rd.
Something that should be mentioned is that this team are probably one of the only teams that play together all year around, making those connections interlinked. Hopefully, it will be fully displayed on the fields in Christchurch this November. Most of the team is still at university, meaning that they will be making insane bids and will be running around non-stop, a proper workhorse of a team.
Gus’s picks:
Males: Josh Cooper, Miles Hutchinson
Females: Olivia Altenburg-Carey, Rose Ursem
Nick’s picks:
Males: Graydon Scott, Josh Cooper
Females: Helena Cvitanovich, Lily-Bell Sawyer
Australia
There is no current information on whether an Australian mixed team will participate in NZMUC. They are boring anyway…
If they somehow decide they do not want to show up, then a pickup team will be assembled like the Avengers, hehe.
UPDATE: They are not coming over, BORINGGGGG!WILD CARD
This belongs to a team from the region that has an extra bid. According to last year's winning team, the vote would belong to Wellington. But since Wellington doesn’t have enough teams that want to participate in Division 1, they gave the vote to Auckland. Now the ball is in their court, they can deal with it; we will see which team ends up coming down to Christchurch for the tournament.
UPDATE: Wild Card pick was awarded to Euphoria, an Auckland-based team.
Gus's Picks:
1. Male Matching Players: Duncan Brin, Jeffrey Burris
2. Female Matching Players: Evelyn Hunsberger, Megan Duffy
Nicks Picks:
1. Male Matching Players: Benjamin Chong, William Chen
2. Female Matching Players: Evelyn Hunsberger, Megan DuffyRegardless of any of the hot takes mentioned in this blog, Nick and I wish all teams the best of luck for Division 1 nationals. I also want to give a BIG shoutout to Nick for working with me to make this possible. I would also show my appreciation to anyone and everyone who helped me get the photos of each team and get everyone’s names right :)
I apologise for making this blog this long and if there are any errors in it. To compensate for it, here is a funny clip of Nick and more, enjoy.
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NZ Ultimate 📈
No euphoria 👀