Northland Graded Champs
The Northland & National Graded Champs (formerly called Champion of Champions) is a national event that ran for the first time in 2012.
The format is similar to that of the SuperChamps, but played on an individual basis.
District Graded Champ events will be held in each district, where entrants will play off for the title of District Champion for each grade (A-F, men and women). These champs will also earn the right to represent their district at the National Graded Champs event, at which the eleven District Champions in each grade will fight for the title of Graded Champs in their grade.
The 2025 Northland Graded Champs will be held at Wellsford Squash Club on May 9 to 11 (playing in grades) with the champions of each grade earning the right to represent Northland at the National Graded Champs.
The 2025 National Graded Champs will be held at North Squash Club from July 4-6 and will be run alongside the NZ Champs.
The 2024 National Graded Champs was held at Henderson Squash Club with Northland bringing home two titles. Shelley Kitchen won the Ladies A Grade title and Montana Vette-Blomquist won the C Grade Ladies title.
2023 National Champion of Champions
This was held at the Whangarei Squash Club with Northland winning 5 titles!
Shelley Kitchen, A Grade ladies
Amalia Ricketts, D Grade Ladies
Mikayla Carroll, E Grade Ladies
Alex Manuell, D Grade Mens
Jay Mason F/J Grade Mens
Northland tied with Auckland for overall best district and sharing the Ossie Cup.
2022 National Champ of Champions
Hayley Rhodes won the D Grade National Champ of Champs title and Alex Manuell won the E Grade Mens title. The national finals were held in Invercargill.
2019 National Champion of Champions
Northland won 2 National Champion of Champions titles at the national tournament held in Ohakune. Mangakahia’s Rachel Aratema-Owen won the D Grade ladies and Hayley Taylor the E Grade ladies.
Maz Saunders and Brad Moselen were both in their respective finals and put up great fights but in the end went down, with the other Northland players also having some great matches with the opportunity of meeting new people and enjoying a weekend away.
11 Northland players headed down to Ohakune to compete in this national tournament:
John Kuhn A Grade
Amy Brown B Grade
Logan Millar B Grade
Olivia Rhodes C Grade
Maz Saunders C Grade
Rachel Arameta-Owen D Grade
Brad Moselen D Grade
Hayley Rhodes E Grade
Josh Smith E Grade
Zoe Morgan F/J Grade
Andrew Booth F Grade
2018 National Champion of Champions
Northland won 2 titles at the National Champion of Champions last weekend which was once again a very successful and enjoyable event hosted by the Ohakune Squash Club.
Northland junior players Riley-Jack Vette-Blomquist took out the B grade mens title, while Olivia Rhodes is the D Grade ladies champion.
Alex Greatorex made the final of the F/J grade but went unfortunately went down in the final. Catherine Powdrell (C grade ladies) and Finn Trimble (A Grade men) both placed 3rd with Shea Ferguson, (B ladies) Paul Roberts (E men) and Caitlin Guest (F/J ladies) all in 5th place.
Players from Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Eastern, Central, Southland and Canterbury travelled from far and wide to battle it out for national titles with all grades from F/J to A Grade all contested.
The Northland team was:
A Grade – Finn Trimble
B Grade – Shea Ferguson and Riley-Jack Vette Blomquist
C Grade – Catherine Powdrell and Andew Johnson
D Grade – Olivia Rhodes and Gary Saunders
E Grade – Hazel Smith and Paul Roberts
F/J Grade – Caitlin Guest and Alex Greatorex
2017 National Champion of Champions
Ruby Collins won the Womens D grade National Champion of Champions title at the national finals which were held at the Ohakune Squash Club. Ruby played Central’s Darnell Watling in the final, playing some great squash and coming out the winner after a tough 5 sets.
Players from Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Eastern, Central, Southland and Canterbury battled it out for titles with grades from F/J to A Grade all contested.
The Northland team who travelled down to this event were:
B Grade – Anna Moselen and Logan Miller
C Grade – Vicki Moselen and Cory Ferguson
D Grade – Ruby Collins and Ryan Morriss
E Grade – Brylee Chapman and Paddy Ferguson
F/J Grade – Caitlin Guest and Hayden Turner
Also having some good results were:
C grade men – Special plate winner Cory Ferguson
E Grade men – Special plate runner up Paddy Ferguson
F grade men – Hayden Turner 6th place
B grade women – Anna Moselen 5th place
E grade womens – Brylee Chapman special plate winner
Picture: Ruby playing Darnell in the final
2016 Event
Northland has three National Champion of Champion winners for 2016!
10 Northland players competed at the tournament which was held at the Putaruru Squash Club last weekend.
Keri Rhodes won the C Grade Mens title, it was a tough battle for him with Wellington’s James Gould, and with games going back and forth it was Rhodes who was able to clinch the win in an exciting 5 setter.
It was a battle of the opposite ends of the country with Ocean Shadbolt taking on Southlands Rachel Wilson. This match also went back and forth with both players throwing everything on the line in the fifth, Ocean managed to take the D Grade ladies title in this enthralling five setter.
In the E Grade mens Casper Tyson claimed the win from Sam Fletcher of Central after fighting back from losing the first game to take the win in 4.
Emma Tyson fought hard in her F/J Grade final but went down to Nicky Schrafft from Central in 4.
2015 Event
This was hosted by Squashgym at Palmerston North from 30 October to 1 November following Northland’s District final which was hosted by Kaitaia Squash Club on the 4 – 6 September.
We had 6 Northlanders making the long trek to Palmy to play in this event and we came away with 3 national titles!! Congratulations to Ben Sweeny (C Grade Men’s Champion), Nirelle McDonald (C Grade Ladies Champion) and Tayla McDonald (E Grade Ladies Champion).
2014 Results
The 2014 Champion of Champions National Finals was hosted by Tawa Squash Club from 31 October to 2 November. While we had no winners this time, 3 of our Northland players made finals.
2013 Results
Northland players picked up three of the titles on offer at Champion of Champions National Finals this weekend.
The Champion of Champions National Finals, kindly sponsored by Head, were held at Burnside Squash Club and Squashways from 1-2 November, and attracted 95 entries from around the country.