FMG Young Farmer Of The Year Grand Final Returns To Taranaki For 2026
Taranaki will play host to the most prestigious annual contest in the food and fibre sector, taking place in New Plymouth from 2–4 July 2026.
The contest series kicks off in October 2025 with District Contests held across the country, from Otago/Southland right to the Far North. Over 200 competitors will battle it out across the country to secure their spot in a Regional Final where they will then have a shot at a spot for the Grand Final.
Young Farmers Chief Executive Cheyne Gillooly is excited to see the Grand Final heading back to the Taranaki-Manawatu region, a stunning part of the country with a proud history of agricultural excellence. The Grand Final event showcases the very best of farming talent in New Zealand and knows the finalists will have worked hard and overcome many obstacles to get there.
'Contestants will have earned their right to compete at the Grand Final by emerging victorious from challenging district and regional competitions. The contestants are tested against all of the disciplines required to be successful in today's modern farming environment. I know the seven finalists will be proud to represent their regions as they attempt to lift the trophy on the night and prove once and for all that they are the best of the best. '
Alongside the Grand Finalists, 14 FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams and 21 AgriKidsNZ teams will also compete for their respective national titles in New Plymouth.
Grand Final 2026 convenors Emma Northcott (South Taranaki Young Farmers) and Sarah Avery (Inglewood Young Farmers) are also thrilled the big event is coming to their home region.
'Having Grand Final here is exciting, we get to showcase what Young Farmers is about and how far it's come,' says Emma.
She notes Taranaki's strong Young Farmers history:
'Our region is made up of many close-knit communities, and we often hear stories from members about their time in Young Farmers. This event will give some the chance to relive those fond memories, and we know the community will get behind us to make it a great event.'
Emma and Sarah are no strangers to the competition, having convened the Season 57 (2025) Taranaki–Manawatū Regional Final.
'We've got great ideas and can't wait to put our own spin on Grand Final, with the support of locals,' says Sarah. 'We're looking forward to seeing what the Season 58 Grand Finalists bring to the competition.'
New Plymouth has already hosted some major events in the past year, including WOMAD, Summer Feastival, and the NZ Tattoo & Arts Festival. Having the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in this line up, really showcases the variety that the region has to offer.
'Taranaki's diversity means variety and that always makes for a great competition,' says Avery.
Any final words before we kick into the new season?
'The competition gets tougher every year, and this season will be no different. It's hard work but worth it in the end.'
Season 58 entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year open on Monday 1 September 2025, and entries for FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year and AgriKidsNZ will open Monday 13 October 2025.
The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest series is made possible thanks to its family of sponsors: FMG, Ravensdown, Woolworths, Ministry for Primary Industries, Milwaukee, Honda, Lincoln University, PTS Logistics, New Holland, and Bushbuck.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
FMG Young Farmer Of The Year Grand Final Returns To Taranaki For 2026
It's been a long time coming, but the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final is returning to the Naki for Season 58. Taranaki will play host to the most prestigious annual contest in the food and fibre sector, taking place in New Plymouth from 2–4 July 2026. The contest series kicks off in October 2025 with District Contests held across the country, from Otago/Southland right to the Far North. Over 200 competitors will battle it out across the country to secure their spot in a Regional Final where they will then have a shot at a spot for the Grand Final. Young Farmers Chief Executive Cheyne Gillooly is excited to see the Grand Final heading back to the Taranaki-Manawatu region, a stunning part of the country with a proud history of agricultural excellence. The Grand Final event showcases the very best of farming talent in New Zealand and knows the finalists will have worked hard and overcome many obstacles to get there. 'Contestants will have earned their right to compete at the Grand Final by emerging victorious from challenging district and regional competitions. The contestants are tested against all of the disciplines required to be successful in today's modern farming environment. I know the seven finalists will be proud to represent their regions as they attempt to lift the trophy on the night and prove once and for all that they are the best of the best. ' Alongside the Grand Finalists, 14 FMG Junior Young Farmers of the Year teams and 21 AgriKidsNZ teams will also compete for their respective national titles in New Plymouth. Grand Final 2026 convenors Emma Northcott (South Taranaki Young Farmers) and Sarah Avery (Inglewood Young Farmers) are also thrilled the big event is coming to their home region. 'Having Grand Final here is exciting, we get to showcase what Young Farmers is about and how far it's come,' says Emma. She notes Taranaki's strong Young Farmers history: 'Our region is made up of many close-knit communities, and we often hear stories from members about their time in Young Farmers. This event will give some the chance to relive those fond memories, and we know the community will get behind us to make it a great event.' Emma and Sarah are no strangers to the competition, having convened the Season 57 (2025) Taranaki–Manawatū Regional Final. 'We've got great ideas and can't wait to put our own spin on Grand Final, with the support of locals,' says Sarah. 'We're looking forward to seeing what the Season 58 Grand Finalists bring to the competition.' New Plymouth has already hosted some major events in the past year, including WOMAD, Summer Feastival, and the NZ Tattoo & Arts Festival. Having the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final in this line up, really showcases the variety that the region has to offer. 'Taranaki's diversity means variety and that always makes for a great competition,' says Avery. Any final words before we kick into the new season? 'The competition gets tougher every year, and this season will be no different. It's hard work but worth it in the end.' Season 58 entries for FMG Young Farmer of the Year open on Monday 1 September 2025, and entries for FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year and AgriKidsNZ will open Monday 13 October 2025. The FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest series is made possible thanks to its family of sponsors: FMG, Ravensdown, Woolworths, Ministry for Primary Industries, Milwaukee, Honda, Lincoln University, PTS Logistics, New Holland, and Bushbuck.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
Rapper Snoop Dogg announced as AFL grand final pre-game entertainment
Snoop Dogg's hits include Drop It Like It's Hot, Gin and Juice and Young, Wild & Free. Photo: PARAS GRIFFIN The AFL has announced that American rapper Snoop Dogg will headline the pre-game entertainment at this year's grand final. The rapper, record producer, and actor has been described by the AFL as a global music icon and "one of the most recognisable and influential artists in the world", with a career spanning three decades. His hits include Drop It Like It's Hot, Gin and Juice and Young, Wild & Free. He joins a list of international artists to feature on grand final day, including Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and The Killers. "It's an absolute honour to be hitting the stage at the AFL Grand Final," the artist said in a statement released by the AFL. "It's one of the biggest events on the Aussie calendar. "Can't wait to bring the energy and celebrate with the fans. Let's make it unforgettable." AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said Snoop Dogg would help ensure the grand final was a celebration of culture, energy, and entertainment. "The AFL grand final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar - and this year, it just got a whole lot bigger," he said. "Snoop Dogg is a pioneer, a performer, and a true entertainer. He's played to packed stadiums around the world - but we think 100,000 fans at the MCG might just be his most iconic crowd yet." Mr Dillon defended the AFL's choice of an international artist and hinted there would be a home grown performer in the line-up. "He's (Snoop Dogg) been at the Super Bowl, performed at the Olympics … but he's also very famous for his collaborations so I think if we're looking for Australian artists, there'll certainly be an Australian artist who will be featured on grand final day," he said. "I understand he follows the Western Bulldogs so I'm not sure he's necessarily an aficionado but he certainly knows about the game. "Who knows, we might get like a little cameo in the commentary box as well." In 2007, the federal government banned the rapper from entering the country, saying he did not meet the character requirements for a visa after he was convicted of drug and firearms offences in the US. The ban was lifted in 2008. The pre-game entertainment generally starts an hour before kick-off with a motorcade featuring the coaches and players from the two teams, followed by a number of performances. The 2025 grand final begins at the traditional time of 2:30pm on September 27. - ABC
RNZ News
27-07-2025
- RNZ News
Netball: Third-time lucky Tactix win their first ANZ Premiership title
Tactix players as they celebrate winning the final. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Nothing pleased Tactix coach Donna Wilkins more than seeing her veteran players win their first ANZ Premiership title in the red dress in Auckland on Sunday night. The Mainland Tactix won netball's ANZ Premiership for the first time by stunning the Northern Mystics 58-46 in the grand final. For Jane Watson, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Erikana Pedersen, and Ellie Bird - they had suffered two heart-breaking grand final losses in 2020 and 2021. They came the closest in 2021, losing by just two goals to the Mystics. By then Karin Burger had joined the side and had well and truly become a stalwart of the team. Wilkins said the thought of winning an elusive title was what kept bringing some of the older players back. "It's pretty special… we don't know who's going to come back next year, our focus has been on finals. For some of those old heads and experienced ones that keep coming back because they want to win a championship, that's what I'm most proud of now they've got it," Wilkins said. Tactix captain Pedersen embraced Selby-Rickit straight after the game. "She just said that she felt relief - was her first emotion and it is a bit like that because I know we deserved to be here and deserved to win, we've worked so hard. "We had a lot of people doubting us, you know as they should, we came to Mystics territory, they were number one but we knew we could do it, we had the full belief, we've trained our butts off. The last few weeks in particular our intensity at trainings have been unreal… we've been coming out of them exhausted." Karin Burger and Jane Watson. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Tactix shooter Ellie Bird capped off a superb season by shooting 50 from her 53 attempts, and even pulled off two intercepts. Just two weeks prior, the Mystics had beaten the Tactix by 14 goals to win the minor premiership and advance straight to a home grand final. Everything was stacked against them - the Mystics have won every grand final they have appeared in, and six of the eight grand finals had been won by the team who claimed the minor premiership. But the Tactix showed a lot of fight when they beat the Pulse in the elimination final and Wilkins philosophy? "Finals netball is getting into it and giving yourself a chance." The former Silver Ferns defensive pairing of Burger and Watson picked up where they left off from that Pulse game. Ellie Bird has been a Tactix stalwart. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Watson unsettled Australian import shooter Donnell Wallam, who had not looked flustered all season. "They are big game players, they are experienced, they are used to playing against tall shooters. I told them they needed to get touches early and Jane did right from the get-go so it made it a little bit doubtful for them to just let rip and throw that ball in," Wilkins said. "They were doing one or two more passes before they would launch it in, whereas a couple of weeks ago it was just 'catch-boom', so we needed to nullify that connection between Peta [Toeava] and Donnell and I think we did a good job of that. "And because we are so clinical in looking after our own possession off our centre pass, even if teams hit a couple of two point shots, they don't make headway and we showed that on Monday night." Once again Wilkins stuck with her starting seven, apart from a brief period where Pedersen had to come off the court due to cramping. "Everything was going, my toes, my calves, my quads, my hips… but we knew we needed to prepare for a tough game, I think Teeps [Selby-Rickit] started cramping as well," Pedersen said. Despite the cloud hanging over the domestic competition, with Netball New Zealand still trying to pin down a broadcast deal for 2026, Wilkins said none of that was a distraction. "We had an opportunity to win a championship, that's been our focus, it's been about us." She was looking forward to taking the trophy to Christchurch. The Tactix and their National League predecessors, the Canterbury Flames, had not won a title since the introduction of franchise netball in 1998. The Flames played in four Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup finals but lost all four to the Southern Sting. "It's a long time coming, enjoy just being together as a team and enjoy the moment with our family and friends and we'll worry about next year next week," Wilkins said. The Tactix may look a little different next year. Bird is off to Australia and doesn't plan on coming back for another season. It remains to be seen whether the likes of Pedersen and Watson might call it a day. Selby-Rickit had one of her finest seasons and the 33-year-old may well be on the radar of an Australian team. Coach Robyn Broughton and captain Bernice Mene after Southern Sting beat Canterbury Flames in the 2001 Coca Cola Cup domestic final. Photo: Photosport To guide the Tactix to the title in her first season as head coach is a dream start to Wilkins' elite coaching career. Pedersen was full of praise for the former Silver Fern and Tall Fern. "Donna's been in our position, she knows what it's like to play in high pressure matches. She's very disciplined in the way that we play on attack but she's just brought this winning mentality, like even warm up games, she's is all about winning and I love that because I think that's what our Tactix team needed." Competitive, clinical with possession, and sticking with a starting seven are all traits associated with the late great Robyn Broughton, one of New Zealand's most successful netball coaches. Broughton became an icon of Southland netball during her long tenure with the Southern Sting, where she was head coach from 1998-2007, winning a record seven Coca Cola/National Bank Cup titles during that time. Wilkins played many seasons under Broughton, as did Tactix assistant coach Te Huinga Selby-Rickit. When Wilkins was asked what the legendary coach would have made of it, she shared that she treasures a photo of her old friend. "Well I actually brought [the photo of] Robbie with me, I normally talk to her before we play our home games but this week I thought I better take it with me and I think it might have helped. She's always there, God she coached me and Hu [Te Huinga Selby-Rickit] and a lot of the players, it's pretty special," an emotional Wilkins said. Donna Wilkins Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 The Mystics were denied a historic three-peat and were denied a chance to play their best netball. Despite easily beating the Tactix two weeks prior, Mystics coach Tia Winikerei said they knew the visitors were going to bring some venom. "When you get beaten like that and you're a quality side like they are, you come back fierce and you want to win. "Tactix came out very very strong and we didn't cope with that very well… we let them over power us, we actually just didn't execute what we should have in that first quarter and that hurt us for the rest of the game. "I didn't see any momentum shifts throughout the game and so the story of the first quarter was almost the story of the whole game." Mystics captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson said they were not blindsided - "They did exactly what we thought they were going to do." The Tactix have now become the fourth franchise to win the title, since the competition began in 2017. The Steel have won twice, and the Pulse and Mystics three times each. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
