New Zealand walking football in Brisbane

New Zealand will send its first official walking football team to the International Walking Football Federation World Championships in Brisbane on May 28, according to RNZ and event organizers. The squad will compete at Perry Park from May 28 to May 31 in the men’s 50-plus division, marking the country’s first appearance at the tournament. RNZ reported on May 17 that the team expects to “punch above its weight” at the event. Walking Football Australia says the Brisbane championships will be the first IWFF world event staged in the Southern Hemisphere. ### Who is going from New Zealand? RNZ reported that New Zealand’s team is made up of players aged 50 and over and will be coached and managed by Neil Haines, a former New Zealand representative. A separate report by Newswire said the touring squad numbers 12 players. (rnz.co.nz) Neil Haines told RNZ that walking football is played six-a-side on smaller fields with rolling substitutes. RNZ said the New Zealand group is entering the 2026 championships for the first time after the sport developed locally in recent years. ### What exactly is walking football? (rnz.co.nz) Walking Football Australia describes the sport as a modified version of football in which players walk rather than run. RNZ reported that the format used by New Zealand’s team is six-a-side, with smaller pitches and rolling substitutions. (rnz.co.nz) The International Walking Football Federation says its role is to unite walking football communities globally while promoting inclusion, participation and player safety. The federation’s website lists the Brisbane event as part of its international competition structure. ### When and where will the tournament be played? Walking Football Australia says the 2026 IWFF World Championships will be held at Perry Park in Brisbane from May 28 to May 31. (brisbaneroar.com.au) Brisbane Roar said on April 30 that Perry Park in Bowen Hills would host the tournament later this month. Brisbane Roar said the championships would bring together international teams across men’s and women’s age categories. (iwff.org.uk) Walking Football Australia said the Brisbane edition would combine the IWFF World Championships and a walking football festival at one venue. ### Why is this trip a first for New Zealand? (walkingfootballaustralia.com) RNZ said the Brisbane tournament will be New Zealand’s first time competing at the IWFF World Championships. Walking Football New Zealand also lists the Brisbane event on its website and identifies the dates as May 28 to May 31, 2026. (brisbaneroar.com.au) Newswire reported that New Zealand will play in the men’s 50-plus division, and said the team is scheduled to face England in its opening fixture on May 28. The same report said New Zealand is also due to play Australia in pool play. ### How big is the Brisbane event expected to be? (rnz.co.nz) Walking Football Australia said Brisbane 2026 would bring together the IWFF World Championships and a broader festival program in one venue for the first time. Brisbane Roar described the event as hosting “the world’s best walking football players” later in May. (newswire.co.nz) A Walking Football Australia page on the host program says Australia has previously taken teams to world championships in London, Italy, Wales, Chesterfield and Sweden-related events, and that hosting in 2026 had been an ambition for several years. That places New Zealand’s debut within a larger field of returning international participants. (walkingfootballaustralia.com) ### What happens next in Brisbane? May 28 is the scheduled opening day for the championships at Perry Park, according to Walking Football Australia and Walking Football New Zealand. Newswire reported that New Zealand’s first match is set to be against England, with Australia also on its pool schedule. (walkingfootballaustralia.com 1) (walkingfootballaustralia.com 2)