Mainland Pouākai Women

The Pouākai lost the Grand Final to the Tauranga Whai.

The Pouākai were one of five clubs put together in December 2021 for New Zealand's first professional women's league, taking the field the following year to represent the Upper South region out of Christchurch. They named themselves after the Haast eagle, and built their colours around it: black for Te Pō, the darkness before beginning; white for Te Aō, spiritual energy; red for Whero, the tie to the land.

There was no trophy in that first season, but there was recognition of a different kind: the club won the league's Best Fan Engagement award in 2022.

Tessa Boagni captained the side through those early years and led the league in blocks in that debut campaign, a defensive marker that set the tone for a team still finding its identity.

The club now plays out of the Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre, moving into its show court from the 2026 season, with room for 2,500 through the doors.