From 13-15 February 2026, six nations will battle for glory at Badminton North Harbour in Auckland for the VICTOR Oceania Women’s Team Championships. Teams from across the Pacific bringing a compelling mix of Olympic veterans, rising junior stars, and debut internationals. From New Zealand’s reigning singles Oceania champion to Australia’s Olympic contingent, here’s your complete guide to the teams competing for gold.
New Zealand – The Challengers:
When you have the reigning Oceania WS champion in your lineup, you don’t show up to make up the numbers.
Shaunna Li carries 2025 individual gold into the team event, surrounded by the core that excelled in last year’s mixed team competition; Camellia Zhou, Jenny Zhu, Yanxi Liu, and Josephine Zhao form a battle-tested unit with proven chemistry.
New Zealand has bolstered this foundation strategically. Three-time veteran Justine Villegas brings the composure of someone who’s seen pressure moments and delivered. Meanwhile, two debutants add fresh energy and unpredictability: Amy Wang, the rising star who’s been turning heads over the last year, finally gets her international moment, while Natalie Ting dons the silver fern for the first time.
The question is whether championship experience in the individual competition translates to team gold and whether their blend of continuity and fresh talent can topple the defending champions.
Australia – Defending the Crown:
The defending champions return with something to prove and a blueprint for the future.
Australia carries the double burden of Olympic prestige and championship defence. Gronya Somerville, Tiffany Ho, and Angela Yu bring the weight of expectation into North Harbour. For the Falcons, anything less than back-to-back gold would feel like failure.
But championship teams don’t just defend, they rebuild while winning. Australia has made a statement by handing three senior Oceania debuts to players straight out of breakthrough junior campaigns, trusting that Olympic veterans can elevate raw talent in real time.
Faye Huo arrives as the 2025 Oceania Junior WS champion, stepping directly into the pressure cooker of championship defence. Jesslyn Carissia brings match-hardness from the BWF World Junior Championships, while Victoria Tjonadi—who contested three finals at the Oceania junior championships and claimed the XD title—adds versatile firepower across multiple disciplines.
It’s a high-stakes gamble: defend the title while integrating the next generation. If the youth delivers, Australia could dominate for years. If they crack under pressure, the crown slips away.
Cook Islands – Young, Not Green:
Cook Islands team at the BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships 2024. Photo via BWF/BadmintonPhoto
Don’t mistake youth for inexperience. The Cook Islands arrive with a seven-player squad that’s already been forged in international competition.
Four players—Lana Toa, Te Pa o Te Rangi Tupa, Tuaine Nicholas-Herman, and Tereapii Akavi—have already battled at the BWF World Junior Championships, where you learn quickly or get left behind. Morani Karika returns with valuable insights from 2024’s Oceania Women’s Team competition.
The two true newcomers, Teatuanui George and Trudeinus Tuaputa, aren’t walking in blind either. Tuaputa, in particular, returns to familiar territory. North Harbour hosted her Pacific U15 Team Challenge debut last year.
They may be the underdogs on paper, but this Cook Islands squad has something many favourites lack: nothing to lose and everything to prove. That’s a powerful combination.
Tahiti – The Steady Hand:
In a tournament full of Olympic stars and junior champions, Tahiti brings something quieter but valuable: stability.
For over seven years, Esther Tau and Melissa Mi You have been the backbone of Tahitian badminton on the Oceania stage. They’ve seen teams rise and fall, weathered close matches and blowouts, and they know exactly what it takes to compete when the pressure mounts. That kind of experience is worth its weight in gold.
Heirautea Curet adds another layer of international pedigree with two BWF Junior World Championships to her name, while Myriam Siao, who announced her arrival at the 2024 Oceania Championships, has quickly become a reliable contributor.
The wildcard? Waianuhea Teheura, whose youthful firepower could be the spark that ignites something special.
Tahiti isn’t flashy, but they’re dangerous. They know how to grind, how to steal matches, and how to make favourites uncomfortable.
New Caledonia – The Unknown Quantity:
New Caledonia is the X-factor in this tournament—the team nobody quite knows how to prepare for.
Julie Wongsodjirono and Ashley Desert last competed at the 2023 Oceania Junior Championships, while Laurene Benlahoussine emerges from a six-year absence since the 2019 Oceania Championships.
Then there are the complete unknowns: Camille Giusti and Kimberley Moraldo make their debuts for New Caledonia with no recent results to analyze or scout.
Here’s what we do know: New Caledonia teams have a history of exceeding expectations when the lights come on. They show up, they compete with fire, and they make opponents earn every point. In a tournament where scouting and preparation matter, facing a team shrouded in mystery might be the ultimate equaliser.
Northern Marianas – The Circle of Competition:
Mentors and mentees will take the court together for the Northern Marianas, creating a unique blend of experience and youth.
Janelle Pangilinan—NMI National Head Coach and 2022 Pacific Mini Games bronze medalist—will do something extraordinary in North Harbour: compete alongside the athletes she’s been developing.
She competed in the territory’s inaugural Oceania team and now returns with coaching wisdom to complement her playing experience. It’s a rare blend of tactical knowledge and on-court execution.
Now, her players aren’t just students, they’re peers on court. Lina Tsukagoshi arrives fresh from quarterfinal runs at the VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships and intensive training in Thailand, ready to prove her rapid development. Shaina Malonzo and Genelyn Lansangan bring crucial experience from last year’s junior competitions, while Tsukagoshi and Malonzo’s WD partnership already has a winning track record.
Then there are the three ready to take the leap: Monique Mascarinas makes her debut, while Kaela Takeda and Danielle Joson graduate from last year’s Pacific U15 Challenge to the open division.
It’s coaching. It’s mentorship. It’s family. And in a tournament where teamwork is everything, that unity could be Northern Marianas’ secret weapon.
With defending champions Australia facing challenges from Oceania veterans, hungry junior standouts, and resurgent programs, the 2025 VICTOR Oceania Women’s Team Championships promises compelling competition. All eyes will be on the battles between Australia’s dominant squad and New Zealand’s individual champion and her challengers, while dark horses from the Pacific islands could spring surprises.
See the full Oceania women’s team nomination list here.
