Welcome to the NZ Young Physicists’ Tournament!

The New Zealand Young Physicists’ Tournament is a researched based Physics team competition open to all New Zealand students studying NCEA level 3 Physics, or another advanced Physics examination courses, in New Zealand.

The Tournament is organised by the New Zealand Young Physicists’ Trust, registered charity CC62496. Our purpose is to promote high school physics in New Zealand as a foundation study for STEM careers. The Tournament is our flagship event.

Close up of a multi-coloured plastic slinky spring uncoiling at one end
Close-Up Of Colorful Slinky On Black Background

Slinky Physics Workshop

for Year 12 students in Auckland, August 2025

This teacher led day will provide a valuable, hands-on revision of parts of the NCEA Level 2 mechanics and waves standards using a practical investigations that meet the internal assessment standard. Cost $45 per student including morning tea, lunch and a goodie bag. Register for more information here.

The IYPT Problems for 2026 have been released!

Every year the International Young Physics Tournament sets 17 open ended problems to be researched. The Trust selects seven of these for the New Zealand National school’s tournament.

The IYPT 2026 problems can be found here

The 2026 New Zealand selection will be published on August 23rd 2025

Congratulations the 2025 New Zealand Rep Team

who won honorable mention medals after a very disrupted travel and final training camp curtesy of the Doha missile strikes. Their 19th place of 35 teams place was only one short of a bronze medal and placed us the ahead of Australia, the UK and the USA.

Picture =of the NZ rep team on stage after presentation of their honourable mention medals. The team are wearing team shirts and their medals. They and teh team leaders are standing in a line under a slide announcing their 19th place.

The team are

Alan Chen – St Kentigern’s College, Auckland
Audrey Kung – Queen Margaret’s College, Wellington
Zhuiuan (Jason) Tao – Westlake Boys High School, Auckland
Yujin (Julia) Sung – St. Cuthbert’s College, Auckland
Kayden Liu – Kristin School, Auckland

Also in the picture are team leaders Daniel Shi (Poland 2019) and Eric Coufmann (Singapore 2017).

ACCELERATE!

Alumni Otis Rea and his team placed 5th in the International Young Physicists’ Tournament in Singapore 2017, winning silver medals. Read how IYPT helped Jed find his confidence and accelerated his career in Aerospace!

And the 2025 New Zealand Champions are….

The New Plymouth Huia team of three students and their teacher Dr Kerry Parker being applauded by NZYPT Chairman Mr Gavin Jennings and (out of shot) the other competitors and judges.

New Plymouth Huia!

A combined team from New Plymouth’s Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools won the national title. Congratulations to Oliver Marsh, Charlie Herbert and Rayna Kim guided by teacher Dr Kerry Parker.

This year eighteen teams, from twenty schools competed over three rounds of physics matches at Auckland Grammar school. Our thanks to all our wonderful judges. The medalists are

Gold – New Plymouth Huia

Silver – St Cuthbert’s College 1, Auckland

Bronze – Queen Margaret College, Wellington and Kristin School, Auckland

We had a couple of firsts:

  • For the first time the young women won more medals than the young men.
  • For the first time we had teams with members from different schools – including our winners!
  • For the first time we had a tie for a medal place with Queen Margret College and Kristin School, sharing the bronze medal.

Privacy Policy: You can read our Privacy Policy, as it applies to this website, here.