For Otago’s co-ed schools, the tournament is about more than results. It provides an important opportunity for students to compete alongside and against schools with similar structures, helping create a genuine sense of belonging, identity and connection within the co-ed school sport community.
That value is reflected in the latest national school sport census figures, which show Otago has the second highest co-ed school sport participation rates in the country.
In 2025, participation in Otago co-ed schools sat at 56%, compared with the national co-ed school average of 47%. Across all Otago secondary schools, overall participation reached 64% for 2025.
Otago’s 16 co-ed schools contribute to those figures, highlighting the important role these schools play in providing quality sporting opportunities for rangatahi across the region. The tournament helps bring that participation to life, giving students the chance to represent their school, connect with peers and experience the pride that comes with being part of a team.
The Co-Ed Cup has been running since 2011 and traditionally involves the five Dunedin and Mosgiel based co-ed schools: Bayfield High School, Kaikorai Valley College, Logan Park High School, Taieri College and Trinity Catholic College. East Otago High School, South Otago High School and Tokomairiro High School have also taken part on occasions, adding to the regional flavour of the event.
Students compete across a range of sports during the one-day tournament, including netball, basketball, football, hockey and badminton. Results from each sport are combined to determine the overall tournament winner, giving every team and every code a meaningful role in the final crowning of the overall school winner.
Trinity Catholic College has a proud history in the tournament, regularly taking home the cup since the tournament began. Bayfield High School broke that run in 2020, while Logan Park High School has claimed the title for the past two years and is the current 2026 champion.
Logan Park won the badminton, football and hockey this year, and placed third in basketball and netball, to end on 36 points.
Just one point behind was Trinity, which won the basketball and was second in badminton, football and netball. Taieri followed on 34 points, winning the netball and placing second in basketball and hockey.
The continued support of schools reflects the value they place on the tournament and on co-ed school sport more broadly. It is an event built on like-for-like competition, inclusion, teamwork and pride, while also recognising the legacy that has developed over more than a decade.
At its heart, the co-ed tournament is a reminder that school sport is about creating opportunities for young people to participate, contribute, build confidence, form friendships and feel connected to their school community.
