LetsPlay.Live's High School League signs Vodafone NZ

Alex Leckie-Zaharic
January 30, 2020

Following on from their previous investment in the organisation towards the end of last year, one of New Zealand’s biggest telecommunications companies have signed a sponsorship deal for LetsPlay.Live’s flagship High School League competition. 

Vodafone NZ join HSL as the headline sponsor as the league begins their fourth year of competition. While the league started out with a focus on League of Legends, LPL have pivoted to Dota 2 and Clash Royale in more recent years, all the while maintaining a focus on promoting values associated with traditional school-level sports. With the ability to be both competitive in a safe online environment, the HSL is a fantastic place to get your start in esports. 

LPL High School League


According to LPL’s Managing Director, Duane Mutu “The High School League provides a structured and disciplined esports league for high school students, developing their leadership skills and critical thinking,” 

“We encourage academic success by stating that students must be achieving in the classroom to participate in the HSL and we do not tolerate bad sportsmanship or online behaviour within the league.” Mutu concluded

Vodafone have a track record of investing in youth projects, with their current main goal to reduce the amount of disadvantaged youth in New Zealand by 2027. They also are well versed on the benefits of technology for those youth, as well as teaching them how to be safe online. As part of the worldwide Vodafone group, both Vodafone NZ and LPL have a big opportunity to bring high school-level esports to the masses, especially in New Zealand. 

Vodafone New Zealand’s Consumer Director Carolyn Luey says she is delighted the digital services company will be the headline sponsor for the HSL in 2020.

With an astronomical rise in popularity of online and mobile gaming in recent years, the HSL plays an important role in promoting positive behaviour online for our young people.

“Establishing healthy outlets for high school students interested in gaming is essential which is why we are proud to be supporting the High School League,” she concluded

Luey also noted that “We are especially excited that the league will feature the popular mobile game Clash Royale. As we continue to roll out our 5G network throughout New Zealand, the increased network speeds and low latency will only make mobile gaming even more widespread.”

LPL's High School League Dota 2 competition (LPL)


Until now, the offerings for school-level esports has generally been restricted to PC games and have not yet broken into the mobile market. However, by choosing one of the more tactically deep mobile games, LPL have exponentially increased the base of youngsters that could buy into their tournaments. Clash Royale, a spinoff of Supercell’s smash hit Clash of Clans, is one of those games 

Day by day, more and more companies buy into esports. One of New Zealand’s biggest companies has now leapt into the fray even further, and hopefully will nurture the burgeoning school-level esports scene developing in the region.

HSL Info: click here.

Credits: