The annual tournament not only showcased the talent of these young athletes, but also delivered countless stories of determination, courage, resilience and sportsmanship as competitors pushed themselves, overcame challenges and supported each other.
This year's Zespri AIMS Games once again proved the city's ability to successfully host thousands of visitors, with athletes, whānau and supporters embracing the city's hospitality, community spirit and manaakitanga throughout the week.
Last Saturday, international schools were welcomed to the city with haka and waiata at a special pōhiri hosted by Tauranga Intermediate School’s Te Whānau ō Te Maro. As part of the cultural exchange, Gospel Primary School, a rugby sevens team from Fiji shared a traditional dance in response which made for a really special moment.
Mayor Mahé Drysdale shares a hongi with a Gospel Primary School student during the pōhiri at Tauranga Intermediate. Photo credit: Jamie Troughton, Describe Media
A combined crowd of around 7,500 athletes, supporters and whānau were treated to an electric Opening Ceremony welcome, with two shows on the Sunday. Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale, wearing his Olympic medals, welcomed athletes on behalf of the city and encouraged them to make the most of their Zespri AIMS Games experience, reminding them that sport is about more than results.
"Sport is about having fun, challenging yourself and making the most of every opportunity. It’s about the friendships you make and the memories you create,” he said.
He said Tauranga has been the proud host of AIMS since the beginning and was excited to see around 30 of the city’s amazing venues and spaces – from Blake Park and Bay Oval to the Tauranga Hockey Centre, Gordon Spratt Reserve and Waipuna Park – buzzing throughout the week as athletes proudly represented their schools.
AIMS rock climber Sophie from Tamatea Intermediate arrived early with her parents and planted 100 native trees. Photo Tauranga City Council.
Throughout tournament week, schools also embraced Tauranga City Council’s Give Back Games programme, taking part in activities that give back to the community hosting them, demonstrating the values of manaakitanga (hospitality) and kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
“The Give Back Games gives AIMS athletes the chance to leave a positive mark on Tauranga while they’re here competing,” says Gareth Wallis, Head of Community Hubs, Arts, Heritage and Events at Council, whose team coordinates the initiative.
“It invites schools to connect with Tauranga in meaningful ways, whether it's receiving welcome letters from local schools, taking the bus to explore the city, planting natives at a local reserve, cleaning up the beach, or supporting local community organisations through food donations.”
The annual Coastal Clean-Up, now in its fourth year, brought together over 150 athletes and their adults from schools across New Zealand, including Parua Bay School in Whangarei, Bream Bay College in Ruakākā, returning participants from St Andrew’s College in Christchurch, and a local school. Together, they rolled up their sleeves to help care for the coastline around Hopukiore (Mount Drury) Reserve, Mount Main Beach and Pilot Bay, collecting 70 kilograms of rubbish and 10 kilograms of recyclable materials.
Renee Dodds, Ōrewa College parent and water polo team manager, said the team has had an amazing week.
“So far, our AIMS Games experience has been great, and it’s fantastic to have extra activities like this to take part in between games.
“This was our first Give Back Games activity, and it was a really nice opportunity to give back to the community hosting us. The students loved getting out on the beach, climbing over the rocks, exploring the area and helping with the clean-up at the same time.”
Athletes also took part in a tree planting event at Gordon Carmichael Reserve, digging holes and planting native species in the wetlands alongside Council’s City Operations team.
Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular said the Give Back Games was a valuable part of the AIMS Games experience.
“The Give Back Games is a phenomenal initiative that sits alongside the Zespri AIMS Games. These young people are at the perfect age to be learning about the impact they can have on their environment and community.
“It was fantastic to see teams working together, sharing plenty of laughter and camaraderie while helping care for our city. Activities like this show them that even small actions, such as picking up litter, can make a real difference.”
The spirit of manaakitanga is recognised every year through Tauranga City Council's annual Kaitiaki Trophy, awarded every year to a school that best demonstrates the values of guardianship, hospitality and care. The trophy was crafted by Mike Buck of the Tauranga Woodcrafters Guild and is designed to embody the spirit of ‘’Kaitiaki for a better tomorrow.”
Pyes Pā School rip rugby team, winners of this year's Kaitiaki Trophy. Photo credit, Alan Gibson, AG Images NZ. Photo credit, Alan Gibson, AG Images NZ.
This year’s recipients are Pyes Pā School, whose students became ambassadors for Tauranga writing welcome letters to visiting schools before they arrived, helping them feel welcomed and suggesting things to do. Pyes Pā School teacher Jess Sloan says the school’s Year 7 and 8s only make up a class of 25 kids total and 19 of them are competing at AIMS this week.
One student, Isla Ricketts, jumped at the chance to represent Tauranga city as honorary host, “We wanted to make them feel welcomed because I know it's hard feeling really pressured coming into a big competition.”
“We wrote about where to go, what fun things to do around Tauranga, some good food places, and just to have fun around AIMS games.”
Although the 2026 Zespri AIMS Games has come to a close today, the impact of the week will continue through the memories made in spirited competition, and the positive contribution athletes have made to the Tauranga community. We are already looking forward to next year.