The Zespri Aims Games are hosted in Tauranga every year and will span several venues from August 30 to September 5. Photo / Talia Parker
Tauranga is gearing up for a huge week, with more than 25,000 visitors expected for this year’s Zespri Aims Games, Australasia’s largest intermediate school tournament, featuring more than 14,000 athletes.
The annual tournament has run for two decades and from August 30 to September 5 this year will host the most athletes to date, with 1000 more competitors than last year and 431 schools from New Zealand and the South Pacific taking part.
Nearly 85% of participants will travel from other parts of New Zealand or will fly in from Fiji or the Cook Islands.
Supported by coaches, managers, family members, referees, officials, suppliers and volunteers, it is expected that more than 25,000 visitors will need somewhere to stay.
A holiday home management company based in Mount Maunganui said this year was its busiest yet, with bookings starting as soon as last year’s Games finished.
Owner/director of Beyonder, Haley Saunders, said they worked with home owners across the wider Tauranga area, helping to host visitors.
“We start preparing well in advance by working with home owners as early as March to make sure their properties are ready for groups.”
She said hosting young athletes and their families came with practical challenges and location was an important factor.
“Properties need to comfortably accommodate larger groups, with enough beds, bathrooms and kitchens for meal prep, and space for sports equipment.”
Last year’s event attracted 26,825 attendees and generated $8.78 million for Tauranga’s economy, according to economic impact research.
Tauranga Business Chamber chief executive Matt Cowley said accommodation, supermarkets, transport providers and eateries directly benefited from the Games.
“A lot of that money is circulating through the local economy indirectly over the next few months.”
Cowley said the Aims Games was the accumulation of events across the year that boosted the case for more private sector investment.
“These events provide an instant sugar hit of economic activity.”
The week-long tournament includes various events throughout the week for athletes to attend, including a polar plunge at Pilot Bay on September 4.
Hosted by Mount Mainstreet, the plunge was about celebrating the energy of the Games, head of strategy and growth Rae Baker said.
“It’s the perfect challenge to entice people to embrace the Mount’s warm, welcoming community.”
Head of destination marketing at Tourism Bay of Plenty, Loretta Crawford, said the Aims Games were an important part of the city’s identity.
“The participants’ contributions to accommodation, activities, transport, hospitality and retail are an essential source of revenue for local businesses at this time of the year.”
She said Tourism Bay of Plenty was working hard to make the visitor sector sustainable, and the annual dates for the games aligned well with their visitor dispersal strategy.
“The challenge is to ensure we continue to have the capacity and capability to provide an excellent experience for participants.”
To support the influx of visitors, Tauranga City Council said it ensured roadworks were scaled back during the week and it partnered with Bay of Plenty Regional Council to provide loop buses.
Tauranga and Western Bay Bayhopper buses will be free for athletes, referees and coaches for the week of the Games.
The free loop bus service will be available between Mount Hot Pools and Gordon Spratt Reserve and will stop every 30 minutes at the main venues.
Tauranga City Council venues and events manager Nelita Byrne said the games were embraced by the community.
“They strengthen our events industry, support local businesses and bring visitors who spend in our city while giving vibrancy to our public places.”
Last year, 91% of Tauranga residents surveyed said the tournament increased their pride in the city, with 80% agreeing it made Tauranga a more enjoyable place to live.
“That sense of pride and connection is just as important as the economic benefits,” Byrne said.
Mayor Mahé Drysdale said hosting the Zespri Aims Games was a proud moment for Tauranga.
“It showcases our city to thousands of visitors while delivering real benefits for our community and economy.”
Drysdale said the event built pride and connection across the community.
“The energy, vibrancy, and manaakitanga that come with welcoming these young athletes and their whānau is something we treasure.”
The Games run across 33 venues spanning Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Pāpāmoa, Lower Kaimai, Te Puke and Pongakawa.
No new sporting codes were introduced this year, but extra divisions and new venues were added to the schedule.
At the 2025 Games, netball will have 1896 players in 157 teams and mountain biking entries have jumped to 493 riders.
Football and futsal combined have more than 2000 players, with 116 football teams and 78 futsal teams, while basketball has 172 teams across traditional and 3x3 formats.
August 30: 20th Zespri Aims Games School Sporting Championships opens.
August 31: Opening Ceremonies, Mercury Baypark Arena, Mount Maunganui (First show 3pm, Second show 7pm).
September 4: Pilot Bay Polar Plunge at 4pm
September 5: 20th Zespri Aims Games School Sporting Championships closes.
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.