Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Covid-19 coronavirus Delta outbreak: AIMS Games cancelled for 2021

Bay of Plenty Times
23 Aug, 2021 12:30 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A daily wrap of all the main developments in the Covid-19 Delta outbreak as New Zealand is plunged into lockdown for the fifth time. Video / NZ Herald.

For the second year in a row, Covid-19 has thwarted plans to hold the Anchor AIMS Games, with the annual intermediate-aged sports tournament cancelled for 2021.

The week-long Tauranga-based tournament was to have started on September 4 but the current nationwide level 4 lockdown meant there was no way it could safely continue.

Tournament director Vicki Semple said they were gutted for so many people.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"For the supporting schools, businesses, the incredible code-coordinators, the national sporting bodies, the supporters and most of all, the athletes themselves.

"The sports coordinators have worked tirelessly for the best part of a year to build their teams and set things in place but our greater consideration is for the good of all New Zealanders and there's no way we want to compromise or jeopardise our wider fight against Covid-19," she said.

For the tournament to go ahead, all of New Zealand needs to be at alert level 1. Postponing was not an option, with 25,000 people to accommodate, 1800 officials to organise and 29 venues to be available at the same time.

This year's tournament again received more than 11,000 entries from around the country, from Taipa in Northland to Gore in Southland. While she knows so many athletes will be devastated by the decision, Semple has urged them to focus on the positives.

"It's been extraordinary to see the overwhelming support from schools and communities this year, with many athletes fundraising and in training since the start of the year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We've been incredibly lucky to have six months without community spread of Covid-19, where our youth have been able to have relatively normal lives and experience all the good things about sport and activity, in the face of a global pandemic.

"We're so proud the AIMS Games has given them hope, purpose and motivation, which no cancellation can take away."

Semple has already received huge encouragement from principals and schools, who have had to juggle the expectation of students and parents with the realities of risk and welfare.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW LIVE BLOG

STORY CONTINUES

Discover more

'Heartbreaking': AIMS Games chief on the decision to cancel this year's event

23 Aug 06:00 PM

'Optimistic the tide will turn': Rotorua people react to the lockdown extension

23 Aug 07:00 AM

Covid lockdown: Restriction breaches in Whangamatā, Taupō

23 Aug 01:50 AM

AIMS Games Trust chairman and Otumoetai Intermediate principal Henk Popping said, in many ways, this year's decision was far easier to make than last year's cancellation, which was made three months before the tournament was to have taken place.

"Going to level 4 was an immediate indication of how seriously we needed to take this latest outbreak and we just need to put our faith in our health officials and political leaders who've navigated us through so far," Popping said.

"It's also a stark reminder that sport and recreation is a luxury - one that is incredibly important, of course, but it pales in comparison to the health concerns Covid-19 creates."

Semple was confident the tournament still had a huge future role in New Zealand's sporting environment, with sponsors and schools alike already pledging their support for the 2022 games.

FAQs

So why not just postpone?

We'd love to, honestly, but the sheer magnitude of the tournament prevents this. We need the perfect window, between sporting seasons and with all 29 venues free for the same week, along with nearly 1800 officials, many of whom have taken leave to attend.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In reality, it takes the best part of a year to align this and to try to accommodate 25,000 visitors to Tauranga all in one week. To postpone - notwithstanding the uncertainty of any future date - would be to severely compromise the overall quality and lustre of the tournament.

Does the AIMS Games still have a future?

Unquestionably, yes. What has been clear this year is how big an impact this tournament has on New Zealanders. The feedback from schools and communities over the past six months has been extraordinary - the trainings and team-buildings, the fundraisings and the amazing tales; from the school in Auckland that raised $61,000 with a fun run, to the community in Southland that made and sold 6960 cheese rolls to send its basketball team away.

It has already provided an incredible journey for so many of the 11,000 athletes, giving them hope, purpose and motivation which no cancellation can take away.

Why not just exclude the areas affected by Covid-19?

Because we pride ourselves on our inclusivity and this tournament is for all New Zealanders. Any compromise on that ethos would completely undermine the mana of the tournament.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

-SUPPLIED CONTENT

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Rotorua Daily Post

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

30 Jun 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

25 Jun 07:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Small but mighty: Kyro gets set for Tai Mitchell challenge

24 Jun 09:26 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

30 Jun 06:00 PM

Primary school Rocket League players qualify for major tournament finals in Australia.

'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

25 Jun 07:00 PM
Small but mighty: Kyro gets set for Tai Mitchell challenge

Small but mighty: Kyro gets set for Tai Mitchell challenge

24 Jun 09:26 PM
Three tests, surplus of Twenty20s as Black Caps summer fixtures announced

Three tests, surplus of Twenty20s as Black Caps summer fixtures announced

24 Jun 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP