Due to the size and scale of the Zespri AIMS Games many codes have grown significantly with registration numbers and therefore the days are longer to get through the programme. If a team/individual defaults a game, there will be a $400 penalty fee charged. If the $400 fee is not paid, the school will not be permitted to enter future Zespri AIMS Games until the account has been paid. We make no exceptions for travelling teams, students that are competing in more than one code etc.

All disputes must be lodged (by team coaches/managers only) with the venue controller within the code-specific specified time of the completion of the match/race in question. Dispute forms are emailed to all schools and code coordinators will also have copies of the form to be completed. A protest fee of $100 will be charged. If the protest is upheld the fee will be refunded. The venue controller will liaise with the Disputes/Judiciary director, and he/she will call a meeting of the disputes committee as soon as practical to resolve the dispute. Venue controllers reserve the right to sanction unsportsmanlike conduct from coaches, parents, and supporters during the course of the tournament. Rules of the national governing body of the sport shall be applied in the first instance.

1. Students competing must be enrolled full-time in the school they are representing. As the Zespri AIMS Games is an interschools sporting competition, teams cannot be comprised of students who are enrolled in different schools.

2. New Zealand students competing must be classified as a Year 7 or Year 8 student on the New Zealand Ministry of Education Enrol database.

3. Participating New Zealand schools must be an affiliated member of NZAIMS – New Zealand Association of Intermediate and Middle Schooling http://nzaims.co.nz

4. Students may compete in more than one code, provided they are in line with the permitted code crossovers detailed in the Event Information Booklet. Timetable allowances will NOT be made for any competitors.

5. Competitors must be over 10 years of age and under 13 years of age, as at 31 December the year before the tournament year. Competitor’s birthdates will be required on school registration documentation. For the 2024 Zespri AIMS Games, this means the accepted birth years are: 2011, 2012 and 2013.

6. All participants must have online medical and media waiver documentation completed to be eligible compete.

7. This is an inclusive event providing opportunities for students with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities to compete. Seperate Athletes with Disabilities divisions are offered in Cross Country, Indoor Bowls, Swimming and Table Tennis. In all other sports, disabled athletes compete in an open class. See individual sports for entry requirements.

8. The AIMS Games Trust support the full inclusion of transgender athletes. Transgender youth participate in sports for the same reasons that all young people do: to have fun, challenge themselves, and be part of a team where they feel included and accepted. Students who are transgender deserve the chance to succeed and thrive like any other student.

To ensure players are given equal opportunities the AIMS Games Trust recommends all players get to play a minimum of half the time of a game.

All parents/caregivers must complete their child’s media waiver form on our website by the required due date. All participants at the 2024 Zespri AIMS Games must have this documentation completed to be eligible to compete.

Zespri AIMS Games has the unconditional right to use at its discretion any photographic and/or video images taken of any competitors/officials while participating at the Zespri AIMS Games, and any information provided by you, in any form of social media, websites, media, art, advertising, trade, visual documentary, promotional material, merchandise, film coverage etc. without any compensation to you or approval by you. All images will be stored in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.

The purpose of these images is to use them on future promotional, advertising and marketing materials for the Games, as well as in local and national media and social media reports before, during and after the Games. The AIMS Games Trust wherever possible carefully selects images to be used that are in the best interests of all of its competitors, however due to the large number of competitors and the presence of media with limited time frames, it is not possible to seek consent of the individual competitor prior to the image being published.

The Zespri AIMS Games recognises that many Zespri AIMS Games participants are in Tauranga unaccompanied by their parent/caregivers. To ensure our various medical providers can cater for the requirements of all Zespri AIMS Games competitors as quickly and efficiently as possible all parents/caregivers must complete their child’s medical form on our website by the due date. All participants at the 2024 Zespri AIMS Games must have this documentation completed to be eligible to compete. This information is to assist us in case of any eventuality and is treated in a confidential manner.

The Zespri AIMS Games Opening Ceremony will entertain and inspire competitors and get the week-long school sporting championships off to an unforgettable start.

• Date TBC.

• 3.00pm show 1 (doors open at 2.00pm) ceremony ends at 4.15pm (approx.).

• 7.00pm show 2 (doors open at 6.00pm) ceremony ends at 8.15pm (approx.).

• Mercury Baypark Arena – 81 Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui.

• Cost – TBC

• There is NO LIMIT on the number of tickets a school can purchase.

• Date TBC – School group pre-sale for opening ceremony tickets commences.

• Date TBC – Opening ceremony tickets on sale to the public.

Attending competitors are welcome to download our sporting code participation certificate as a keepsake of their experience at the Zespri AIMS Games Sporting Championships.  These certificates can be downloaded from the relevant sporting code page on our website.

Body in Motion Physiotherapists are onsite at the Zespri AIMS Games for competitors across all codes.

Onsite clinics will be based at Waipuna Park, Gordon Spratt Reserve, Mercury Baypark and Blake Park.

A physiotherapy timetable will be released closer to the tournament.

Mark these dates in your diary - don’t miss important 2024 deadlines!

We want all attendees to be safe as pedestrians, passengers, cyclists, or drivers at the Zespri AIMS Games.

• Have a backup driver if you’re feeling too tired to drive.

• Don’t let kids distract you when you’re driving.

• There’s lots of extra traffic on the roads in the Tauranga region with the Zespri AIMS Games in town and many who are new to the roading layout – keep alert!

• Allow extra time to get to your destinations.

• AA safer driver tips – https://www.aa.co.nz/about/safety-on-the-roads/

Please ensure all personal items and items of value are secure at all times. The organisers take no responsibility for loss or damage to valuables or clothing.

All events at all Zespri AIMS Games locations are vape and smokefree. Please help to make this a whanau-friendly event by protecting our children from second-hand smoke, and by making others aware of the Zespri AIMS Games’ smokefree status.

For more information on being smokefree go to the recently updated smokefree website – smokefree.org.nz  

St John provides excellent service throughout the Zespri AIMS Games week. The St John First Aid Post is stationed at Blake Park as well as having a presence at Gordon Spratt Reserve, Waipuna Park, Mercury Baypark, Cambridge Park (Tauranga BMX Park), Pilot Bay and McLaren Falls Park.

Be SunSmart during September to April, especially between 10.00am and 4.00pm when the sun’s UV rays are most fierce.

Slip – into a long-sleeved shirt with a collar and under the shade of a tree or umbrella.

Slop – on plenty of sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors. Use broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF30+ and reapply every two hours or after being in water or sweating.

Slap – on a hat with a wide brim or a cap with flaps.

Wrap – on a pair of wrap-around sunglasses with 100% UV protection.

For more information on how you can protect yourself in the sun go to www.sunsmart.org.nz

The Zespri AIMS Games Sporting Championships promotes and rewards fair play. Good sport is about a positive attitude. The team player medal is awarded to an individual (applies to team sporting codes only). The recipient will be decided by their team management and/or team members, they will demonstrate the best attitude, fair play and respect for their teammates and opposition, coaches and referees. 

The team player medal is awarded for overall excellence:

• Presentation – Standard at all times

• Punctuality – Games and duty requirements

• Competition – Skill and fair play

• Respect – For officials, other competitors and visitors to the tournament

An earthquake is the first warning that a tsunami might be on the way. Do not wait for official warnings to evacuate.

All the tsunami evacuation maps, common questions etc can be found and downloaded here – Civil Defence Tsunami Management

The Zespri AIMS Games Executive Committee has formulated wet weather procedures to detail what will happen in the eventuality of adverse weather conditions during tournament week. In the event of light or intermittent rain before and during matches, play will continue as normal. However, in the event of heavy continuous rain the code coordinators reserve the right to postpone, delay or abandon any fixture. In the event of lightning, play will be immediately stopped at all venues for the duration of that storm. All participating teams must supply the event organisers with a reliable contact mobile phone number for a member of the team management. The safety of the competitors is of the upmost concern to the organisers.

Mercury Energy are the official internet partner of the tournament, providing free streaming services and public Wi-Fi to a number of locations for September’s week-long intermediate-aged championships. It’s an important week for the athletes and their supporters, and keeping everyone connected is a big part of this. Providing Wi-Fi at a number of the Zespri AIMS Games venues enables easy access to key information, leaving more time to focus on events, recovery and connecting with others.