GENERAL INFORMATION

Date

Monday 1st to Thursday 4th September 2025

Venue

Blake Park, Mount Maunganui

Cost

$960.00 per team (NZ$)

Entries Open

Online registrations open on Friday March 14th 2025, at 9:00 AM

Entries Close

Online registrations close on Wednesday May 28th 2025, at 7:59 PM

CONTACT

Email: info@nzaimsgames.co.nz

A tournament committee will be in place to administer and facilitate the running of this tournament.

PLANNING INFORMATION

Costs

• Schools are required to pay the entry fee of $960.00 per team.
• Strictly non-refundable.
• School teams that withdraw from the Zespri AIMS Games after May 28th 2025, will lose their tournament entry fee and will be excluded from participating in Zespri AIMS Games for the next two years.
• Payment MUST be made within seven days of receipt of invoice.
• Invoices will be sent to the school accounts manager after the entry closing date, Wednesday 28th May 2025.

Entries Close

• Wednesday, 28th May 2025 at 7:59 PM.
• Entries to the 2025 Zespri AIMS Games must be submitted online through the online registration system. 
• Registrations will only be accepted from the school's designated Zespri AIMS Games Coordinator.
• Schools are allocated a unique Zespri AIMS Games registration log in code to complete their entries.

Competitor's Age

Competitors must be over 10 years of age and under 13 years of age, as at 31st December the year before the tournament year. Competitor’s birthdates will be required on school registration documentation. For the 2025 Zespri AIMS Games, the eligible birth years are 2012, 2013, and 2014.

Divisions

• Mixed Rip Rugby Sevens Division (a maximum of 12 registered players per team / minimum 10 registered players per team).
• Maximum of six boys and six girls per team.
  
• Minimum of four boys and four girls per team.
  
• Minimum of three girls on the field at all times.
  
• Schools can only register one Rip Rugby team.
• To ensure players are given equal opportunities, ALL registered players of every team must play half of every game. No exceptions. Any coach found not implementing this rule will receive a warning (first offence) and will be suspended for one match if they are still found not to be implementing this rule (second offence). The only exception is if a player is injured and unable to participate in the match.
• If registration for an activity is oversubscribed, then the opportunity to participate will be at the discretion of the executive committee and no further correspondence will be entered into (if unsuccessful the registration fee will be refunded). The four semi-finalists in the tournament of the previous year have first right of entry.

Multiple Sporting Codes

• Students may compete in more than one sporting code, provided they are in line with the permitted code crossovers. 

• Timetable allowances will not be made for any competitors, and it is the sole responsibility of the school to check for programming conflicts. 

• Students participating in the 2025 Zespri AIMS Games can only compete in one team sport.  This means that students competing in Rip Rugby strictly cannot also compete in the following sporting codes – 3x3 Basketball, 5-Aside Basketball, Football, Futsal, Hockey, Netball, Rugby Sevens or Water Polo.

Seeding

All teams will be placed into pools based on a combination of 2024 seedings and a geographic spread. Seedings will be at the tournament organiser’s discretion.

PROGRAMME

Referees

• The organising committee will supply and appoint referees and assistant referees to all matches.
• Schools will not be required to supply any match officials.
• No referee decisions are to be questioned or issues raised with the match officials by any of the team coaches, management or supporters at the field. All questions and concerns MUST be brought directly to the tournament Referee Manager soon after the conclusion of the game.

Competition points in pool play

Determining standings at the end of the pool play

In the event that two or more teams in a pool are tied on points at the conclusion pool play, the finishing positions will be determined in accordance with the following criteria, which is applied in the order in which they appear, until the tie is broken:

1. Where two teams are tied on points:

• The team that won the game between the two teams will take the higher ranking.
• The team with the highest positive margin for points scored for and against will be ranked higher.
• The team that scored the highest number of points in pool play will be ranked higher.
• The team with the higher positive margin of tries scored for and against will be ranked higher.
• The team that has scored the highest number of tries will be ranked higher.
• In the event the tie is not broken by criteria (i – v) above then the tie will be resolved by the toss of a coin between the managers from each team.

2. Where there are three or more teams tied on points:

• The criteria of A (ii - vi) will apply.

3. When comparing like placings between qualifying pools:

• The first consideration will be the competition points the respective teams have scored.
  

In the event that teams are tied in a Finals round, the team that scored the first try will be deemed the winning team. If the full time score is nil all, the winner will be determined by a coin toss.

Mixed Rip Rugby team composition

Each team shall comprise:
​​​​​​​

1. Up to twelve players registered per team.

2. Maximum of six boys and six girls per team.

3. Minimum of four boys and four girls per team.

4. For player welfare each team must have a minimum of 10 players. 

5. Each team is only allowed five reserves per game.

6. Minimum of three girls on the field at all times.

7. Up to three management.

8. Numbered jerseys are NOT required for Mixed Rip Rugby.

Venue composition

All Rip Rugby games will be played at Blake Park, Mount Maunganui.  Mixed Rip Rugby play on approximately a half-sized rugby field as per the diagram below.

RULES

1. All Rip Rugby players to be in bare feet unless they have a medical certificate where they will be allowed to wear covered shoes.
2. Ball size four (match balls provided).
3. The start and end of each half will be indicated by a siren controlled by tournament operations. A half can only end when the ball is dead (penalties and rips are NOT dead ball) and when a restart is not required by law.
4. Open weight in Mixed Division.
5. Teams to provide their own first aid kit and ice.

Technical zones

1. 2 x rectangular boxes measuring approx. 5 metres long x 2 metres wide have been painted on all fields on one side of the field, on each side of the halfway line. One box is for each team. These boxes are called ‘Technical Zones’ and are the only areas where the coaches, managers, reserves, medical personnel and water carriers of each team must be positioned during their game. No other personnel are permitted in this area during the game.
2. There is to be NO coaching of players by anyone located within these technical zones during the game.
3. There is to be no roaming of the touch line by any coach, manager, reserve, medical personnel, or water carrier during the game.
4. Each team is permitted to have one (1) medic and three (3) water carriers (4 people in total) and they must wear a “BIB” that clearly identifies them as such. No bib, no entry onto the field.
5. A coach cannot be a medic or a water carrier. A medic or a suitably trained person from each team is permitted on the field AT ANY TIME to treat an injured player.
6. Water carriers are only permitted on the field at a stoppage (try, conversion, Injury).
7. A penalty kick is NOT a stoppage.
8. Coaches are NOT permitted to approach or speak to match officials at all during the game. This includes half time.

Substitutions and replacements

1. A team is permitted to make five (5) substitutions per match. All substitutions MUST be made at half time.
2. Any player that is temporarily replaced because of blood, can return to the game once the bleeding is controlled.
3. Any player on the bench can act as a temporary replacement for them, but that same person is the only one who can come off the field if the blood injured player returns.
4. If a player is injured, they can be permanently replaced by any player on the bench. This will not count towards the five substitutions. An injured player who is replaced cannot return to the game.
5. All replacements can only be made when the ball is dead, and with the permission of the referee (a penalty, free kick, free pass, or rip is not a dead ball).
6. Team coaches or managers must communicate ALL substitutions or replacements, including jersey numbers (where applicable), to the side-line match official.

Mixed Rip Rugby rules

The Laws of Rugby apply also apply to Rip Rugby and are much the same of those used in Rugby Sevens. The game is a New Zealand Domestic Law variation but is still regulated by the same authority, World Rugby.

There are some major differences in the Rip Rugby rule book though, which have a dramatic effect upon the game, the most obvious, is that there is NO CONTACT OR TACKLING.

The following are all the variations between Rugby Sevens and Rip Rugby.

Download the “Laws of the Game; Rugby Union”.

Listed below are the modifications from the ‘Laws of the Game of Rugby Union’. The laws that don’t have modifications have not been included in this list or are listed elsewhere in this handbook (e.g., Substitutions).

Duration of play

1. A match lasts 14 minutes (split into two halves, each of not more than seven minutes) plus time lost.

2. Half-time consists of an interval not exceeding two minutes.

3. After half time the teams will change ends.

4. A half cannot end on a penalty. If a penalty is signalled, the team awarded the penalty shall be entitled to a free pass and the game will continue until the next stoppage in play. A rip is not a stoppage in play.

5. When a drawn match requires extra-time, play restarts after a one-minute break with periods of no more than five minutes. After each period, the teams change ends without an interval.

Number of players

1. The game is played between teams of equal numbers of players, up to seven.

2. There must be a minimum of three girls on the field at any time.

3. A team may nominate and use up to five replacements.

4. Except in the case of injury or a sending off, every player must play half of each game.

Referees

1. The referee will shout, “PASS!” when a rip has been made, and “TURNOVER!” after a fourth rip.
2. The referee will signal to the team who is kicking off or has a free pass by pointing with an outstretched arm towards that team.

Scoring

• A try is worth 1 point.

• There are no kicks at goal.

• If a player is ripped in the act of scoring a try (either diving or bending down to put the ball on the ground), the try counts.

The rip rugby belt and tags - provided

1. The belt is adjusted to fit the waist of the player and fastened so that two flags hang — one from each side.

2. Velcro attaches the flags, so they are positioned on each hip.

3. Care needs to be taken to ensure that for safety the tail of the belt is tucked away.

4. Each team is distinguished by the colour of the flags they wear.

5. The belt must be worn outside the clothing, shirts tucked in and flags free so they can be ripped off. Sanction: Free Pass

6. If a player accidentally loses a flag when they have the ball, the game will be stopped to allow the player to replace the flag. Once the flag has been replaced the game will restart with a free pass by the player in possession. The stoppage will not count towards the rip count.

Restarts

1. After a team has scored, the same team restarts with a punt or drop kick on or behind the centre of the half-way line. Sanction: free pass.

2. Kick must travel in a forward direction 5 metres minimum and must not go directly into touch. Sanction: free pass.

3. Team-mates of the kicker must be behind the ball when kicked. Sanction: free pass.

4. Kicking team players must not make any contact with opposition players receiving a kick (i.e., no contesting for a kick). Any doubt as to who made contact will go in favour of the receiving team. Sanction: free pass.

5. If the ball is kicked into the opponents’ in-goal without touching any player and an opponent grounds the ball without delay, or it goes into touch-in-goal or on or over the dead-ball line, the non-kicking team is awarded a free-pass at halfway.

6. If during play, the attackers put with ball into the defenders’ in-goal area, and it is grounded by a defender, or made dead, play will restart with a Free Pass to the defenders 5m out from their goal line (similar to a 22m restart in Rugby).

Attackers

1. The ball carrier cannot fend defenders off using their hands, or the ball. Sanction: free pass.

2. The ball carrier cannot guard or shield their flags in any way. Sanction: free pass.

3. A player can spin once (360) in a possession (no helicopters). Sanction: free pass.

Defenders (Rippers)

1. There is no contact in Rip Rugby. Defenders (Rippers) ripping the flag off the belt of the ball carrier stops the ball carrier’s progress. Sanction: free pass.

2. Defenders (Rippers) cannot grab the ball carriers belt, or other part of their uniform in order to rip a tag. Sanction: free pass.

3. Defenders (Rippers) cannot physically touch the ball carrier where avoidable. Sanction: free-pass.

Free pass

1. To make a free pass, the player making the pass starts with the ball on the ground, moves the ball slightly forward using the side of their foot, then picks up the ball and passes the ball backwards to a member of their own team.

2. The player who taps the ball MUST pass and cannot run with the ball.

3. The Defenders (Rippers) must remain five metres back from the player making the free pass. They cannot start moving forward until the ball leaves the hands of the player making the free pass.

4. A free pass is used to restart play at any other time that play has halted and needs to be restarted other than with a lineout or scrum.

5. Free passes cannot take place less than five metres from either try line.

6. A free pass is also awarded to the non-offending team when their opposition infringes the rules, such as an offside or for not returning the flag to the ripped player. A free pass or kick for touch as in normal rugby applies here.

The rip

1. To complete a rip one of the two flags from the ball carrier’s belt must be removed.

2. The only person who can be ripped is the ball carrier. Sanction: free pass.

3. The Defender (Ripper) must stop, and shout “RIP!” Sanction: free pass.

4. The ball carrier must then pass the ball immediately (within three strides). He or she does not stop, return to the mark, tap or roll the ball between their legs. Should they run further than three strides, they can return to where the rip was made before passing. Sanction: free pass.

5. Four rips in a row leads to a turnover in possession. Play restarts with a free pass to the opposition.

6. After the ball carrier has passed the ball the Defender (Ripper) must hand the flag back to the player who then reattaches it to their belt before they can re-join play. If the attacker is not ready to receive the flag the defender may place it on the ground in front of them. Sanction: free pass.

7. If a player is ripped before the try line and doesn’t pass before they get over the line, they restart play five metres out from the try line with a free pass.

8. Restarting the rip count occurs when there is a turnover or when either team is penalised.

9. If a player accidentally loses a tag when they have the ball, stop the game, replace the tag and restart with a free pass.

Knock on

• When a player knocks or drops the ball towards the opponents’ try line and does not regain control of the ball before it touches the ground, another player or the referee, a scrum is awarded to the non-offending team unless an advantage can be played.

Offside

1. Offside only occurs at a rip, when the ball becomes the offside line.

2. When a rip is made, all players from the Defender’s (Ripper’s) team must retreat to a position that is closer to their goal line than where the Ripped player (Attacker) passes the ball.

3. Failure to do so, results in a free pass to the team in possession, unless advantage can be played, and the rip count will restart at zero.

4. If a player is offside and they intercept, prevent or slow down a pass, they will be penalised and a free pass will be awarded to the non-offending team, unless an advantage can be played.

Passing the ball

1. The ball can only be passed to the ball carrier in a backwards direction.

2. Attackers must not pass the ball forward; towards the Defenders’ (Rippers’) try line.

3. Attackers cannot hand the ball to another attacker.

4. A scrum will be awarded to the opposition if an attacker passes the ball forward or hands the ball to another attacker.

5. If the ball is not caught to conclude a pass and is not knocked forward, play can continue.
   

Kicking

1. There is kicking in Rip Rugby.

2. If you are ‘Ripped’ – you cannot kick the ball.

3. If a kick in general play crosses the dead ball line, it is a free pass at the mark from where the kick was made.

4. Normal offsides from kicking situations apply.

5. If a player is intentionally ripped when chasing a kicked ball, a free pass is awarded to the non-offending team at the point where their ball landed, but no closer than 5m to the try line.

Advantage

1. Not stopping the game when an infringement happens is called ‘advantage’.

2. Referees should play ‘advantage’ to the non-offending team if there is any chance that they may be advantaged by there being no stoppage in play, for instance if the team gets the ball or retains the ball in circumstances that are more favourable than if a free pass was called.

3. The referee should call ‘advantage’ followed by ‘play on’ if an advantage is deemed by the referee to occur.

4. If no advantage occurs within a reasonable period play restarts with a scrum, penalty, or free pass.

Going to ground

1. Unless scoring a try, a ball carrier cannot intentionally go to ground, or a player cannot dive on the ball. Sanction: free pass.

2. Players can dive for a try or dive on the ball for a try.

The scrum

1. These consist of three players from each side.

2. No pushing – win your own ball.

3. Follow the referee’s calls to ‘crouch – bind – set’.

4. Both halfbacks must stand next to the scrum and cannot advance past the middle of the tunnel. Sanction: free pass.

5. Players who are not in the scrum and who are not the team’s halfback, are offside if they remain in front of their offside line or overstep the offside line which is 5 metres behind the hindmost player of each team in a scrum Sanction: free pass.

The lineout

1. If the ball is carried or kicked out of the field of play, the game is restarted with a lineout with the non-offending side throwing the ball in.

2. The lineout must consist of three players (two in the lineout plus one throwing/opposite) from each team, plus a receiver if they choose.

3. Lineouts are contested, but there is no lifting the jumper (U13 DSLV) Sanction: free pass.

4. For players not taking part in the lineout, the offside line is 5 metres behind the line of touch. Sanction: free pass.

Fair play

1. All players must play games in a positive spirit following the principles of good sportsmanship.

2. In instances of verbal abuse, physical abuse, poor sportsmanship, intentional offending, persistent reoffending or any other offending, a referee may send a player from the playing area.

3. If a player is sent from the playing area by the referee, they must remain off for the remainder of that game. However, that player can be replaced by another player who has not been sent off.

4. There shall be no intentional physical contact between players.

MEDAL PRESENTATIONS

The top three placed teams in each division will be presented with their medals at the conclusion of the finals on Thursday 4th September.