Neke atu i te 430 ngā kura puta noa i Aotearoa me Te Moananui ā Kiwa ka tae mai ki Tauranga Moana ki te whakataetae i roto i ngā hākinakina e 27, i ngā Zespri AIMS Games.
E rua ngā Kura Kaupapa o Tainui Waka ka pakangs ngātahi ki runga i te kōti poitarawhiti, arā, ko Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa me Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere.
“I tino pai engari i tino uaua na te mea i moohio raatou, like, i peewhea raatou. He aha too maatou keemu. Aae,” hei tā Moeteia Samuels-Roberts, nō Te Wharekura o Kirikiriroa.
“Kaua e mataku, ina kei te pakanga koe ki eetehi Wharekura na te mea teera pea kia toa koe i too keemu,” hei tā Moeteia anō.
“I pai kia pakanga ki eetehi atu kura Maaori.”
Mō Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere, i tū ngā tuakana a Amelia Hancy me Ahnakah Wallis hei kaitākaro, hei kaiako hoki mō tēnei wiki, me te whakahua a Amelia i te hiranga o te ū ki ngā tikanga ā-iwi.
“Koiraa te aahuatanga o ngaa nekehanga o ngaa kura aa iwi te haere ki ngaa kaupapa katoa ahakoa te aha, Te haere me te mahi i ngaa mahi. Te uu ki ngaa mahi, te uu ki too maatou Arikinui anoo hoki,” hei tā Amelia anō.
Mō Ahnakah Wallis ko tētehi o ngā kaupapa nui ki te poipoi i te reanga ka ara ake.
“I ngaa tau kei te heke mai nei kei te kuhu mai eenei kootiro ki te Wharekura. E Aawhina ana maaua kia aahua set up meeki ngaa kootiro moo ngaa tau kei te heke mai nei,” Ahnakah anō.
Zespri AIMS Games under way with record-breaking turnout in Tauranga
Tauranga is preparing to welcome a record-breaking 14,506 young athletes from 467 schools across New Zealand, Australia, the Cook Islands, and Fiji for the 2026 Zespri AIMS Games, running from Saturday, 5 to Friday, 11 September. Spanning 27 sporting codes, the 22nd annual tournament brings significant energy, excitement, and economic benefits to the region, building on a 2025 impact that generated $9.75 million in visitor spending and a net economic benefit of $5.8 million.
Tournament Director Kelly Schischka highlights the palpable excitement and months of preparation from schools arriving in Tauranga.
“We’ve been hearing a lot about the amazing efforts schools and athletes are making to get here and we can feel a palpable excitement building. Each year, we’ve been able to add more to our programme and build the experience around our sporting codes, and this year is shaping as the best yet,” Schischka says.
Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale emphasises the community legacy, economic support, and welcoming environment fostered by the event.
“It’s fantastic to be welcoming a record number of competitors this year who, along with their whānau and supporters, will get to experience everything that makes the Zespri AIMS Games and our city so special,” says Mayor Mahé Drysdale.
To assist participants and supporters, the Tauranga City Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council are providing free bus services across key venues, alongside community initiatives like the Give Back Games programme supporting native tree planting, coastal clean-ups, and food donations.