AIMS Games - Entry Fees & Permitted Code Crossovers

ENTRY FEES AND PERMITTED CODE CROSSOVERS

ENTRY FEES


The AIMS Games Trust is proud to maintain a consistent and accessible fee structure for all participating schools. Recognising that travel and accommodation represent the most significant costs for many schools, we are pleased to confirm that individual entry fees for the 2026 Games will remain unchanged for the third consecutive year.

A standard entry fee of NZD $80 per athlete, per sporting code applies across all sports:

  • For individual sporting codes, the fee is charged per athlete.
  • For team sports, the fee is charged per team, based on the maximum number of players permitted for that code.

Please note that Cross Country and Hip Hop are exceptions and will incur a reduced per-person entry fee.

Some sporting codes may also include additional charges, such as referee fees, particularly where a school is unable to provide its own official. All additional costs will be clearly outlined during the registration process and detailed in the official 2026 Event Information Booklet (scheduled for release in February 2026).​​​​​​​


permitted CODE CROSSOVERS


The 2026 Zespri AIMS Games will feature 27 sporting codes, offering a wide range of opportunities for student athletes to compete and represent their schools.

  • 17 of these codes are individual sports, allowing students to compete independently.
  • The remaining 10 codes are team sports, requiring full team entries.

All participating students must be enrolled full-time at the school they are representing. As the Zespri AIMS Games is an interschool competition, teams must consist solely of students from the same school. Composite teams, made up of students from multiple schools, are not permitted under any circumstances.

Students may enter up to two sporting codes, provided the combination is permitted under the event’s crossover guidelines. Acceptable combinations include:

  • One team sport and one individual sport, or
  • Two individual sports.

In addition to these, students may also participate in Cross Country and/or Hip Hop, regardless of their other entries. 

Please note: No timetable adjustments will be made to accommodate scheduling conflicts between sporting codes. It is the responsibility of each school and the parents/caregivers to ensure that students’ chosen events do not overlap.​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Even where permitted code crossovers allow it, students are encouraged to avoid entering more than one individual sporting code held on the same day. This helps ensure they have ample time to warm up, prepare properly and enjoy a positive sporting experience. 

Draws and start lists cannot be developed until registrations close and we know how many competitors are entered in each sport. However, the published programme for each sporting code - including which day/s Singles and Doubles will be played - will not deviate from what is listed. In sports such as Badminton, Indoor Bowls, Squash, Table Tennis and Tennis, students can expect to play multiple matches in a day.

If an individual event overlaps with a team sport, schools and coaches must ensure the team still has enough players available should that student be unavailable due to their individual competition.

Programmes for all sports, including division schedules and venue locations, are available on the Sports Pages of our website to help schools and parents/caregivers plan ahead and factor in travel time.