INDOOR BOWLS
Maita ki rō Whare

Event Details

Dates

Monday 7 – Friday 11 September 2026

Venue

Mercury Baypark Stadium, 81 Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui

Entry Fee

NZ$80.00 per player 

RegistrATION TimelINe

Entries Open

Friday 20 March 2026 at 9:00 AM

Entries Close

Wednesday 3 June 2026 at 7:59 PM

All registrations must be submitted online by each school’s designated Zespri AIMS Games Coordinator using their unique login code.

PLANNING INFORMATION

Entry Fees

  • NZ$80.00 per player (non-refundable)
  • Payment is due within 7 days of invoice receipt
  • Invoices will be issued to school accounts managers after entries close

Eligibility

Students must be aged over 10 and under 13 years as of 31 December 2025. For the 2026 Games, eligible birth years are 2013, 2014, and 2015. Birthdates must be provided during registration.

Competition Divisions

  • Open Singles (mixed gender)
  • Open Pairs – two players (can be made up of any year level/gender)
  • Adapted Sports Athletes Singles (mixed gender)
  • Adapted Sports Athletes Pairs - two players (can be made up of any year level/gender)

There is no restriction on the number of Indoor Bowls players a school may register.

Multi-Code Participation

Students may enter more than one sporting code, provided they meet permitted code crossover eligibility.

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.

Adapted Sports Athletes

Zespri AIMS Games offers a dedicated Adapted Sports Athletes Division in Indoor Bowls.

There are no qualifying or eligibility requirements; however, participation is intended for athletes whose disability creates a disadvantage when competing alongside non‑disabled peers in the open event. Schools are responsible for ensuring that students have appropriate caregiver support throughout the competition.

If your school has students with disabilities interested in taking part in the 2026 Zespri AIMS Games, we invite you to get in touch. Our team will work closely with you to answer questions and ensure that each athlete’s needs are integrated into the wider planning of the event.

PROGRAMME

DateEvent

Monday 7 September

Open Singles competition

Tuesday 8 September

Open and Adapted Sports Athletes Singles competitions

Wednesday 9 September

Open and Adapted Sports Athletes Singles competitions, Adapted Sports Athletes Pairs competition

Thursday 10 September

Open Pairs competition

Friday 11 September

Open Pairs competition

RULES​​​​​​​


  1. The tournament will be conducted under New Zealand Indoor Bowls Rules (with a few exceptions).
  2. All equipment will be supplied.
  3. Tournament organisers may shorten games if required to ensure all play is completed each day.
  4. Once the draw is confirmed, player replacements may be made at the organiser’s discretion.
  5. Players who arrive late for matches may be disqualified at the organiser’s discretion.
  6. Each team must be accompanied by one adult supervisor.
  7. Only non‑marking shoes may be worn on the mats.
  8. Umpires will be provided by the Tauranga Indoor Bowls Association.

School Team Event

Team placings will be determined by the best four combined results across singles and pairs.

If teams are tied on points, rankings will be determined by the school with the highest individual placing(s).

The four highest scoring students from a school will be presented with medals for the school team event.

Format

Two sets of four ends, starting on the bell. If each team wins one set, a one‑end Tie Breaker will be played. If the end is killed, it may not be replayed. In post‑section (quarterfinals, semifinals, final), the Tie Breaker will be four ends. If the last end is killed, it may be replayed.

Pairs Competition

The competition includes qualifying rounds, followed by post‑section play for teams with three or more wins. A pairs match is contested by two teams of two (lead and skip), with each player bowling three bowls. Pairs must be from the same school.

Format

Two sets of five ends, starting on the bell. If each player wins one set, a one‑end Tie Breaker will be played. If the end is killed, it may not be replayed. In post‑section (quarterfinals, semifinals, final), the Tie Breaker will be five ends. If the last end is killed, it may be replayed.

Singles Competition

The competition includes qualifying rounds, followed by post‑section play for players who achieve three or more wins. Singles matches are contested by two players, each bowling four bowls.

Medal PresentATION

Medals for singles and pairs placegetters will be presented at the Indoor Bowls venue at the conclusion of each competition. The four highest scoring students from a school will be presented with medals for the school team event.