NZ Junior League Festival Aims To Help Kids Kick COVID Blues

Connecting kids to help them kick the COVID blues into touch is a key focus of the NZ Kiwi Junior Rugby League Festival being held in Christchurch this weekend.

Involving around 600 young league players – aged between 7 and 12, and from as far away as Auckland, Wellington and eastern Bay of Plenty – the (normally) annual festival returns in 2022 after a COVID imposed hiatus.

Tyrone Campbell, Director of Auckland-based sporting events company and festival organizer Global Games, says the event provides kids of all backgrounds, nationalities and abilities the chance to create “lifelong memories and friendships” through sport, which he says is especially important in the context of the ongoing pandemic.

“The sustained impact of the pandemic has in many cases restricted the ability of young New Zealanders to travel, to engage in sports and to meet new peers, so we’re really excited to be able to hold the tournament this year as a chance for hundreds of kids to build friendships and connections through a shared passion for rugby league.”

First time held in the South Island

Global Games has teamed up with Canterbury Rugby League to bring the festival to Christchurch – the first time the event has been held outside of the North Island.

“We’re absolutely delighted to bring the festival to the great southern city of Christchurch and thank Canterbury Rugby League for their continued support to make it happen,” says Mr Campbell.

A tournament with a difference

Contrary to most sporting fixtures, the festival’s emphasis is not on competition, but on enjoyment, sportsmanship, and the chance to participate in a national age-grade tournament - a once in a lifetime opportunity for many kids, with such a privilege usually reserved for elite players selected for representative duties.

In keeping with the inclusive spirit of the festival, there is no championship, winner’s trophy, or grade finals: the supreme prize on the tournament’s awards table is the ‘best and fairest’, which is bestowed based on effort, teamwork and sportsmanship.

The eventual best and fairest winning team will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Auckland to watch a 2023 Warriors NRL game. The prize package has been put together with the support of the Warriors Foundation and includes the chance to play on the hallowed Mount Smart turf in a mod-mini league before the main match.

“We’re very grateful to the Warriors Foundation and to everyone who has contributed towards bringing this phenomenal prize to fruition. It’s a fantastic incentive and one that I am sure will be eagerly contested as teams strive to embody the values of enjoyment, sustainability, empowerment and sportsmanship that underpin the festival,” says Mr Campbell.

The NZ Kiwi Junior League Festival will be held at the Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub, Wigram, Christchurch this Saturday 26 and Sunday 28 August, with the opening ceremony commencing at 9.30am and first round kicking off at 10.30am

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