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Some athletes have a lucky pair of socks, others listen to a certain playlist before a game, but for Pukekohe Intermediate School’s Year 8 athlete Lachie, a classic Kiwi breakfast is his routine for good luck.
“A weird thing I do before any big sports tournaments is have Weet-Bix for breakfast,” he says. “’The breakfast of champions,’ they call it.”
Lachie will soon be putting his Weet-Bix theory to the test at the 2026 AIMS (Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools) Games, kicking off in Tauranga on September 5.
Often dubbed the Olympics for intermediate-aged athletes, the week-long tournament will see students from schools throughout the South Pacific taking part.
Pukekohe Intermediate School is taking one of the largest groups from the Franklin region to this year’s game with approximately 104 athletes.
“For quite a lot of our students this is the highest level of competition they will attain,” school principal Rebekah Pearson says. “They’re playing against teams from all over New Zealand and beyond, so it is a significant competition.”
Getting kids to AIMS requires a team effort of its own. In Pukekohe, locals have rallied behind the school’s fundraisers, with bake sales, netball days and other social events held to help ensure the students can make it to Tauranga.
“The social we held this year had the best attendance we’ve seen in a very long time with more than 300 students and we had 375 at our netball day,” Pearson says. “I think there’s a lot of pride taken because these kids know they represent our school and our school’s values.”
ACG Strathallan has a team of 45 taking part. The Karaka school’s community is feeling a similar sense of unity, executive principal Danny O’Connor says.
“Every year, we’re just so impressed with how our families get behind [the games]. A lot of them will take time off work to go down and watch.”
The tournament is a good eye-opener for rural students to see beyond their local fields and courts, he adds.
“For our students to have this opportunity to compete with other students from all around the country and overseas is fantastic.”
One of the most exciting aspects of AIMS for many youngsters is meeting students from across the country but it’s also catching up with mates, Pukekohe Intermediate’s deputy principal Leah McNaughten confirms.
“If they play Tuakau or Onewhero, for example, the kids are like ‘oh my god! I know so-and-so from such-and-such!,’” she laughs. “It’s enjoyable to watch the excitement from our kids playing people who might be someone’s cousin or friend.”
Whether they win or lose, students across both schools always return with that post-tournament buzz.
