OUR 4 PILLARS

The cornerstone of our festival lies in our four pillars: Enjoyment, Sustainability, Sportsmanship and Empowerment. These are not just words, but principles we live by, ensuring a festival atmosphere that honours the game, its players, and its supporters.

ENJOYMENT | HĀKINAKINA 

"A positive experience for all children attending" This is our primary objective at our festivals and we always put their interests ahead of our own. At all of our festivals, there is a framework inplace that ensures that regardless of skill level, team enjoyment is secured and experiences maximised throughout. Every team will play throughout the whole weekend and be matched against teams of equal ability wherever possible.

EMPOWERMENT | WHAKAMANA

We empower young people in a unified and inspiring way regardless of their sporting abilities or backgrounds. There are numerous stories from clubs attending the Global Games on the positive impact the experience has on their young people and the level of development they take away from travelling out from their home regions many for the first time. Getting the chance to interact with other cultures.

SPORTSMANSHIP | WHANONGA TAPATAHI

Sportsmanship is at the heart of our festivals. Prior to each Global Games event teams attending are buddied up with another team from out of their region and put in touch with each other before the big weekend. They are encouraged to meet up over the festival and support each other when they are not playing.

Another initiative Global Games has developed is a world class points system in place for good and bad sportsmanship. This has helped see a huge reduction in sideline tension and created a more vibrant atmosphere at our events. Teams will often stay in touch and will meet up again long after the last pass has been made. 

SUSTAINABILITY | TOITŪ

Global Games uses practical tools and methodology based on the three dimensions of
sustainable development: social, environmental and economic. We understand and care that the “great time we have had today” can leave
an aftermath of problems for tomorrow. Global Games is working towards having all events waste-free by 2025.

EVENT ETHOS

Global Games is more than a rugby event it’s a celebration of the rich culture and spirited legacy of what it means to be a Kiwi.

We aim to provide a platform where young players can exhibit their skills, learn from
others, and enjoy the game in its truest form. This festival is designed to promote not just the game, but also mutual respect, personal integrity, and lifelong friendships among participants from all backgrounds.

We are dedicated to offering junior rugby players the chance to compete against teams from
around the country and worldwide in a secure, encouraging, and supportive setting. Our core
ethos is built on the values of sportsmanship, enjoyment, and friendship, creating lifelong memories with teammates while on tour. This experience is not just for elite players but for all,
regardless of skill level or club affiliation.

Touring with a team and playing against others from different regions and countries is an incredibly rewarding experience for young rugby players. Global Games serves as an occasion for rugby enthusiasts to have fun, forge new friendships, and create memories that will last a lifetime. It is our duty to uphold the festival’s culture and safeguard the experiences of all participants. We are committed to maintaining the values of the festival and will not tolerate any behaviour that undermines its ethos.

​​​​​​​In order to ensure that every player has a positive experience, we require team management to take full responsibility for sideline conduct. We kindly ask that any disruptive supporters be left behind to not detract from the event’s spirit. Teams displaying poor sideline behaviour will be ineligible for awards, and their clubs may risk exclusion from future events.

Let us prioritise fun and remember that these are young individuals participating in this event. Referees are human beings, and this is not the Rugby World Cup. By working together, we can cultivate a supportive environment for our junior players and guarantee that they have an unforgettable time at the Global Games.

SAFETY MEASURES

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our players is our top priority at Global Games

Every event has a comprehensive health and safety plan that is independently audited to ensure the highest level of safety for all participants, especially young athletes who may be experiencing their first major event.

Every team must bring a qualified first aider (St Johns basic first aid qualification or equivalent) and their own first aid kit to the festival, and they are also responsible for bringing their own supply of ice each day. While our festival medical team will provide professional medical assistance during the festival, your team’s first aider is the first person to evaluate if the festival medical team is required.

Head injuries and concussions are serious and require proper management. If a player is suspected to have a concussion, they will be immediately removed from the game and cannot return to play on the same day. If a player is diagnosed with Concussion, this will be managed under medical concussion services, with mandatory stand down of 21 days (and supervised return to play protocol with medical clearance required prior to return to any sport).

Mouthguards are mandatory for all players and will be checked before the game can start. If a player is injured during a match, the game must be stopped immediately, so the player can be treated.

Any players on the field who are injured and/or bleeding must be removed immediately and a substitute can be played while they are being attended to. Any cuts or wounds must have bandages, dressings and protective material applied. If a wound is very minor, it may be able to be quickly checked, cleaned and covered on the field without substitution. This will be down to the discretion of the medical staff on the day.​​​​​​​

Our onsite medical team is new and improved to ensure any injuries are treated appropriately. We also have sideline medics with specific experience in rugby/sporting injuries as well as onsite Physiotherapy services to assist in the treatment of injury.

All head injuries need to be checked by our event medical team, the Physios and Paramedics on site are not able to diagnose Concussion. Although they can suspect and refer, a Medical Doctor with Concussion specialisation is needed for clearance.

Certain Red Flags such as Loss of Consciousness, Vomiting, Double Vision, Balance and Motor coordination issues for example, are reasons for immediate removal and no return to play inside the mandatory stand down (21 days) and medical supervision and medical clearance is compulsory.

Refer to www.rugbysmart.co.nz for further concussion management guidelines.

SUSTAINABILITY & WASTE MANAGEMENT

We at Global Games have set a goal of being a waste-free event by 2025. With the help of Without Waste, our waste minimisation partner, we are working towards achieving this goal. Global Games wants to encourage all our participants to be tidy kiwis.

RUBBISH POLICY

We have implemented a pack-in/ pack-out system for general waste. This means, we will not be accepting general waste at the Recycling & Waste tent, and you are required to take your rubbish with you when you pack out. All public bins will only accept waste generated from food vendors on-site, and all other waste brought from off-site will not be accepted.

We have trolley bins on site with bin ambassadors to help provide education at the source. For all waste produced at your tents, please ensure that all waste is separated at your tent site before being brought to the Recycling & Waste Tent. If it is not clean and separated correctly, we will not accept it.

TIPS

  • Drain liquid out of containers and rinse before you bring them to the waste yard.
  • Take lids off of bottles as they cannot be recycled and belong in general waste.
  • Just because it looks like plastic, doesn’t mean it is! Beware of #7-PLA cups. They are not recyclable or compostable.
  • Metal and aluminium must be uncrushed and smaller than 1L.
  • If you have dirty recyclables, please ensure they are rinsed clean or taken off-site as general waste.
  • Paper and cardboard are easily contaminated, please keep all mixed recycling clean to avoid

MIXED RECYCLING

Clean Plastic (#1, #2, #5), Cans, and Metal, Flattened Cardboard and Paper. All must be clean and without lids, do not crush cans, cardboard must be flattened.

  • Aluminium cans
  • #1 Plastic bottles (clear only)
  • #2 Milk Bottles
  • #5 Containers
  • Metal tins
  • Clean and flattened Cardboard boxes
  • Paper (non-laminated)