It all started with Tyrone Campbell.

​​​​​​​A chance camping trip in the Highlands of Scotland on my OE sparked something inside me—a dream, a passion, and a drive that would eventually lead to the creation of Global Games. Over the next 16 years, that dream would give over 60,000 young people and more than 200,000 supporters from across New Zealand and around the world experiences to last a lifetime, and set us up to connect a million people by 2035. This journey epitomises our motto: "Dream it, live it."

Sitting around a campfire in Glencoe, deep in the Scottish Highlands, I found myself in the same spot where my ancestors had once walked. As I stared into the flames, I reflected on my journey so far—the places I had visited, the people I had met, and the experiences that had shaped me. My childhood was never far from my mind, particularly the one and only sports tour I had been on. The moments when I had felt truly empowered had been through travel on my OE and, as a young Kiwi boy, playing grassroots sport. That night in Glencoe, inspired by the ethos of 'dream it, live it,' I decided I wanted to create something that tied all of those passions together, something that would give young people opportunities through sport and travel—opportunities that were normally reserved for representative players or their sporting heroes.

For the next few months, my mind was consumed with ideas. My head spun with excitement as I tried to piece together how I could bring this vision to life and to finally put my dream on paper and set the wheels in motion for Global Games.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Tyrone in Queenstown at the NZ Junior Rugby Festival - 2019

​​​​​​​I was in my twenties with no money, no network, very little qualifications, and, in all honesty, no idea what I was getting myself into, just a big dream and lots of heart. Growing up in Wainuiomata and the Hutt Valley, I was fortunate to play many different sports, creating memories of friendship and fun. But I was never a star player. In any given season, I could count my significant plays on one hand. When rep teams were named, I never expected to hear my name called. I admired the top players who got to travel, to meet teams from around the country, to experience the excitement of tournaments.

But sometimes, life surprises you. In my final year of club rugby at Hutt Old Boys, as a 12-year-old, my team was lucky enough to go on a one-day tour to the Wairarapa. The excitement was unreal. We were going to travel on a bus together to play a club in this ‘faraway’ land—just an hour and a half over the hill. For weeks leading up to the trip, we buzzed with anticipation. On the day itself, we could barely contain ourselves, laughing and joking like we were superstars. In our minds, we were. Arriving at the hosting club felt surreal. Chasing sheep off the field before kickoff was just another part of the adventure. We got absolutely smashed—80-0, if I recall correctly—but the score didn’t matter. It was one of the best days of my childhood, and I never forgot it.

​​​​

Tyrone working on Global Games on his OE - 2007

​​​​​Fast forward 17 years from that childhood sports tour. After returning from my OE, I found myself driving across the country, visiting clubs and speaking with coaches, parents, and team managers about the Global Games I was setting up. Many were hesitant. After all, I was just some unknown guy asking them to send their kids some as young as nine across the country to a brand-new event that had never been run before, by someone they had never met. But once we spoke face to face and they saw my passion, they figured I seemed like a half-decent bloke and decided to take a chance

The first festival kicked off in September 2010. Behind the scenes, it was absolute chaos. My poor family, whom I had roped into helping, looked stunned on opening morning as kids poured in from every direction for registration—something we were woefully unprepared for.

The day after the festival, I sat alone by the lake, completely shattered. I was convinced it had been a disaster, that no one would ever come back. But then the emails and calls started coming in. Messages from coaches, parents, and players telling me what an incredible experience it had been, how much fun they’d had, and how they couldn’t wait to return. All these years later, and most of those clubs are still coming back. My family took much longer to forgive me.

Starting out wasn’t easy. The early years were full of setbacks, challenges, and failures. But giving up was never an option. The toughest part wasn’t the logistics or the workload—it was dealing with tall poppy people who, without reason, opposed what we were doing and had nothing but negativity to offer. Many had never even attended an event or even taken the time to meet me.

Politics in sport is a beast of its own, and I’m still trying to make sense of it. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter which team we’re working with, where they come from, or their background. What matters is creating world-class experiences for kids and standing up for the ones who might not otherwise get a shot—the ones like that little boy from the Hutt Valley, giving it everything he’s got, just wanting to have fun.

Tyrone Campbell

​​​​​​​Global Games Founder