Kayla Hodge offers a guide to the week ahead.
The facts
• The hosting of the Masters Games alternates between Whanganui and Dunedin every year. Dunedin will host the 37th edition of New Zealand’s largest and longest-running multisport festival.
• The hub has been moved to the Edgar Centre this year.
• The Games officially get under way today with 16 sports — from ice skating to croquet — kicking things off. The opening ceremony will be held at the Edgar Centre, followed by entertainment from Dunedin band Dubious Groove.
• More than 3500 athletes are lining up across the week to compete in more than 60 sports. About 60% of the athletes are coming from outside Dunedin.
• More than 25 venues will be used, including the Edgar Centre, Caledonian and various arenas in Dunedin and it heads as far as Alexandra and Roxburgh (shooting), Palmerston and Allanton (motocross) and Tautuku (saltwater fishing).
The sports
New additions
• Brazilian jujitsu will makes its debut at the Games on Monday. It will be held a the Edgar Centre, featuring men and women across various disciplines.
• Extreme petanque adds another fun element in its debut. Taking place at the Dunedin City Petanque Club, extreme petanque is described as a mix of petanque and mini-golf, where players have different obstacles and surfaces, such as gravel, sand, tyres and hay bales, to make their shots from.
Popular
• Football has again attracted the biggest number of athletes to Dunedin this year. It is closely followed by netball, softball and hockey, while pickleball has seen the biggest increase in participation numbers. Pickleball, a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, has gained traction internationally in recent years.
Quirky
• Jigsaw puzzle racing made quite the impression when it joined the Masters Games in 2024. It is back by popular demand — and bigger than before, being run across three days, starting on Wednesday, with singles and teams events at the Edgar Centre.
• Break out the costumes, twilight 400 is back. The fun event, featuring a Mardi Gras theme this year, has teams giving it their all across smallbore rifle shooting, darts, curling and 10-pin bowling
• Cornhole is a family favourite in the backyard. But there is nothing quite like the competitive instincts that come out when you see how far you can throw a mini cloth bag filled with corn through a hole on a wooden platform. Always an exciting one.
• Ever fancied yourself as a wine connoisseur? The Masters Games will reward you with a medal if your senses are as a good as you think they are with wine options. Wine options features teams of four taking part in a wine tasting and a quiz to match the top notes to the bottle.
