Let the games begin!
New Zealand's largest celebration of rural sports athletes and enthusiasts – New Zealand Rural Games - is back for its 10th edition, kicking off in Palmerston North from Thursday, March 6th to Sunday, March 9th, 2025.
Established by the New Zealand Rural Games Trust, this event supports youth studying Horticulture and Agriculture, creating opportunities for partnership and connection within the education and employment sectors throughout New Zealand.
Event organisers have partnered with the Ashburton A&P Show to bring the 2024 Canterbury Clash of the Colleges, said general manager Daniel O'Regan.
“More than 300 students from across Canterbury competed in last year’s Clash, and we hope to see similar participation at the Ashburton A&P Show.”
Ben Stock, president of the Ashburton A&P Show, highlighted the event's importance, saying it is all about encouraging the next generation into the food and fibre sectors.
“Our region is New Zealand’s food basket and it’s essential we support the next generation into the sector.
"We're excited to welcome students and their families from across Canterbury, the West Coast and North Otago to the 2024 Clash of the Colleges. This event allows teens to improve their skills and have a lot of fun doing it. It's a chance for them to come together, learn, compete, and network."
Clash of the Colleges is a fast-paced, amazing race-style competition that offers students hands-on experience in various aspects of the rural sector. Teams of four will complete 16 hands-on modules within one and a half hours, all run by experts and members of local Young Farmer Clubs.
Modules include Artificial Insemination, ATV Safety and Wheel Change, Tree Identification, Attaching an Insulator, Break Fencing, Irrigation set up, Offal Identification, Feeds and Weeds, Drenching, Mussel Buoy Knot Tying, Handpiece Setup, Wool Identification, Gumboot Throwing, Sulky Racing, Thoroughbred Racing, Springer Horse Riding, and more. This year, the scoring system has been adjusted so that physical modules like gumboot throwing and sulky racing will receive participation points only. Daniel O'Regan mentioned that this change focuses on essential skills needed in food and fibre, creating a more even playing field for boys' and girls' teams.
Tangaroa Walker from Farm 4 Life, an agri-edutainment creator with over 340,000 followers, will emcee the event, which is scheduled for November 1 & 2 2024 at the Ashburton Showgrounds.
Schools can register here.
