Welcome to official information page for
New Zealand school esports events.
On this page, you’ll find events and leagues for primary, intermediate, and secondary school students. You’ll also find helpful resources on how to start your own esports club, along with information on how we keep students safe in the online ecosystem.
events
Supporting Body
Accessibility Rating
Upcoming Match
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Upcoming Calendar
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want to get involved?
Below is a quick overview of what you can do, but if you’re after a more in-depth guide on how to start your esports club, head over to our School Esports page.
Selecting a Tournament Organiser: Start by reviewing the list of academic tournament organisers below who have been approved under the Academic Accredited Tournament Organiser criteria set out by School Sport NZ and NZ Esports. Choose an operator that offers games your students are likely to be interested in. This ensures both safety and engagement.
Team Formation and Announcement: Announce in the school newsletter the opportunity to join the esports club and compete in selected games. Make sure to inform about the entry fees and potential rewards of each tournament.
Team Registration: Once teams are formed, register them with the chosen tournament providers. Deadlines often close during Term 1, so be consistent. Remember, you can participate in multiple tournaments if schedules overlap.
Preparation and Management: Success in esports requires more than just skill. Consider appointing a student coach or a team manager to handle logistics like ensuring timely participation in games. Establish a practice space and schedule, and decide how the team will communicate and play, whether it’s from home, school or another location. Preparation is key to a smooth-running club.
Commitment to the Season: Talk to your players about the importance of commitment. Missing games or failing to show up not only affects their team but also the opposing school team, who lose out on a chance to compete. Consistency and responsibility are vital in maintaining the integrity of the competition and your school.
frequently asked questions
Like all sports, tournament operators or schools may choose to charge fees to cover costs of uniforms, team managers, and other expenses. This varies between different competitions.
We take into consideration several factors when choosing the games to include each year in NZSS Esports.
- Accessibility
- We love games that are free to play and available on multiple devices so whether you have a custom build gaming PC with an RTX 4090, a PS4 or a humble mobile phone – you can still compete!
- Publisher Permission
- Every game has a publisher or developer who has invested a lot of time, money and effort into building the games you love. We include games from publishers who have given us their trust and permission to include their games.
- Esports Enabled
- We include games that are designed with competition in mind that help us deliver fun and smooth competitive experiences.
If you feel there are games that meet all of these requirements that you’d like to see included next year, reach out to us or write to the publisher and let us know! We’re always working hard to include more titles every year.
Yes. Your registration must include the contact information of a valid teacher in charge who is aware of the competition.
If you feel a team has cheated during your match, please submit a formal complaint.
Of course! There is nothing stopping your school from competing in multiple esports competitions.
However it’s important to know that NZSS Esports is the only official and regulated competition supported by the NZ Government.
This competition was created to ensure that student competitors can compete in a safe environment where their only interactions are with police vetted and trained officials, student data is not sold or mishandled, and the competition is not run for commercial profit.
If you are going to compete in a commercial league, look out for the Accredited Tournament Organiser badge to make sure the operator is an experienced New Zealand operator.