Creality 3D Printing Workshop
The Creality 3D Printing Workshop gave students and teachers a hands‑on introduction to modern fabrication, from slicing basics to operating and setting up their own printers. With guidance from mentors, participants designed and printed custom creations while learning how 3D printing connects to gaming, design, and problem‑solving. It was an energetic, collaborative session where ideas took shape layer by layer.
Bromley School – Minecraft Preparation
Bromley School visited the Rārākau Esports space to sharpen their skills ahead of the upcoming interschool Minecraft competition at Tūranga Library’s TSB Arena on December 10th. Many students had never played Minecraft on a computer before, yet they adapted to it seamlessly. In preparation for the big day, they spent 90 minutes practising their speed build of the Christchurch Cathedral, adding unique touches such as a movie theatre, a snack bar, and an outdoor cherry blossom park. The team of ten students will have these 90 minutes to showcase the creative design they have been planning for months. The dedicated esports environment at Rārākau provided the perfect setting for collaboration, strategy refinement, and preparation under the pressure of competitive and creative Minecraft speed building.
UCGG’s – Dota 2 Lan Tournament 2025
UCGG’s Dota 2 LAN 2025 brought two days of intense competition and community spirit to Christchurch. Featuring five talented teams battling it out across a weekend of high-stakes matches, the event showcased the incredible passion and skill within Ōtautahi’s growing esports scene. From clutch team fights to nail-biting base defences, the tournament delivered non-stop action and excitement for players and spectators alike. The experience was made even better by our very own caster ‘Deluxe Atmosphere,’ who made the trip all the way from Adelaide just for the event. With fans filling the venue and cheering on their friends, the LAN tournament proved that the Dota 2 community in Christchurch is stronger than ever.
Waimari-Irikāhuiako Esports Comp
The Waimāri iri Kāhui Ako Esports Competition was an Intermediate Schools Rocket League Tournament which brought together four local schools: Breens Intermediate, Cobham Intermediate, St Patrick’s School, and Christ the King School, for an exciting Rocket League tournament. The event encouraged teamwork, friendly competition, and community connection through gaming. Each school fielded 6 talented young players who showcased their skills and sportsmanship across a series of thrilling matches. The tournament highlighted the growing interest in esports among students and the positive role gaming can play in bringing schools together.
Marvel Rivals Invitationals – Powered By MSI⚡
The Marvel Rivals Invitationals, hosted by PB Tech at Rarakau, brought together six teams for a day of intense competition. Teams battled it out for top honours, with first place taking home a $300 PB Tech gift card and $1000 donation to their school to support their Esports programs. The tournament showcased incredible skill and teamwork, highlighting the excitement and growing popularity of competitive Marvel Rivals in Christchurch.
Christchurch Valorant Community Clash 2025
The Christchurch Valorant Community Clash brought together eight teams for an intense one-day LAN tournament hosted by PB Tech. The event featured a full double-elimination bracket, giving teams a chance to fight their way back through the losers bracket. Matches were live-streamed throughout the day, allowing the wider community to tune in and show their support. With over 300 dollars in prizes on the line, the tournament delivered high-level gameplay and an electric atmosphere that showcased the growing strength of Christchurch’s Valorant scene.
Rārākau Rumble
Rārākau Rumbles has been our most frequently held event throughout 2025, running 10 successful editions so far. Organised by the next generation of leaders from the local fighting game community, AfterShockFGC, these events are run by high school students for high school students, creating a welcoming space for players to compete in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Over the year, Rarakau Rumbles has become a cornerstone of the community, featuring exciting brackets such as the Cashmere vs Burnside Crew Battle, Smash Melee, and the Uncs vs High Schoolers Crew Battle, bringing players together for fun, competition, and connection.
UCGG’s – Gaming Expo 2025
UCGG’s Gaming Expo continues to be one of Christchurch’s largest regular esports events. The 2025 Expo showcased a diverse range of competitions, including Valorant, Mobile Legends, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Across all titles, the event attracted over 200 participants and spectators, highlighting just how vibrant and rapidly growing the esports scene is in Ōtautahi.
Intermediate Minecraft at Rārākau
The Intermediate Minecraft program at Rārākau, led by Wilj Dekkers, brought together students from three different intermediate schools for an exciting building challenge. This collaborative event was a major undertaking, transforming both the upstairs and downstairs spaces at Rarakau into creative hubs. Teams worked together to design and construct impressive builds, showcasing their problem-solving skills, creativity, and teamwork in a dynamic and engaging environment.
Esports with Recreate
We are excited to share the success of the very first event in our new dedicated Esports space in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. This milestone marked the initial PC pressure test, and seeing the setup come to life was an incredible moment for everyone involved. The space has been designed to provide a welcoming environment where gaming and community come together, and this first outing proved that vision is becoming a reality. It was a privilege to have Recreate NZ come and experience everything the space has to offer. Their enthusiasm and positive feedback highlighted the importance of creating inclusive opportunities for young people to connect, learn, and enjoy technology in a safe and supportive setting. The atmosphere was full of energy and excitement, and it was clear that this venue would become a hub for esports and digital engagement in Christchurch.
Ōtautahi Onslaught 2025
In 2025, AfterShockFGC returned with an even bigger and bolder major event. Featuring over ten different games and attracting talent from all corners of the country, the tournament was stacked with high-level play and unforgettable matchups. The team’s ongoing efforts to uplift the local esports community continue to make a lasting impact, showcasing that Ōtautahi is home to some of New Zealand’s most skilled and passionate fighting game competitors.
UCGG’s – Valorant Innovation Expo Exhibition Tournament 2024
At the Innovatio Expo 2024, UCGG hosted their Valorant Innovation Expo Exhibition Tournament. This action-packed bracket consisted of six teams, each battling it out to come out on top. The matches were fast-paced and competitive, showcasing sharp mechanics, strong team coordination, and clutch plays from players across the region. Spectators flooded in throughout the day to watch the bracket unfold, with every round raising the stakes and delivering hype moments. The day wrapped up with big plays, memorable moments, and plenty of cheers. From start to finish, the tournament delivered an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
UCGG’s – Battle for the Rift 2024
UCGG’s Battle for the Rift featured both an online qualifier and an in-person finals event, with the qualifier narrowing the competition down to the top eight teams. The finals were packed with prizes, food, and plenty of fun, creating an energetic and welcoming atmosphere for everyone involved. League of Legends remains one of Christchurch’s biggest esports, showing no signs of slowing down as we head into 2025.
Ōtautahi Onslaught 2024
AfterShockFGC delivered a memorable major in 2024, uniting players from across Aotearoa for a weekend of intense fighting game action. With a wide selection of titles and a passionate community driving each bracket forward, the event highlighted both rising stars and established competitors. Their dedication to strengthening Ōtautahi’s FGC was on full display, proving just how vibrant and committed the local scene is.
UCGG’s – International Games Expo 2024
UCGG’s International Games Expo brought together a wide range of game titles, including Valorant, Mobile Legends, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and FIFA. The event drew over 250 attendees, with more than 125 competitors battling it out across multiple tournaments. From start to finish, it was an action-packed day infused with culture, community, and nonstop excitement in every corner of the filled venue.
Tech Week 2024 Esports and Vex Robotics Competition
Highlights from this year’s TechWeek offering, comprising of Esports and VEX Robotics Competition at Tūranga Library. 25 Vex Teams competing in Robotics. 8 High School Valorant teams and many young Rocket League teams from Cobham and Breens intermediate. Fantastic turnout and lots of very positive conversations with parents as they saw the social benefit of esports for non-traditional sport students. The fun, social aspect, teamwork work and inclusivity benefits are clearly evident.
2023 SMART Cities Innovation Expo – Te Pae
SMART Cities Christchurch, in collaboration with Libraries, PB Tech, GCSN (Greater Christchurch Schools’ Network) and our incredibly talented school connections, provided a variety of Esports and gaming exhibits as part of the very popular 2023 Innovation Expo. Through the generous support of GCSN and the excellent facilitation skills of Wilj Dekkers and the Avonside Girls’ High School Esports team, a huge Rebuild Ōtautahi Minecraft competition drew over 1100 people, including around 200 competitors from local Kura. Vex Robotics was also a huge hit with fierce competition among another large cohort of local schools. Although not a traditional esport, VEX robotics sits well in this arena, providing another fun and engaging way into high-tech education. There were also the more “traditional” esports offerings available over the two days as well.
2023 Inaugural PC Build Workshop
The library, in collaboration with PB Tech and with our “Tech Guinea Pigs” from the ever-innovative team at Christchurch Boys High School, worked together to bring about our first-ever PC Building workshop at Tūranga Library. Nurtured by the love of Esports, each ākonga – student, with guidance from PB Tech expert technicians, built an entire Gaming-capable PC from assembly to “Boot-up” in a matter of hours. Linking this to curriculum goals is ensuring that our ongoing esports kaupapa project provides a pathway to high-tech industries. A great success, plans are afoot for many more of these build workshops for the remainder of 2023 and 2024.
2023 League of Legends Academic Challenge
PB Tech, UC Gaming Guild, Oneshot Gaming Lounge and Esports Ōtautahi collaborated together with the Christchurch City Library to host an Academic League of Legends tournament. Teams from the University of Canterbury, Otago University, NZMA and local High School groups battled it out for the title and some pretty cool prizes. With VR units and other engaging spectator activities, it was a fun esports-based community event for all.
UCGG Gaming Night 2023
Another great “social and competitive” esports and gaming evening run at the UCSA by the awesome UCGG crew. Esports Ōtautahi was there of course, helping out with equipment and support, but really this was a brilliant event run by the UCGG team that went on to win an award. Great attendance was helped in no small way by the excellent sponsorship of prizes from Mighty Ape. The Christchurch Fighting Games crew were there competing in various titles, as well as our FIFA 2023 competition and rounded out nicely with a lot of Mobile Legends. A lot of fun!
TEKKEN7 E Blacks Qualifiers 2023
A fantastic day of Tekken 7 action run by the local Fighting Games community in conjunction with One Shot Gaming Lounge and Esports Ōtautahi. Part of a national tournament run by the New Zealand Esports Federation to find regional champions in Tekken 7. The Aotearoa winner will then head to Romania to compete in the World Championship event as an E-Black. It could well be someone pictured below at our qualifier. Regardless of the world champs, a great day of gaming was had by all. 1st Place was taken out by Anaru Quinn, aka Shredder, with 2nd Place going to Callum Entwhistle, aka Flawless.
Pokemon Tournament Shirley Library.
A whole lot of Pokémon community fun is happening on a regular basis at the Shirley Library. Pokémon has always had a strong following in this community, and now the Library hosts regular VGC tournaments here on a monthly basis. Loads of fun and a friendly, welcoming environment to compete. These are sanctioned events run by enthusiastic staff here. Anyone is able to enter.
Te Ōtautahi Ace – Valorant tournament 2022.
2022 High School Valorant Exhibition match run by local esports caster Reuben “Oparer” Roberts with Tautoko – support from gaming organisations Ngāti Gaming, Digital Natives Academy, Esports Ōtautahi, as well as all the excellent volunteers from the NZMA esports course. This Tournament was held at Te Hāpua Halswell Centre. Along with the Valorant Tournament Library, staff ran a Beat Sabre competition whilst the UCGG University of Canterbury Gaming Guild ran a Rocket League LAN in the Library PC Lab. Amazingly, at the end of the day, it was a Year 9 Valorant Team from Christchurch Boys’ High playing off against a University team in the finals. Narrow win to the UC team, but an incredible effort from such a young CBHS team. A great day.
2022 NZMA Valorant Exhibition Match
A very successful Valorant Exhibition Match, very professionally run by a group of NZMA Esports students in Ōtautahi. Specifically run as part of their coursework, this tournament also allowed for some of the younger esports teams that weren’t entered into the National High School competition a chance to compete. After a day of matches, it was down to Riccarton and Hornby High Schools in the finals. Final result – a win to Riccarton High School.
https://www.nzma.ac.nz/courses/esports-courses
Sport Canterbury Esports event at Tūranga Library
Images from a Sport Canterbury New Zealand “how to play” session, 31st October 2022. Esports titles Valorant and Rocket League were shown/taught to the staff in the hope that they would recognise the skills, teamwork and tenacity required to play these games competitively. Sport Canterbury had contributed equipment to this kaupapa. Big thanks to Andy Thawley and students from Christchurch Boys’ High and Burnside High School for giving up some time to coach. This was at our Auahatanga – Creative Spaces at Tūranga Library, where we provide esports PCs and peripherals for schools and the local community. It was Halloween, and our resident esports fairy dropped in for the festivities as well.
Minecraft Wero Hanga – Speed Build Challenge
Images from the 2022 Inaugural Matauranga – Voyagers Wero Hanga (Speed-build Challenge), which saw 12 local Primary Schools Teams enter the world of Esports based on Sir Ian Taylor’s awesome Voyagers education kaupapa. Each team was made up of 4 ākonga who had to work together as a team to create the best “waka kourua” (twin hulled vessel) in just 20 minutes (two ten-minute build slots). The results were amazing, with incredibly creative and well-informed builds produced. The judges really had their work cut out for them. This was a very successful intro to the exciting world of esports. We’ll be seeing more in 2023.
Fighting Games Community Freeplay Day
Esports Ōtautahi was very pleased to host the local branch of the Fighting Games Community (FGC) up at Tūranga library recently. This event allowed for a fun inter-generational introduction to the super-popular console-based games such as “Street Fighter” and “Tekken.” One rangatahi participant explained that it was a “fantastic opportunity” as he was passionate about fighting games but did not have access to a console. Typically, FGC operate out of the University of Canterbury. This event allowed other sectors of the community to get involved. FGC also runs competitive competitions so we may see those as Esports Christchurch offerings at libraries in Ōtautahi soon as well.
Tūranga High School Exhibition Tournament
Images from the first Tūranga “Exhibition” event featuring 8 High Schools League of Legends teams from Ōtautahi. We held this tournament in collaboration with PBTech, who provided spot prizes and a commentator! The first prize cheque and trophy you will see below was kindly sponsored by TSB. COVID restrictions prevented us from repeating this Exhibition match in 2021, so the trophy still sits with Burnside High School, who played off against the runners-up up Christchurch Boys High School. Who wants the silverware in 2022?
Cashmere High School
Cashmere High School has two Valorant teams that attend weekly during term time. Interesting to note that they have not yet entered a team into the National High School Competition, but have decided to spend 2022 on practice, ready to “do battle” in 2023. They use South Library in Colombo St as their “home field,” where you may spot them practising on Thursday afternoons.
Hornby High School
Hornby High School students have been heavily involved in esports in Christchurch and were one of the 8 teams at our first exhibition tournament in 2020. Since then, they have made Te Hāpua Halswell Centre Library their “home field.” You’ll find them there competing during the season on Tuesdays. You’ll often find them on other days practising as well. Sport Canterbury gaming equipment is very well utilised by our Hornby ākonga.
Avonside Girls High School
The Avonside Girls’ High crew is the only all-female team that has entered the National High School League from the Esports Christchurch community. Esports Ōtautahi is delighted to host this team each week at the New Brighton community Library learning centre, where they get exclusive access to the PCs and all of the Sport Canterbury-supplied peripherals. Diversity is essential to growing the inclusive model for esports in Christchurch that we are building.
Ao Tawhiti Gamers
Ao Tawhiti school operates in the CBD of Ōtautahi Christchurch and utilises the many great facilities and opportunities that their location allows. Gaming is no exception, and at the height of 2021 (as COVID restrictions allowed) Tūranga – Christchurch Central Library hosted up to 40 gamers per session.
Hillmorton High School
Great to see Hillmorton High School utilising Te Hāpua Halswell Centre Library for their newly formed Esports Club. League of Legends for the younger ākonga, but the seniors are pretty keen on Valorant.
Te Waka Unua – Education and Esports
Library and ImpactEd teamed up to deliver to Te Waka Unua students an innovative education programme over a period of weeks called Minecraft and Mātauranga – Land of Voyagers, where ākonga learned about the story of migration and other information around ancient navigators. As part of these sessions, we incorporated Esports Speed Build challenges, which proved to be very popular and a lot of fun.
MSI giveaway
MSI Gaming sent down a big box full of their cute MSI dragons, which were hugely popular with our High School gamers. MSI had to send reinforcements to the kids who missed out the first time around.
Ao Tawhiti Minecraft
A full session of Minecrafters at Tūranga. There was a mix of both Java and Education Edition hosts, as well as some build battles for a bit of friendly competition!
