Te Kura o Tāneatua has built a strong reputation on the golf course, with a history of dominating the nine-hole AIMS Games competition.

The 2026 event was no different, with the Tāneatua golfing team taking the top five spots and achieving the best result in the school’s history.

Following a strong 2025 result, the team had hoped to repeat its performance at this year’s competition.

Top AIMS golfer Charles Falwasser went into the competition feeling the pressure.

“We were confident we would do well, but we still felt the nerves,” he said.

Team coach Te Whetu Wiremu was surprised by how well the team performed this year.

“The amount of work they have put in over the last few months is reflected in their results, but they had to work for it.

“It was a crazy start to the tournament, with a couple of the team members finding themselves further down the ladder due to a slow start, but they fought hard to get back towards the top.

“It’s hard for a kid these days to show that much resilience when a lot of them would throw it in and give up. Some started down that road but managed to pull themselves back. It’s a testament to their mindset to keep positive and push on.

“One went from 20th back up to the top spot, and that shows a lot of character,” said Wiremu.

Wiremu believes the students have no idea just how big the AIMS Games event is and may therefore underestimate how significant an achievement it was to take the top five spots.

One golfer who topped the scoreboard was Te Ao Marama Wickliffe, who finished as the top female golfer on the course.

Some people were shocked to discover Te Ao Marama had been playing the sport for only a year-and-a-half, beating players with considerably more experience and access to paid coaches.

“At the end of the tournament, we realised what we had achieved was very special for the team and for the school,” said Wiremu.

The team’s secret to success is practise, hard work and repetition, with the Kawerau Golf Course considered the team’s main home course.

Although many members of the team will find themselves ineligible for the 2027 AIMS Games, Wiremu is confident the up-and-coming players will have what it takes to keep Tāneatua golf at the top of the AIMS Games scoreboard for years to come.

Although Tāneatua School is best known for golf, indoor bowls is on the rise.

The school’s first indoor bowls team competed at AIMS last year, finishing towards the bottom of the table. This year, it was a different story.

The team performed strongly, with one member, Liddelle Hoete, making the finals before being beaten by the reigning champion on the final day.