Festival of Disability Sport set to light up Mercury Baypark

A high energy event that brings athletes together from all around the country to compete, connect and celebrate disability sport is about to get underway in Tauranga this weekend.

The Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport, which is organised by Parafed Bay of Plenty and supported by Healthvision, is one of New Zealand’s largest disability sporting events, being held in Tauranga for the seventh time on 23 and 24 May.

Mercury Baypark Arena will be hosting a wide range of sporting codes and activities over the action-packed weekend – there will be boccia, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair rugby league and wheelchair basketball. The wheelchair rugby and wheelchair basketball events will be two-day national tournaments.

Have-a-go sessions will also take place during the festival on Saturday, with a Circability workshop scheduled from 11am-1pm in the Mercury Baypark Arena foyer, and there will also be have-a-go Sailability sessions at Sulphur Point at Tauranga Marina between 10am-12pm.

Before the festival officially gets underway, there are wheelchair rugby league coaching and have-a-go opportunities on Friday 22 May. The all-abilities and wheelchair rugby league day is taking place at Mercury Baypark Arena, while the coaching clinic, delivered by Wheel Kiwis head coach Edie George will be held at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre from 6pm-8pm. 

For Sarah Williamson, Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport Manager and Parafed Bay of Plenty Sports and Operations Co-ordinator, a highlight of this event is seeing athletes from different places and different sporting codes coming together in one place.

“The energy and support around the event is always something really special,” she says. 

This event creates and highlights opportunities for disabled people to be active, visible and celebrated through sport and Sarah says the Festival of Disability Sport helps break down barriers, challenge perceptions and show what’s possible when sport is inclusive. 

“[It’s] a great mix of competitive sport and people trying new activities. There is such a supportive community atmosphere across all the sporting codes,” she says. 

Sarah says seeing the community come together for the Festival of Disability Sport is a “powerful reminder that sport can bring people together and create a strong sense of belonging for everyone involved”. 

Mercury Baypark is managed by Bay Venues on behalf of the Tauranga City Council. 

Paul Dunphy, General Manager of Community Facilities at Bay Venues, says Mercury Baypark is proud to once again host “this incredible festival of sport”.

“We feel privileged to be part of this event every year. It is always a real highlight on our calendar and we love welcoming in these impressive athletes and their supporters from all around the country for a weekend celebrating sport and community connection,” Dunphy says.

Tauranga City Council’s Disability and Ageing Strategic Advisor Tan Phuangdokmai says the Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport is “an important opportunity to celebrate disabled athletes, promote inclusion, and create more opportunities for people to experience adaptive sport in the community”. 

Healthvision's Debra Williams says they are excited about this year’s Festival of Disability Sport as it continues to grow in both scale and impact, bringing together athletes, whānau, supporters, and the wider community in a “truly inclusive celebration of sport”.

“What we are most proud of is seeing how this event has evolved into something that not only showcases sporting talent, but also creates genuine visibility, pride, and opportunity for disabled athletes to perform on a major stage,” Debra says.  

This year, attendees can expect an outstanding atmosphere once again filled with energy, connection, and celebration, alongside an impressive range of sporting codes and inspiring performances that highlight ability in all its forms.

For more information about the event, go to: https://parafedbop.co.nz/healthvision-festival-of-disability-sport

About 2026 Healthvision Festival of Disability Sport:  

• Wheelchair Basketball Kotahitanga Tournament: 23-24 May, Mercury Baypark Arena.  

• Wheelchair Rugby Tournament: 23-24 May, Mercury Baypark Arena. 

• Boccia – Tauranga Regional Champs: 23-24 May, Mercury Baypark Arena. 

• Wheelchair Rugby League Festival Day: 23-24 May, Mercury Baypark Arena. 

• Have-a-go session – Sailability:  23 May, 10am-12pm, Sulphur Point, Tauranga Marina.  

• Have-a-go session – Circability Workshop:  23 May, 11am-1pm, Mercury Baypark Arena. 

• Marketplace Stalls: Based in the foyer of Mercury Baypark Arena.