:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
New Zealand’s leg of the King’s Baton Relay from March 15 – 21 was a week of community-focused activity that travelled from the country’s deep south in Dunedin all the way to Tāwharanui Beach in the lead up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In Dunedin, New Zealand’s Baton Bearer, Dame Sophie Pascoe was joined by New Zealand Team Chef de Mission Nigel Avery and several local NZ Team athletes at a Fun Run event at Chingford Park, before ‘Te Kaunoti’ (New Zealand’s baton) was officially presented to Dame Sophie at an intimate reception at Dunedin Railway Station.
:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
New Zealand’s Baton is designed by Master Artist Ta Derek Lardelli and reflects traditional Māori practices and the stories woven into its design.
It is Inspired by Te Kaunoti, the traditional Māori fire stick, and carries the idea of the fire of home. It represents the people, culture and support behind every athlete of Aotearoa as they prepare for the Games.
Click here for Ta Derek Lardelli’s explanation of the design process.
New Zealand’s Baton Bearer, Dame Sophie Pascoe, said she loved handing out the medals to the kids at the Fun Run.
“Dunedin was a lot of fun, it’s great to have the community so involved in the King’s Baton Relay because it starts to get people excited for the Glasgow 2026 Games,” she said.
The relay then moved north with a visit to a local kura (school) in Huntly, Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga, for a ‘Give it a Go Day’ where students took part in a range of games and activities alongside New Zealand Team athletes.
A pōwhiri opened the day, before students had an interactive and inspirational talk from weightlifter and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Richie Patterson.
The kids learned about Richie’s career as a weightlifter and the resilience he showed along his sporting journey as well as hearing from other athletes hopeful of competing at Glasgow 2026.
Students were then active with a range of relay races alongside the athletes as well as playing traditional games ‘tī rakau’ and ‘poi toa’.
NZ Team Chef de Mission, Nigel Avery said connecting with New Zealanders is important ahead of Glasgow 2026.
“It’s really important to connect across the country and I’m glad we’re able to get to a few of the more remote communities and spread the love this week. We want to engage with Kiwis, we’ve got such a love affair with the Commonwealth Games so it’s great to be able to spread the message and build towards Glasgow in July,” he said.
:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
The final stop on New Zealand’s leg of the King’s Baton Relay was Anchor Bay on the Tāwharanui Peninsula, where the focus shifted to environmental action and a beach and coastline clean-up delivered in partnership with Sustainable Coastlines.
A total of 160 people took part in the clean-up with local students from Matakana Country School and Snells Beach School joining forces with locals, NZ Team legacy athletes and NZOC partners and staff to collect more than 1000 pieces of rubbish.
The event made a positive contribution to the local environment and reflected the relay’s focus on community impact.
The day was supported by Barfoot & Thompson who provided food for attendees, alongside Toyota NZ ensuring everyone got home safely.
Dame Sophie Pascoe said she thoroughly enjoyed the week and felt honoured to be selected as the NZ Team’s baton bearer.
“The special thing about the Commonwealth Games is it’s an integrated Games with para and able-bodied athletes competing on the same stage at the same events. To have everyone in the sporting community feeling like they are one is what really hits home for me.”
:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
:no_upscale())
About the King’s Baton Relay
The King’s Baton Relay is a long-standing Commonwealth Games tradition, designed to connect communities across the Commonwealth in the lead-up to the Games. For this Games cycle, the Relay has been reimagined with a stronger focus on environmental and financial sustainability.
For the first time, each Commonwealth nation has its own ‘clean’ Baton, allowing countries to reflect their culture and identity through a unique design while reducing the environmental footprint of the Relay.
The NZ Team would like to thank Barfoot & Thompson and Toyota New Zealand for their support of New Zealand’s leg of the King’s Baton Relay.
For more information on the King’s Baton Relay, click here.