Positive Vibes Only

What is Positive Vibes Only?

The Positive Vibes Only experience is designed to encourage, support and create a positive environment for tamariki, rangatahi and those who support, administer, referee/umpire, coach and manage sport.

With a focus on positivity and helping people to change their language and behaviour rather than highlighting the negativity, the campaign is about creating environments for all participants to enjoy sport, creating a 'positive' environment.

Why was Positive Vibes Only developed?

The highly successful Positive Vibes Only campaign was originally piloted by Sport Waikato and Hamilton City Netball Centre at the Upper North Island Secondary School (UNISS) Netball tournament in August 2023.

Through discussions with Hamilton City Netball Centre and the concern about sideline behaviour, the team at Sport Waikato worked with the Centre to design and impactful, pink and visual pilot which spoke directly to supporters with clear messaging and bright, fun and positive engaging activations.

From there, a number of Regional Sports Trusts (Sport Waikato, Sport Manawatu, Sport Whanganui, Sport Hawke's Bay, Sport Bay of Plenty, Sport Taranaki) have begun to roll out the campaign in partnership with Regional Sports Organisations across their competitions and tournaments in a partnered effort to address negative sideline behaviour and raise the standards of positive sideline support.

Waikato Secondary Schools are now also taking up the messaging in their schools, through funding and support from the Waikato Secondary School Sport Association (WSSSA).

Positive Vibes Only Pilot - UNISS 2023

Positive Vibes Only launched in 2023 at the Upper North Island Secondary School Netball tournament

What is involved in embedding Positive Vibes Only into a sport/school?

Positive Vibes Only is not just a marketing campaign - alongside the bright, engaging visuals, signage and messaging is an educational piece. All organisations are required to take part in Positive Vibes Only education as we know in order to create long term change, a culture shift needs to happen. And that can only happen if everyone is on board, and clear in the vision that will effect change - from coaches, managers, umpires and spectators to the very players themselves.

The PVO Journey (click the images to view)

Regional Sports Trusts rolling out PVO

Sport Waikato

Three years of Positive Vibes Only in the Waikato region and the 'PVO experience' continues to gather momentum both here and across the country.

Some key 2026 highlights:

First facility to embed the PVO experience (The Peak - see video below)
Year 3 of PVO at AIMS Games underway
7 more secondary schools being inducted, bringing the total to 24
Pilot rollout of PVO to Primary Schools through Healthy Active Learning team
Onboarding Waikato Waterpolo, Thames Valley Rugby and King Country Rugby
PVO workshops to Nuku Ora and Sport Tasman, Sport Northland
Development of region wide ‘bite sized’ PVO webinars

PVO at The Peak, Hamilton

Sport Taranaki

Sport Taranaki has been supporting clubs and organisations throughout their region in PVO for over two years now. They continue to deliver key PVO messages to their organisations and community. Some key recent PVO initiatives include:

Training Taranaki Rugby Football Union Staff in PVO
Primary School Focused parent campaign with a targeted HAL School (with another in pipeline)
Continuing to work with South Taranaki Schools to get shared PVO resources for this part of the region

Sport Hawkes Bay

More than a year on from the launch of PVO in Hawkes Bay, Sport Hawkes Bay has continued the momentum with some key initiatives and education in 2026:

Education piece to be shared at club meetings with Central Football clubs
Sport HB has connected their PLAY lead with HB Netball and tied in a PVO and PLAY activation
Central Football moving into year 2 and focusing on the club space. Have a working group together - posters up in all clubrooms and the social media toolkit shared with all

Find out more about their commitment to the kaupapa https://www.sporthb.net.nz/positive-vibes-only

Artlcle: On The Up: Unison Junior Festival promotes sports field and sideline fun with ‘Positive Vibes Only’

Sport Manawatu

Sport Manawatu were early adopters of PVO, and have been successfully supporting clubs and organisations for more than a year now. Key highlights from 2026:

PVO network developing permanent signage fixtures across venues in Palmerston North.
PVO going into the secondary school spaces working with their Regional Sport Director. PVO trialled at MISSA track and field event.
Presented to the Sport Coordinators group as an initial pitch. Looking to utilise their Youth Advisory Panel to implement rangatahi-led ideas for PVO in their schools.
PVO RSO network meets every two months to share progress and plans with each other. Facilitates awesome learning conversations as each RSO does PVO in different ways.
Putting together comms/marketing campaigns for socials for the start of the winter season to make it easier for RSOs to spread PVO messaging online.

Sport Whanganui

Another early adopter of PVO, Sport Whanganui have being supporting some outstanding PVO delivery. Notable achievements from 2026 so far:

Continuing to develop and modify education workshops to suit audience needs.
Workshop delivery to Taumarunui, Clubs Leads for Football, Manunui School.
Included in Tū Manawa application recommendations alongside safeguarding as well as Integrity process conversation.
Year 2 planning with some significant changes for some.
Onboarding secondary schools - pilot school locked in.
Discussion for 2nd and 3rd venue underway - Hockey turf being the first. Multi use facilities.

Sport Bay of Plenty

Sport Bay of Plenty have been a key supporter of PVO at AIMS Games for the past two years, and are again involved in the planning for 2026. Further rollout of PVO in Bay of Plenty is gathering momentum with sports and venue providers coming on board:

Bay of Plenty collective of six sports and one venue provider running PVO in 2026.
Supporting Zespri AIMS Games planning for the third year in a row.

Nuku Ora (Wellington)

Early in 2026, Nuku Ora joined the PVO whaanau with a bang! Key highlights achieved already in the past six months include:

Developing ads to support sideline education, car ride home key messaging etc.
Developing “How to Bring the Vibes” document to support ad messaging
Supporting clubs and organisations to deliver the PVO experience

Sport Tasman

After just three months into their PVO journey, Sport Tasman are supporting a key rollout with multiple sports. Highlights include:

Launched PVO with 5 codes, as the starting action of the regional sport coalition.
Exploring PVO with two facilities, as spaces where young people play and train across multiple coalition codes.
Supporting Nelson Netball to explore a PVO zone - a dedicated, PVO themed court on game days.
Supporting codes to implement programme based changes e.g., pink cards for positive behaviour.
In the process of aligning Tasman Secondary School Sport calendar to PVO initiative.
Delivering presentation to Nelson Netball umpires focused on tone and delivery (setting the vibe).
Planning webinars with coalition partners for coaches, parents, and supporters.

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Sport Northland

Coming on board the kaupapa in May this year, Sport Northland has been spreading the PVO messaging and supporting clubs, organisations and schools. Key highlights:

Northland Sports Coalition launched PVO
PALs (Physical Activity Leaders) at Dargaville Primary School took part in a Positive Vibes Only (PVO) workshop delivered by Sport Northland. They’ll be using the PVO kaupapa during their PAL games to help create positive, fun, and inclusive play for everyone.
Opononi Rugby took on PVO for the Opononi JMB, encouraging whaanau to bring great energy to the sideline and help shape a supportive space for their tamariki.

May be an image of smiling and text May be an image of golf, golf course and text that says 'Vibes Vibes positive only NETBALE3 NETBALL sitive ibes Rgp iheS only IW'