2026 New Zealand Sport and Recreation Award winners

Sport NZ has announced the winners of the annual New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards which celebrate individuals and organisations making a positive impact across the country’s play, active recreation and sport sector.

The finalists and winners were recognised and congratulated at a gala event held at the New Zealand International Conference Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Individuals and organisations in six main categories received awards and Sport NZ Group Chief Executive, Raelene Castle, says they reflect the dedication and passion of people across the sector as they work to improve the wellbeing of our communities.

“The winners range from organisations bringing people together within their own communities, to initiatives creating more fun and inclusive opportunities for our tamariki and rangatahi, and projects helping protect and sustain the environments where activity happens.”

"This year we saw a real increase in nominations, including almost double the entries in Commercial Partnership which is a great sign of the collaboration and innovation happening across the sector, even in tougher times.”

"Every category had a high calibre of entries, and the judges told us the quality made it incredibly hard to judge. I'd like to congratulate all the winners and the finalists." says Raelene Castle.

The 2026 judging panel was Mike Stanley CNZM (Chair), Fiona Allan ONZM, Dallas Seymour, Wayne Werder and Jacob Driver.

The Jim Maniapoto Memorial Taonga – Excellence in impacting Māori participation as Māori was judged independently by Te Miri Rangi, Wai Taumaunu ONZM MBE and Veronica Thompson MNZM.

Also awarded tonight were the C.K. Doig Leadership award and the Sir Eion and Jan, Lady Edgar Lifetime Achievement Awards. 

A full list of winners can be found below.

ENDS

Media Contact:
Michelle Pickles
Group Media Manager
Michelle.pickles@sportnz.org.nz
021 833 244

The New Zealand Sport and Recreation Award winners for 2026 are:

COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIP
Basketball New Zealand and Bank of New Zealand

The commercial partnership between Basketball New Zealand and Bank of New Zealand is built around the shared belief that “what’s good for basketball is good for New Zealand.” 
 
Together, they have upgraded the BNZ Kiwi Hoops community programme to create a better aligned national system to improve access, quality and inclusion for tamariki and rangatahi. 

Since 2023, the new model has reached 90,000 participants, including an impressive 38,000 last year alone. Registered participants aged 14 or younger have increased by 29% year on year.

BNZ’s integrated marketing investment, including the “Invested in Basketball” campaign featuring Russell Westbrook, also elevated basketball’s national profile, helping to quadruple the sport’s commercial partnership revenue since 2022 - further strengthening the ability to create a meaningful and enduring social impact.
  

COMMUNITY IMPACT
North Canterbury Sport & Recreation Trust 

North Canterbury Sport & Recreation Trust delivers the MainPower Primary School Coaching Programme which has become a cornerstone of community wellbeing across its region since 2008.

This free activity programme removes financial, geographic and confidence barriers in 16 different sports and supports more than 7,500 tamariki, in 42 schools from Kaiapoi to Kaikōura, every year.

Through the leadership of eight qualified coaches, children develop fundamental movement skills, teamwork, resilience and self-belief in safe, inclusive environments designed to engage every participant. 

Strong collaboration with the schools, local sporting organisations and supporters including MainPower, is paving the pathways to lifelong participation in sport and recreation.
 

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Yachting New Zealand

Yachting New Zealand’s innovative national project RŪNĀ connects young New Zealanders to environmental sustainability through sailing, science and mātauranga Māori. 

Delivered alongside schools, yacht clubs, iwi and community partners, RŪNĀ has reached more than 21,000 students across ten regions, helping them explore marine ecosystems, renewable energy, navigation and cultural knowledge, while also applying their learning in the real-world environment. 
 
The experiential learning model increases access to marine environments, which in turn encourages sustainable behaviours and inspires a scalable nationwide movement of young people and communities committed to protecting our marine future for generations to come.
 

LEADERSHIP IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
New Zealand Football

New Zealand Football’s Pasifika in Community Football project put equity, cultural responsiveness and community partnership at the heart of its game.

Recognising the under-representation of Pasifika people in coaching, refereeing and governance, New Zealand football used the project to proactively shift from their traditional programme delivery to a community-led approach.

They partnered with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples to co-design solutions through nationwide Talanoa engagement - an initiative that brought in 208 authentic voices. 

The project has delivered a measurable impact, including 8% growth in Pasifika participation, 10% growth in Pasifika female participation and a 97% increase in Pasifika coach education. 

JIM MANIAPOTO MEMORIAL TAONGA – EXCELLENCE IN IMPACTING MĀORI PARTICIPATION AS MĀORI
Māori Touch NZ 

Māori Touch NZ has championed touch as a vehicle for te ao Māori, fostering hauora, identity and whanaungatanga for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau throughout Aotearoa, for over three decades.
 
Te Pae Whiti – The Future was a kaupapa centred on the January 2026 Tamariki Māori Touch Tournament at Hopuhopu. It marked a deeply significant return to the birthplace of Māori Touch NZ, reconnecting generations through a major event grounded in tikanga, te reo Māori and whakapapa. 
 
More than 114 teams, representing 30 rohe, celebrated Māori excellence. Built through volunteerism, aroha and iwi commitment, this kaupapa created authentic spaces for Māori, physically, spiritually and culturally, as Māori Touch NZ continues to strengthen the generations – ensuring pono, tika and aroha endures ake tonu atu.

 
SUSIE SIMCOCK FUTURE LEADERS’ SCHOLARSHIP (co-winner)
Toby Doyle

New Zealand Cricket’s Community Cricket National Coach Development Manager, Toby Doyle, leads initiatives that strengthen the capability, confidence and connection of a vast network comprising more than 3,000 coaches and coach developers nationwide. 

Toby’s strategic thinking, strong relationship building and superb practical delivery, resulted in New Zeland Cricket’s record 70% coaching-quality satisfaction result.

His talent for innovating is highlighted by ‘Kaiako Mōhio – Coach Wizz’ - a carefully designed virtual assistant providing instant, values-aligned support for thousands of volunteer community coaches.

Future-focused and inclusive, Toby has extended his impact through strategic collaborations with Hockey New Zealand and other national sports organisations that contribute to sector-wide workforce and leadership development. 

SUSIE SIMCOCK FUTURE LEADERS’ SCHOLARSHIP (co-winner)
Belinda Randall

Gymnastics New Zealand Head of Community Sport, Belinda Randall, has succeeded in translating complex, critically important, national strategy into practical, club-focused initiatives. 
 
As the driving force behind Springboard – the replacement foundation programme for 5 to 8-year-olds, Belinda trialed a successful pilot phase, leading to a smooth national rollout last year.
 
Belinda’s strategic clarity and empathy have re-engaged participation nationwide during a period of major reform. Delivering integrity and safeguarding components recommended by an independent review, has meant safer experiences for all tamariki and rangatahi nationally. 
 

C.K. DOIG LEADERSHIP AWARD 
Andrea Nelson

As Chief Executive of Gymnastics New Zealand and incoming Chief Executive of New Zealand Rugby League, Andrea Nelson has an inspiring track record in the sports sector.

Andrea has two decades of experience in major event management – and is a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport.

Over the past three and a half years, Andrea has led Gymnastics New Zealand through a significant reset, which began with careful analysis and led to a full constitutional and strategic overhaul.

Major change meant every affiliated club in the country needed to be on board, and Andrea got the job done - achieving 100 per cent compliance by deadline.

With the sport’s integrity and safeguarding strengthened at every level, Andrea’s work was recognised internationally through her appointment to a global safeguarding body.

SIR EION AND JAN, LADY EDGAR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Burton Shipley – Services to Basketball
Lesley Milne – Services to Rowing
Barry Smith – Services to Football
Rob Small (Ngāpuhi/Mahurehure) – Services to the Parks and Recreation sector