Sector Update
Sector Update
Kia ora tātou,
I hope you've been soaking up the sun and finding plenty of ways to get outside and keep active.
Many of you will already be thinking about the winter sports season, which will soon be here. Earlier this month, we celebrated New Zealand sport at the 62nd Halberg Awards. Congratulations to all the nominees and award winners, with special mention to Dame Lydia Ko for taking out both the Sportswoman of the Year and the Supreme Halberg Award, and Marcus Daniell for receiving the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award.
I would also like to recognise Dame Sophie Pascoe, our most decorated Paralympian, who retired from swimming last month and leaves behind an inspiring legacy.
While we are on the topic of recognising achievements, the NZ Sport and Recreation Awards are back for another year. Nominations open on 10 March, so start thinking about who you want to nominate. Find out more information in this update.
Lastly, it’s been great to see so many people joining in the free Push Play sessions this summer as part of the Z Manu World Champs. Having fun while being active is what it’s all about!
Ngā mihi nui,
Raelene
Ngā kōrero o te wā – Latest news
Media and gender study: Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics
Case studies on the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics are out now, as part of the Sport NZ-Isentia study on gender balance in sports news coverage. Female athletes' success at the Paris Olympics, where they won most of New Zealand's medals, led to increased media coverage of women's sport. At the Paris Paralympics, half of the coverage was about women's sport, a drop from Tokyo, likely due to fewer gold medals won by female Para athletes. Key findings include 54% of Olympic coverage and 50% of Paralympic coverage focused on female athletes, with female journalists providing over half of the coverage for some media organisations.
See more insights in the case studies.
Voice of Participant summary 2023-2024
We’re pleased to share our Voice of Participant summary 2023-2024, featuring results from 10 sports. With 27,830 responses, the survey helps us evaluate the quality of experiences and opportunities provided by National Sports Organisations. It also identifies key areas for National Sports Organisations to focus on, ensuring continuous improvement in the experiences and opportunities they offer.
Each year, different sports take part in the Voice of Participant survey. Some sports participate regularly (annually or biennially) and others less frequently. The latest results include sports that participated in winter 2023 and summer 2024.
Find out more about the participant experience and areas for improvement in this latest summary.
Ngā kaupapa me ngā whiwhinga – Events and opportunities
New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards 2025
The New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards celebrate leadership in the sector and recognise outstanding contributions across the country to enhance people’s lives through physical activity. Now is your chance to ensure individuals and organisations you work with are recognised for their work at the awards ceremony on 14 July 2025 in Wellington.
Nominations for the 6 award categories will open on 10 March 2025.
Find out about the categories and how to submit a nomination.
Youth Week: 19 – 25 May 2025
Youth Week, led by Ara Taiohi, is a nationwide festival of events celebrating the talents, passion and success of young New Zealanders. Sport NZ and the Ministry of Youth Development are supporting Youth Week through a grant programme. Ara Taiohi is seeking applications for youth-led and/or youth focused initiatives under the theme: 'Take Our Place - Whai Wāhitanga'. Whether you are a young person with a great idea or someone supporting a young person, we encourage you to apply. Applications close 16 March 2025.
Find out more about Youth Week and how to apply for a grant.
Ngā rauemi hou – New resources
Resource hub: Diversity, equity and inclusion in the sector workforce
Whether you’re a participant, coach, employee, athlete, board member, leader or volunteer, everyone should feel like they belong. Our updated resource hub offers valuable tools to support an inclusive sector workforce, addressing areas of improvement identified in the latest DEI Sector Workforce survey. Discover resources on strengthening cultural capability, improving HR processes, addressing pay equity, and developing inclusive practices within your organisation.
Explore the resource hub and stay tuned for new DEI learning modules and webinars coming soon.
Scanning future disruptors for the sport and recreation sector
A new scan looks at the possible disruptors to sport and recreation within the next 2 to 5 years. This is designed as a tool for discussion or to help adjust organisational approaches.
Read more on the possible impacts here.
Report: Period products in community sport clubs
Periods shouldn’t be a barrier to playing sport. Last year, 48 community sport clubs received free period products as part of an initiative funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment through the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Leverage and Legacy Programme. The evaluation of this initiative is now available, offering key insights for clubs, coaches and administrators on how to create more inclusive environments.
Read the full report and explore more female health resources for clubs and communities on Sport NZ’s Flow on Effect site.
Rural Travel Fund 2024 Snapshot
Every year Sport NZ takes a snapshot showing how the Rural Travel Fund has helped with travel costs for tamariki and rangatahi in rural areas so they can play in sport competitions.
Check out the snapshot for 2023-2024.
Te mana whakahaere – Governance
Charitable trust deed template
We have updated our charitable trust deed template to reflect changes in the Charities Amendment Act 2023 (the Act). These include an extended definition of officers, the requirement for charities to be "wholly and exclusively" charitable to qualify for registration and tax exemption, and a requirement to regularly review governance procedures.
View the updated charitable trust deed template. You can find it under the ‘Concepts, challenges, structures and change’ section.
Re-registration for Incorporated Societies
All incorporated societies must re-register under the Incorporated Societies Act by April 2026. If you haven’t started making the necessary constitutional changes yet, now is the time to begin to ensure compliance by the due date. To assist you with this process, we have developed various resources, including national, regional and club templates and FAQs.
We are keen to hear how regions and clubs are tracking. Please email: governance@sportnz.org.nz.
Mēnā kāore i kitea – In case you missed it
Webinar series on sector governance
The next two webinars on key elements of board work and governance have been confirmed.
- Artificial Intelligence in New Zealand Sport and Recreation: The Board’s Key Role – 26 March 2025, 12.15pm-1 pm.
- Incorporated Societies Act and Clubs – 13 May 2025, 12.15pm-1 pm.
Find out more and register for a webinar. If you missed the webinar on Unlocking Strategy Potential, watch the recording here.
