Kia ora koutou, 

Hot on the heels of the Olympics, the 2024 Paralympic Games kick off today. I can’t wait to see the NZ Paralympic team in action across the 11 days of competition.   

It’s such an exciting time to be part of the sport sector and to see the positive impact events like the Olympics and Paralympics have on everyone living in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our athletes were epic within the field of play and were equally epic in how they conducted themselves outside that arena. Whether they had won, lost or in their media commitments, they made me incredibly proud to be a New Zealander.  

Some of you have heard me compare high performance sport to a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. While the athletes are the stars of the show and deserve all the praise they get for their outstanding performances, every piece of a puzzle, and all the people who play a part in that journey, are important. In New Zealand’s sport system, we collaborate, share knowledge and work together to get all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place – thank you for all that you do. 

On that note, we've just released a new report on the key funding, economic and participation trends shaping our sector, drawing on several years of research. It shows that play, active recreation and sport provide enormous value to Aotearoa but there are some challenges ahead. We’ve provided some practical advice on how to navigate these. I hope you'll find these useful.  

And now onto Paris 2024, Part two – the Paralympic Games! Wishing the best of luck to the New Zealand team and a big mihi to everyone who played a part in getting them there, Aotearoa is so proud.  

‘Mā tini, mā mano ka rapa te whai’ 
Many hands make light work. Unity is strength.

Ngā mihi,  
Raelene 

Latest News

Read about the latest news across Aotearoa.

Trends shaping the play, active recreation and sport sector in Aotearoa   

A new report summarises key funding, and economic and participation trends shaping the play, active recreation and sport sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. It also includes practical suggestions for organisations about how they can be more sustainable and build resilience into the future.  

Several pieces of recent research analysed in the report show that we have an increasingly strong evidence base about the social and economic value that sport and active recreation provides for Aotearoa. It also highlights challenges, requiring the sector to adapt – particularly in the areas of cost reduction, funding sustainability, and participant-centred experiences. This report may be used as a guide to support strategic thinking and planning for your organisation.   

Read more in the report or see the infographic for a quick summary.

Sport NZ Recognition Assessment     

Applications for Sport NZ recognition status are now open. Sport NZ will offer an assessment of sports organisations who are seeking the status of ‘peak body’ and/or ‘National Sports Organisation (NSO)’ to represent their sporting code in Aotearoa New Zealand. Organisations who apply for this status are assessed by an internal panel against determined criteria and successful applicants become a ’Sport NZ recognised National Sports Organisation’.  

Sport NZ recognition status is entirely optional and does not impact upon existing or future funding arrangements. However, Sport NZ recognition status can have wider benefits as it may support organisations’ credibility within their code and wider sector, potential eligibility to receive the proceeds of sports betting, and/or applications to join international federations and competition.

See more information and apply for Sport NZ recognition status. 

Events and Opportunities

Scholarships to attend International Teaching Games for Understanding

Sport NZ in partnership with the School of Curriculum and Pedagogy at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland and Physical Education New Zealand – Te Ao Kori Aotearoa are proud to be supporting the delivery of the 8th International Teaching Games for Understanding Conference. 

As a partner, Sport NZ is pleased to have the opportunity to offer teachers and community coaches scholarships to attend the conference, taking place in Auckland from 8-11 December 2024.  

Find out more and apply for one of the Sport NZ scholarships.

Asia sport funding opportunity: Applications close Monday 2 September    

The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono is now accepting applications for sports funding, targeting community groups and students travelling to Asia for sport-related activities. This funding aims to enrich participants' experiences with authentic cultural exchanges.  

Please note that travel must occur after Monday 8 October 2024.  

The Foundation supports sport as a means of fostering cultural connections and enhancing New Zealanders' knowledge and confidence in Asia.  

Applications close on Monday 2 September 2024. Submit your application via their website. Learn about the experiences of previous recipients.

Māui Hīanga: Te Hui Taonga Tākaro 2024: 12-13 September 2024 

Māui Hīanga: Te Hui Taonga Tākaro 2024 is happening from 12-13 September at Hoani Waititi Marae, in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. This national hui will bring together experts in tākaro Māori to explore its philosophies and practices. Key themes include tākaro succession, collaboration and sharing philosophies.

This event is free to attend, funded by Sport NZ and delivered by Recreation Aotearoa. 

Register your interest now and please share the invitation with your networks.  

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024: 14-21 September 2024 

Māori Language Day and the anniversary of the signing of the Māori Language Petition will be marked on 14 September as part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024 which runs from 14 to 21 September. This year’s theme, "Ake, Ake, Ake – A Forever Language," symbolises the enduring strength of te reo Māori, likened to the resilient akeake tree. Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa and communities nationwide are actively contributing to the revitalisation of te reo Māori with events, resources, and activities.  

Find out how you can participate and inspire others to be a part of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.   

Community Stories

Here are some stories from the community we didn’t want you to miss. 

Sport and recreation for all abilities in Hawke's Bay 

We're excited to see Sport Hawke's Bay focus on providing physical activity opportunities for disabled people in the Bay. Sport NZ’s recent Active NZ results show that disabled young people have lower levels of participation than non-disabled young people and this gap increases with age. 

We know that when disabled people can be physically active in ways they want to be, they get much better experiences. Some great examples include providing specialised and/or adapted equipment, accessible club facilities, tailored events and programmes, and upskilling coaches.

Find out more about Sport Hawke’s Bay commitment to the health and wellbeing of disabled people.

Blind and low vision rangatahi experience the thrill of a live All Blacks game

On Saturday 19 August, nine blind and vision-impaired rangatahi got to experience the magic of a live All Blacks test match, thanks to support people from Audio Describe Aotearoa who attended with them. Unlike traditional commentary, trained audio describers paint a more vivid picture of the game, covering every detail from the players' movements and location on the pitch, to the pre-game ceremonies. This ensures that no fan misses out on the thrill of live sport. There are so many ways to provide inclusive sport experiences for rangatahi – well done to Blind Sport NZ and NZ Rugby for providing this fantastic opportunity with support from Variety NZ and the Ministerial Discretionary Fund.  

The 2024 Ministerial Discretionary Fund enables young people who might otherwise not have the opportunity to attend regional or national sports events. For more information about the Ministerial Discretionary Fund, please contact Sport NZ Tamariki Lead: karen.laurie@sportnz.org.nz. 

New Resources

Sport Pathways Framework

The Sport Pathways Framework has been developed by Sport NZ and High Performance Sport NZ in consultation with the sector. It ensures the system can work together to provide quality experiences for all New Zealanders by aligning people, programmes and environments.  

The framework is made up of four domains: foundation, social, competitive and performance and is designed to help everyone understand their respective roles when it comes to providing safe, supportive and inspiring programmes and environments that match the motivations of the participant. 

Watch the animation and learn more about how to bring the framework to life.

Impacts of the Whanake o te Kōpara leadership programme for young women 

The winner of the Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion award at this year's NZ Sport and Recreation Awards, Whanake o te Kōpara was designed to address the gap in leadership opportunities for young women in the sport, active recreation and wellbeing sectors. The leadership programme was co-designed with the young women participating and helps them strengthen their confidence, values and self-belief while growing as leaders. 

Watch the inspiring video and dive into the insights in the full report to see how this transformative programme has empowered wāhine to achieve their goals and make a significant impact in their fields. 

New online training course for child safeguarding 

The current child safeguarding training course “Child Protection in Play Active Recreation and Sport” available on Sport Tutor will be replaced from Tuesday 23 September by a new online training course developed by the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui.  

The new course covers all aspects of child safeguarding and child protection in sport and recreation, and applies to anyone who works, volunteers or helps with children and young people.  

The current course will still be available on Sport Tutor for anyone wishing to complete the training prior to 23 September. The access link to the new course will be available on sporttutor.nz. 

Governance

Basketball NZ awarded with the Governance Mark

We’d like to congratulate Basketball New Zealand for being awarded with the Governance Mark this month. The Governance Mark is awarded to organisations that complete a process to show they have robust strategies and structures in place to best use their time and money. It recognises good governance practice in the play, active recreation and sport sector.  

This achievement reflects Basketball NZ's commitment and strong leadership in the sector. We encourage organisations in our sector to also set themselves the challenge of external governance evaluation  and prioritising their board’s development, which only helps makes us all stronger. 

Incorporated Societies Act 2022 Re-Registration      

Re-registration for sector societies is required by April 2026. All three Sport NZ constitutional templates have been updated and now include the two clauses you have been waiting for – the disputes resolution and integrity clauses. A reminder to 'check' the tick box on re-registration to qualify for the exemption under the Regulations, allowing your board to have a majority of non-members.  

See the FAQs and templates for national organisations, regional organisations and clubs. 

Legislative Compliance Guide   

The legislative compliance guidance has recently been updated. This guide provides sport and recreation organisation governors with an overview of key legislation impacting them and the obligations and responsibilities for compliance.  
 
See the legislative compliance guide. 

Sport NZ Board Charter template

The November 2023 Board Charter template now includes a policy on Managing Risks from Artificial Intelligence (AI). For a copy of the charter, email governance@sportnz.org.nz