Our strategic direction
Te ahunga rautaki
Our vision is simple: Every Body Active in Aotearoa New Zealand.
As kaitiaki of the play, active recreation and sport system, we focus on lifting physical activity levels among New Zealanders because that's where we can make the biggest difference to people's wellbeing.
This page sets out how we'll get there by 2032.
Our 12-year strategy, Every Body Active 2020-2032, unfolds in three chapters.
CHAPTER 1 — COMPLETE
2020-2024
Every Body Active: Our first 4-year strategic plan.
CHAPTER 2 — CURRENT
2024-2028
Sport NZ Strategic Plan: Our current chapter.
CHAPTER 3 — FUTURE
2028-2032
The final chapter that takes us to our 2032 vision.
Sport NZ and High Performance Sport NZ work together as one group with a shared purpose. Our group strategy brings both organisations under one umbrella, showing how community participation and high performance sport reinforce each other. The Sport NZ strategic direction below is our part of that bigger picture.
We are committed to upholding the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles of partnership, protection and participation. Through our collective efforts, we strive to ensure these commitments are reflected in the way we work, partner and deliver outcomes.
Our focus remains on maintaining and growing the physical activity levels of tamariki and rangatahi. We want to create better opportunities and experiences for all young people.
We are particularly focused on improving access, participation and inclusion for those who can benefit most, including disabled young people, girls and young women, Māori, and those living in communities experiencing high levels of deprivation.
We invest in the partners best placed to deliver impact across the play, active recreation and sport system, so the sector is strong enough to keep delivering for New Zealanders.
Motivation to take part differs across age, gender, ethnicity and disability. We help the sector deliver positive experiences so more tamariki and rangatahi build a lifelong love of being active.
Where people live shouldn't determine whether they can be active. We work with communities and hapori to remove barriers and back local solutions that are meaningful and sustainable.
Schools and kura shape the lives of tamariki and rangatahi. We support the education system to embrace the holistic value of play, active recreation and sport so young people grow up moving, motivated and connected.
Our work is guided by 2 frameworks that carry mana ōrite (equal status): Te Pākē o Ihi Aotearoa, our Māori Outcomes Framework, and the Sport NZ Outcomes Framework. Together they show how play, active recreation and sport contribute to the wellbeing of all New Zealanders and align with the Government's Living Standards Framework.
We track progress against our strategy through partner reporting, programme evaluations, research and insights, and investment reporting. These feed into our Quarterly Reports, Annual Report, and Statement of Performance Expectations (SPE) measures.
Read the strategy
Start here
Every Body Active: Strategic Direction 2020-2032PDF - 2.4 MB |
Frameworks
Te Pākē o Ihi Aotearoa, Māori Outcomes FrameworkPDF - 1.3 MB |
Related strategies
High Performance Sport NZ Strategic Plan 2025-2028External link |
Archive: previous strategic plans
Sport NZ 2020-2021 Strategic Priorities, Covid-19 responsePDF - 895 KB |
