Sport in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Sport
in New Zealand largely reflects its British
colonial
heritage. Some of the most popular sports in New Zealand, namely rugby
, cricket
and netball
, are primarily played in Commonwealth of Nations
countries. Sport is very popular in New Zealand and despite New Zealand being a very small nation, it has enjoyed great success in many sports notably Rugby Union (The national sport) and also Rugby League, Cricket, Americas Cup Sailing, Netball, motorsport and many other sports.
New Zealand's most popular sport is rugby union
, the national sport
. Other popular sports include cricket
, which is considered the national summer sport, rugby league
, basketball, soccer and netball
(the top ranking female sport by participation); golf
, tennis
, rowing
and a variety of water sports, particularly sailing
and Surf Sports. Snow sports such as skiing
and snowboarding
are also popular.
This data relates to the period 1997 to 2001. Some care needs to be taken when interpreting it. For example, "Top Sports and Physical Activities" above gives Rugby Union as the fifth most popular sport for New Zealand adult men with 137,100 participants, and soccer as twelfth most popular with 83,800. Neither Rugby Union nor Soccer appear in the top fifteen sports for adult women. On the other hand "Participation in Sport" states that 158,100 New Zealand adults participated in Rugby Union in the previous twelve months and 143,300 New Zealand adults participated in soccer; a difference of 60,000.
The top five sports played in clubs by boys aged 5 to 17 are:
The top five sports played in clubs by girls aged 5 to 17 are:
The top five sports played by men are:
The top five sports played by women are:
is the national summer sport in New Zealand, which is one of the ten countries that take part in Test match cricket. The provincial competition is not nearly as widely followed as the case with rugby, but international matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population. This parallels the global situation in cricket, whereby the international game is more widely followed than the domestic game in all major cricketing countries. Historically, the national cricket team has not been as successful as the national rugby team. New Zealand played its first test in 1930 but had to wait until 1956 to win its first test. The national team began to have more success in the 1970s and 1980s. New Zealand's most famous cricketer, the fast bowler Richard Hadlee
who was the first bowler to take 400 wickets in test cricket, played in this era. Although traditionally New Zealand have had one of the strongest sides, winning the 2000 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy
and reaching the 2009 final, they have never progressed past the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup
where they ended up six times (the most equal with Australia), the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games
and the semi-finals of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. However New Zealand's Women's Team, the White Ferns
have reached the Final of their World Cup four times, winning the 2000 edition of the tournament.
Equestrian sportsmen, sportswomen and horses make their mark in the world, with Mark Todd
being chosen international "Horseman of the Century", and many juniors at pony club
level. Mark Todd won a Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympic Games, and again at the 1988 Games. A Bronze Medal was also won in the Teams Event at the 1988 Games. Further medals were won at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Games.
is the most popular women's sport both in terms of participation and public interest in New Zealand. As in many netball-playing countries, netball is considered primarily a women's sport, with men's netball largely ancillary to women's competition. The sport maintains a high profile in New Zealand, due in large part to its national team, the Silver Ferns
, which, with Australia
, has remained at the forefront of world netball for several decades. In 2008, netball in New Zealand became a semi-professional sport with the introduction of the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship
. The sport is administered by Netball New Zealand
, which registered 125,500 players in 2006.
is the dominant rugby code, rugby union is generally the more popular code in New Zealand. The New Zealand domestic league is semi-professional and does not enjoy a high profile. However, the Australian National Rugby League
(NRL), in which New Zealand Warriors
play, is becoming more popular.
The New Zealand national side has competed in the Rugby League World Cup
since 1954. They are the current World Champions and they won the World Cup for the first time on 22 November 2008 at Lang Park, Brisbane
. They are also the reigning Four Nations
champions from the 2010 series.
is popular across all sections of New Zealand society and many New Zealanders associate it with their national identity. It has the largest spectator following of all sports in New Zealand. New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks
, has the best winning record of any national team in the world, and is currently ranked first
in the world. The All Blacks won the first rugby world cup in 1987, and again on home soil in 2011. The All Blacks traditionally perform a haka
, a Māori challenge, at the start of international matches. This practice has been mimicked by several other national teams, notably the national rugby league team
and the basketball teams
.
Outside Test
matches, there are three widely followed competitions:
twice. At their first appearance in 1982
, the All Whites were knocked out in the first round with three losses. Their next appearance in 2010
saw another first-round exit, but with considerably more success on the field; the All Whites earned three draws
, including a 1–1 result against defending champion
Italy
, ending up as the only one team that was not beaten in this edition. The country's only professional soccer team, Wellington Phoenix FC
, plays in the A-League
which is otherwise an all-Australian competition. The sport is administered by New Zealand Football, which changed its name from "New Zealand Soccer" in 2007 to move in line with common usage around the world. The two major domestic competitions are the New Zealand Football Championship
which is played between eight regional teams, and the Chatham Cup
which is knock-out competition played between clubs. Neither the Phoenix nor the NZFC franchises play in the Chatham Cup. Soccer is especially popular amongst boys and girls, and is the second most popular participation sport for both boys and girls (aged between 5 and 17 years old) in New Zealand.
New Zealand hosted the 1999
FIFA U-17 World Cup
and the inaugural
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
in 2008.
The first New Zealand Tennis Championships were played at Farndon in Hawkes Bay in 1886.
Maori participation in tennis began soon after, with many Maori playing at a high standard by the 1890’s. Sir Maui Pomare, the first Maori who qualified as a doctor, won the USA Inter-Varsity Tennis Championships in 1899 while he was studying there. This began a great legacy of Maori participation in tennis, with many players of high caliber emerging over the years, most recently professional players like Kelly Evernden, Rewa Hudson and Leanne Baker. But perhaps the doyenne of Maori tennis is Rua Morrison, who played with great honour in international competitions, and at Wimbledon, in the early days of the professional era.
New Zealand and Australia (as Australasia) were founding members of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in 1913.
New Zealander Anthony ("Tony") Frederick Wilding
was the World No. 1 player in 1913. He was Wimbledon Champion in 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913. He was a pivotal figure in helping Australasia win the Davis Cup in 1907, and hold it until 1911. He died in the First World War in 1915.
New Zealand has competed in the Fed Cup since 1965, when they played Argentina (won 2-1) and Australia (lost 0-3). At a Fed Cup regional tournament held in Christchurch in 2007, New Zealand played Jordan (won 3-0), India (lost 1-2) Chinese Taipei (lost 1-2), Kazakhstan (won 3-0) and Hong Kong (won 2-1).
New Zealand's representatives at the Olympic Games have been: 1912, Stockholm – Anthony Wilding (Australasia); 1988, Seoul – Belinda Cordwell, Kelly Evernden, Bruce Devlin and Kelly Evernden (men’s doubles); 1996, Atlanta – Brett Steven; 2008, Beijing – Marina Erakovic
, more commonly known as "gridiron" in New Zealand, is a small sport in New Zealand, with programs established in Auckland
, Waikato
, Hawkes Bay and Wellington
. The governing body in New Zealand is the New Zealand American Football Association.
New Zealand's national side are nicknamed the Iron Blacks.
is a small sport in New Zealand, with programs established under the reorganised governing body of AFL New Zealand. Australian rules football was previously much more popular in New Zealand, with a team competing at the 1908 Melbourne Carnival
, defeating both New South Wales and Queensland. Participation dropped after World War I
. The game was re-established in New Zealand in the 1990s.
Leagues currently exist in Auckland, Canterbury, Waikato
and Wellington
. The national team
won the Australian Football International Cup
in 2005
.
New Zealanders who have played in the Australian Football League
, the premier Australian rules football competition, include Joe Sellwood
, Wayne Schwass
, Thomas O'Halloran
, Danny Dickfos
, Trent Croad
and Karmichael Hunt
.
, who compete in the Australian National Basketball League
(ANBL).
In 2001 they defeated Australia in a three-game series to qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis. At the tournament they finished fourth, after beating Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals before losses to Yugoslavia and Germany. Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron
was the only non-NBA player named to the all-tournament team in Indianapolis.
The Tall Blacks qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics but again finished with a 1-5 record and lost to Australia in the playoff for ninth place. Their most noted moment was on the 7th day of the games, when they beat Serbia and Montenegro, 90:87.
The most well-known former New Zealand player in the National Basketball Association
is Portland Trail Blazers
forward Sean Marks
, who is in his fifth NBA season, with Kirk Penney
being the only other player from New Zealand to play in the NBA.
Professional boxing in New Zealand has produced Bob Fitzsimmons
and Torpedo Billy Murphy
, both World Champions. Herbert Slade
, David Tua
, and Tom Heeney
were all contenders for a Heavy-weight Championship.
took silver in the Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit, while the men's team pursuit team took bronze. New Zealand is famous in Downhill Racing too; riders as Sam Blenkinsop, Brook McDonald, Nathan Rankin and Wyn Masters are some of the fastest downhill racers in the world. The sport is governed in New Zealand by BikeNZ
.
and zorbing
were both invented in New Zealand.
at Omarama
in North Otago near the centre of the South Island. The Southern Alps are known for the excellent wave soaring conditions. In 2002 and 2003 Steve Fossett
tried to beat the world gliding altitude record there (see Gliding New Zealand
and external links below).
won the 2005 U.S. Open Golf Championship
.
The New Zealand amateur team of Campbell, Phil Tataurangi
, Steven Scahill and Grant Moorehead won the Eisenhower Trophy
(World Amateur team event) in 1992 in Vancouver.
Sir Bob Charles
has won the British Open
and a number of other titles.
" refers to field hockey
(as opposed to ice hockey
) and is popular with both genders. New Zealand's men's and women's teams are both known as the "Black Sticks". The best result attained thus far by the men was a gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. The best placing by the women thus far has been a 4th placing at the 1986 Women's Hockey World Cup
.
The men's' team is ranked by the FIH at 7th in the world, and the women's team at 11th, as of 8 September 2008.
To date, New Zealand has seen one Formula One
World Champion, Denny Hulme
, in 1967. Four other New Zealanders have raced at Grand Prix
level: Bruce McLaren
(four wins), Chris Amon
, Howden Ganley
and Mike Thackwell
. Bruce McLaren founded the McLaren racing team, which was named after him.
Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren also won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans sports-car race. Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme won four Can-Am sports-car racing championships, 1967-1970. Scott Dixon
is a 2003 and 2008 IndyCar Series
champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500
winner.
New Zealand has many drivers currently competing on a high level on the world stage: Greg Murphy
and Steven Richards
are among several New Zealand drivers who contest the Australian V8 Supercar
Championship, which holds a round in New Zealand each year. Until 2007, this was held at the Pukekohe
circuit, with the race moving to Hamilton, New Zealand
, where it is contested on a street circuit
. Murphy has won the pinnacle race of the V8 supercar season, the Bathurst 1000
, twice and until recently held the lap record for the Mount Panorama course. Brendon Hartley
is racing in the British Formula Three Championship
while testing for the Red Bull Racing
and Scuderia Toro Rosso
Formula 1 teams.
A1 Team New Zealand
has been a front-runner since the series inception. Jonny Reid
has won seven races for the team helping it twice claim second place in the Championship, 2006-07 & 2007-08. On 20 January 2008, Taupo Motorsport Park
hosted the fifth race in the 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season
.
Rallying
is a popular sport at all levels in New Zealand, and hosts rounds of the World Rally Championship
and Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
each year. A highly competitive national championship is run each year, and some drivers also take part in the Australian Rally Championship
, most notably the late Possum Bourne, who was a seven-times Australian Rally Champion.
Ivan Mauger
won a record 6 motorcycle speedway World Championships
, 1968,1969,1970,1972,1977,1979 - R/Up 1971,1973,1974. Barry Briggs
is a New Zealand motorcyclist who won four individual world speedway titles from 1957 to 1966 and took part in a record 87 world championship races. He was an individual world champion from 1957 to 1958, in 1964, and in 1966. He was a team world champion in 1968 and 1971.
Since then Graeme Crosby
and Aaron Slight
have both risen to the top of World Championship motorcycle racing, in 500cc
and Superbikes
respectively but championships have been elusive.
Stefan Merriman
is a four-time winner of the World Enduro Championship
for enduro
motorcycling.
is a popular sport in New Zealand that combines cross-country running with land navigation
skills across a range of settings. Variations of the sport popular in New Zealand include bicycle
orienteering, ski
orienteering, and rogaines. Orienteering is a popular sport for youth and juniors, and New Zealand regularly sends competitors to both the World Orienteering Championships and the Junior World Orienteering Championships. Orienteering in New Zealand is organized by the New Zealand Orienteering Federation.
At the Rowing World Championships of 2006 in Gifu, Japan, New Zealand won 4 gold medals in 4 consecutive races - now known as the "Magic 45 Minutes".
In addition a number of Rowing World Cup events have been won by New Zealanders. Rowing New Zealand
is the governing body.
Lake Karapiro
will be hosting the 2010 World Rowing Championships
.
Auckland
hosted consecutive America's Cup
regattas in 2000 and 2003. In 2000, Team New Zealand successfully defended the trophy they won in 1995 in San Diego, but in 2003 they lost to a team headed by Ernesto Bertarelli
of Switzerland whose Alinghi
was skippered by Russell Coutts
, the expatriate Kiwi who helmed the victorious Black Magic in 1995 and New Zealand in 2000 as well as many other Kiwis. Coutts and Brad Butterworth, along with several other Team New Zealand members, defected to Bertarelli's Alinghi team, taking with them a wealth of experience that allowed the new team to win the America's Cup on the first challenge. Coutts was later dismissed from the Alinghi team; he fought a court battle with Bertarelli to allow him to sail in the 2007 America's Cup contest in Spain, but reached a settlement that kept him out of that contest.
and Turoa
are the only commercial resorts on the North Island
, Queenstown
, Wanaka
and Christchurch
are the top locations in the South Island
to access the mountains. In addition to the commercial ski resorts, New Zealand has many non-profit club fields
across both the North and South Islands, particularly in the region of the Southern Alps close to Christchurch such as Craigieburn Valley
, Broken River
and Temple Basin
. In the North Island there are club field skiing options on Mount Taranaki at the Manganui
area and also on the Eastern aspect of Mount Ruapehu at Tukino
. The south of New Zealand offers arguably the longest ski and snowboard season in Australasia
. New Zealand snowboarders have also places well on the international scene with brother and sister duo Mitchell and Kendall Brown with Mitchell placing 25th at the 2006 winter Olympics. Also New Zealand snowboarder Jacob Koia is currently sitting in 18th position on the TTR world rankings.
Dame Susan Devoy
won the World Open Championship a record four times, in 1985, 1987, 1990 and 1992. She also won seven consecutive British Open
titles from 1984 to 1990, and an eighth in 1992.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games Joelle King
and Jaclyn Hawkes
won gold in the women's doubles. Joelle King and Martin Knight won silver in the mixed doubles.
New Zealand hosted the Women's World Team Championships in 2010. They were held at International Pacific College in Palmerston North.
in New Zealand has a history dating back as far as 1963 when the first national championships were held at Mount Maunganui
and won by Peter Way. Surfing has since become more popular with many New Zealanders competing on the international scene. In 1976, New Zealand hosted the Amco/Radio Hauraki Pro at North Piha which became the first event of the very first year of the World Professional Surfing Tour. The event was won by Michael Peterson. In 1987 Iain Buchanan would go on to compete on the world tour finishing 34th overall, the highest placing ever for a New Zealand surfer. New Zealand's top surfer Maz Quinn at a young age won the Billabong
Pro-Junior Series in Australia in 1996, then competed in the World Pro Junior final in France coming second overall to Taj Burrow
. Maz Quinn placed 7th on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) in 2001 to qualify for the World Championship Tour (WCT) – the first Kiwi to do so. Woman's surfing has also come far in recent years with New Zealand surfer Paige Hareb currently sitting in 8th position on the ASP World Tour Of Surfing.
Surf lifesaving is also popular in New Zealand, with national championships being held yearly.
of New Zealand won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and was rated world number one for several years. Other successful triathletes from New Zealand include Bevan Docherty
, who won the ITU world championship, and a silver in Athens (both in 2004). He has also gained a bronze medal in Beijing 2008, and a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games (Melbourne in 2006).
On the women's side, Samantha Warriner
is ranked number 1 in the world. She won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, and Andrea Hewitt
took bronze at the same event.
and the Commonwealth Games
; see New Zealand Olympic Committee
, New Zealand Olympic medalists and New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. New Zealand are ranked 36th on the all-time Olympic Games medal table.
New Zealand have won one medal at the Winter Olympics, a silver medal won by Annelise Coberger for alpine skiing
at the 1992 Winter Olympics
in Albertville
.
New Zealand's most celebrated Olympian is probably middle distance runner Peter Snell
, who won three gold medals and broke several world records during the 1960s.
"), and some are neologisms developed as marketing devices (e.g. Black Sticks (hockey), Black Caps (cricket)). New Zealand Badminton temporarily named their teams "Black Cocks". The men's national soccer team is called the "All Whites" as they play in an all-white strip. At the time the national soccer team was formed, an all-black strip would not have been allowed.
Two notable exceptions to the "All Ferns" naming scheme are the Kiwis (men's Rugby League) and SWANZ (the name formerly used for women's soccer).
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
in New Zealand largely reflects its British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
heritage. Some of the most popular sports in New Zealand, namely rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
and netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, are primarily played in Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
countries. Sport is very popular in New Zealand and despite New Zealand being a very small nation, it has enjoyed great success in many sports notably Rugby Union (The national sport) and also Rugby League, Cricket, Americas Cup Sailing, Netball, motorsport and many other sports.
New Zealand's most popular sport is rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, the national sport
National sport
A national sport or national pastime is a sport or game that is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. Some sports are de facto national sports, as baseball is in the U.S., while others are de jure as lacrosse and ice hockey are in Canada.-De jure national sports:-De facto...
. Other popular sports include cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, which is considered the national summer sport, rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, basketball, soccer and netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
(the top ranking female sport by participation); golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
and a variety of water sports, particularly sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and Surf Sports. Snow sports such as skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
are also popular.
Participation rates
Data on participation rates in sport in New Zealand is published by SPARC (Sport and Recreation New Zealand). SPARC's data can be found at:This data relates to the period 1997 to 2001. Some care needs to be taken when interpreting it. For example, "Top Sports and Physical Activities" above gives Rugby Union as the fifth most popular sport for New Zealand adult men with 137,100 participants, and soccer as twelfth most popular with 83,800. Neither Rugby Union nor Soccer appear in the top fifteen sports for adult women. On the other hand "Participation in Sport" states that 158,100 New Zealand adults participated in Rugby Union in the previous twelve months and 143,300 New Zealand adults participated in soccer; a difference of 60,000.
The top five sports played in clubs by boys aged 5 to 17 are:
- 17% Soccer
- 16% Rugby union
- 14% Swimming8% Cricket8% Hockey
The top five sports played in clubs by girls aged 5 to 17 are:
- 17% Swimming
- 13% Netball
- 10% Horse riding8% Tennis6% Soccer
The top five sports played by men are:
- 26% Golf
- 15% Cricket
- 14% Tennis
- 14% Touch footballTouch football (rugby league)Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
* - 11% Rugby union
The top five sports played by women are:
- 11% Netball
- 10% Tennis9% Golf7% Touch football7% Skiing
Cricket
CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is the national summer sport in New Zealand, which is one of the ten countries that take part in Test match cricket. The provincial competition is not nearly as widely followed as the case with rugby, but international matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population. This parallels the global situation in cricket, whereby the international game is more widely followed than the domestic game in all major cricketing countries. Historically, the national cricket team has not been as successful as the national rugby team. New Zealand played its first test in 1930 but had to wait until 1956 to win its first test. The national team began to have more success in the 1970s and 1980s. New Zealand's most famous cricketer, the fast bowler Richard Hadlee
Richard Hadlee
Sir Richard John Hadlee, MBE is a former New Zealand cricketer who played provincial cricket for Canterbury, Nottinghamshire and Tasmania. He is the son of Walter Hadlee, and the brother of Dayle and Barry Hadlee. His former wife Karen also played international cricket for New Zealand.Hadlee was...
who was the first bowler to take 400 wickets in test cricket, played in this era. Although traditionally New Zealand have had one of the strongest sides, winning the 2000 edition of the ICC Champions Trophy
ICC Champions Trophy
The ICC Champions Trophy is a One Day International cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. It was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998 and has been played every two years since, changing its name to the Champions Trophy in 2002...
and reaching the 2009 final, they have never progressed past the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
where they ended up six times (the most equal with Australia), the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
and the semi-finals of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. However New Zealand's Women's Team, the White Ferns
New Zealand women's cricket team
The New Zealand women's cricket team played their first Test match in 1935, when they lost to England. Since then they have only won two Tests, once against Australia, and once against South Africa....
have reached the Final of their World Cup four times, winning the 2000 edition of the tournament.
Horseracing and equestrian
The various cup days in the major cities attract large crowds, the biggest race being the group 1 Auckland Cup . New Zealand has been the breeding ground for some world famous horses such as Phar Lap and many Melbourne Cup winners. Thouroughbred racing is the most prevalent type of horse racing in New Zealand although there is still a strong following among the standardbred (harness racing) community or "trotters" and "pacers" as they are sometimes known.Equestrian sportsmen, sportswomen and horses make their mark in the world, with Mark Todd
Mark Todd (equestrian)
Mark James Todd, CBE is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the discipline of eventing, voted Rider of the 20th Century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, Mark James Todd, CBE (born 1 March 1956) is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the...
being chosen international "Horseman of the Century", and many juniors at pony club
New Zealand Pony Clubs Association
AucklandBay of PlentyCanterburyFranklin/Thames ValleyGisborne/WairoaHawke's BayKing CountryManawatu/West CoastMarlborough/Nelson/West CoastNorthlandOtago/SouthlandTaranakiWaikatoWairarapa/WellingtonWaitemata/Rodney...
level. Mark Todd won a Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympic Games, and again at the 1988 Games. A Bronze Medal was also won in the Teams Event at the 1988 Games. Further medals were won at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Games.
Netball
NetballNetball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
is the most popular women's sport both in terms of participation and public interest in New Zealand. As in many netball-playing countries, netball is considered primarily a women's sport, with men's netball largely ancillary to women's competition. The sport maintains a high profile in New Zealand, due in large part to its national team, the Silver Ferns
Silver Ferns
The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern , which is an iconic emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative...
, which, with Australia
Australia national netball team
The Australia national netball team, commonly known as the Australian Netball Diamonds, represent Australia in international netball tests and competitions. The team was formed in 1938 and played in the first international game of netball, against New Zealand...
, has remained at the forefront of world netball for several decades. In 2008, netball in New Zealand became a semi-professional sport with the introduction of the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
. The sport is administered by Netball New Zealand
Netball New Zealand
Netball New Zealand is the national body which oversees, promotes and manages netball in New Zealand, including the Silver Ferns.Other competitions overseen include:*ANZ Championship – Premier Domestic Competition...
, which registered 125,500 players in 2006.
Rugby league
Unlike Australia, where rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
is the dominant rugby code, rugby union is generally the more popular code in New Zealand. The New Zealand domestic league is semi-professional and does not enjoy a high profile. However, the Australian National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL), in which New Zealand Warriors
New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership and are the League's only team from outside Australia...
play, is becoming more popular.
The New Zealand national side has competed in the Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
since 1954. They are the current World Champions and they won the World Cup for the first time on 22 November 2008 at Lang Park, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. They are also the reigning Four Nations
Rugby League Four Nations
The Rugby League Four Nations is an annual rugby league football tournament run in partnership between the Australian Rugby League, Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby League representing the top three nations in the sport: Australia, England and New Zealand. A fourth partner, France,...
champions from the 2010 series.
Rugby union
Rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
is popular across all sections of New Zealand society and many New Zealanders associate it with their national identity. It has the largest spectator following of all sports in New Zealand. New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
, has the best winning record of any national team in the world, and is currently ranked first
IRB World Rankings
The IRB World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in rugby union, managed by the International Rugby Board , the sport's governing body. The teams of the IRB's member nations are ranked based on their game results, with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
in the world. The All Blacks won the first rugby world cup in 1987, and again on home soil in 2011. The All Blacks traditionally perform a haka
Haka (sports)
The Haka is a traditional Maori war dance from New Zealand. There are thousands of Haka that are performed by various tribes and cultural groups throughout New Zealand. The best known Haka of them all is called "Ka Mate". It has been performed by countless New Zealand teams both locally and...
, a Māori challenge, at the start of international matches. This practice has been mimicked by several other national teams, notably the national rugby league team
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
and the basketball teams
New Zealand national basketball team
The New Zealand national basketball team represents New Zealand in international basketball competitions. It is nicknamed the Tall Blacks, derived from the name of New Zealand's Rugby union team, the All Blacks.-History:...
.
Outside Test
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
matches, there are three widely followed competitions:
- Super Rugby (previously Super 6, Super 10Super 10 (Southern Hemisphere competition)The Super 10 was a rugby union tournament featuring ten teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Tonga and Western Samoa, which ran for three years from 1993 to 1995...
, Super 12 and Super 14), the elite club competition in the southern hemisphere, involving teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. - ITM Cup (previously Air New Zealand Cup), created in 2006 as a successor to the National Provincial ChampionshipNational Provincial ChampionshipThe National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
(NPC), involves professional provincial New Zealand teams and is played mainly during the winter months. - Heartland ChampionshipHeartland ChampionshipThe Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the country's former domestic competition,...
, an amateur competition of lower-level New Zealand provincial teams, also created in 2006 as a successor to the NPC.
Soccer
Soccer (also known as "football" or "Association football") is less popular in New Zealand than in most other countries. The New Zealand national soccer team, nicknamed the "All Whites", has qualified for the FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
twice. At their first appearance in 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, the All Whites were knocked out in the first round with three losses. Their next appearance in 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
saw another first-round exit, but with considerably more success on the field; the All Whites earned three draws
2010 FIFA World Cup Group F
Group F of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June 2010 and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning World Cup holders Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Italy previously met Paraguay in 1950, in which Italy defeated Paraguay 2–0; neither qualified for the next round.Paraguay...
, including a 1–1 result against defending champion
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, ending up as the only one team that was not beaten in this edition. The country's only professional soccer team, Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...
, plays in the A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
which is otherwise an all-Australian competition. The sport is administered by New Zealand Football, which changed its name from "New Zealand Soccer" in 2007 to move in line with common usage around the world. The two major domestic competitions are the New Zealand Football Championship
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship is the national association football league in New Zealand. It is a professional/semi-professional status Association football sports Franchise league that is operated by New Zealand Football...
which is played between eight regional teams, and the Chatham Cup
Chatham Cup
The Chatham Cup, currently known as the ASB Chatham Cup for sponsorship purposes, is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's football...
which is knock-out competition played between clubs. Neither the Phoenix nor the NZFC franchises play in the Chatham Cup. Soccer is especially popular amongst boys and girls, and is the second most popular participation sport for both boys and girls (aged between 5 and 17 years old) in New Zealand.
New Zealand hosted the 1999
1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 1999 was held in the cities of Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, and Dunedin in New Zealand between 10 November and 27 November 1999...
FIFA U-17 World Cup
FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup, founded as the FIFA U-16 World Championship, later changed to the FIFA U-17 World Championship and known by its current name since 2007, is the world championship of association football for male players under the age of 17 organized by Fédération Internationale de Football...
and the inaugural
2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:All times local -Quarterfinals:-----------------Semifinals:---------3rd Place Playoff:----...
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is an international association football tournament for female players under the age of 17. It is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
in 2008.
Tennis
Tennis was introduced to New Zealand in the 1870’s, soon after the modern form of the game was invented in England.The first New Zealand Tennis Championships were played at Farndon in Hawkes Bay in 1886.
Maori participation in tennis began soon after, with many Maori playing at a high standard by the 1890’s. Sir Maui Pomare, the first Maori who qualified as a doctor, won the USA Inter-Varsity Tennis Championships in 1899 while he was studying there. This began a great legacy of Maori participation in tennis, with many players of high caliber emerging over the years, most recently professional players like Kelly Evernden, Rewa Hudson and Leanne Baker. But perhaps the doyenne of Maori tennis is Rua Morrison, who played with great honour in international competitions, and at Wimbledon, in the early days of the professional era.
New Zealand and Australia (as Australasia) were founding members of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in 1913.
New Zealander Anthony ("Tony") Frederick Wilding
Tony Wilding
Anthony "Tony" Frederick Wilding was a champion tennis player from Christchurch, New Zealand and a soldier killed in action during World War I near Neuve-Chapelle, Pas-de-Calais, France....
was the World No. 1 player in 1913. He was Wimbledon Champion in 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913. He was a pivotal figure in helping Australasia win the Davis Cup in 1907, and hold it until 1911. He died in the First World War in 1915.
New Zealand has competed in the Fed Cup since 1965, when they played Argentina (won 2-1) and Australia (lost 0-3). At a Fed Cup regional tournament held in Christchurch in 2007, New Zealand played Jordan (won 3-0), India (lost 1-2) Chinese Taipei (lost 1-2), Kazakhstan (won 3-0) and Hong Kong (won 2-1).
New Zealand's representatives at the Olympic Games have been: 1912, Stockholm – Anthony Wilding (Australasia); 1988, Seoul – Belinda Cordwell, Kelly Evernden, Bruce Devlin and Kelly Evernden (men’s doubles); 1996, Atlanta – Brett Steven; 2008, Beijing – Marina Erakovic
American football
American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, more commonly known as "gridiron" in New Zealand, is a small sport in New Zealand, with programs established in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
, Hawkes Bay and Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. The governing body in New Zealand is the New Zealand American Football Association.
New Zealand's national side are nicknamed the Iron Blacks.
Australian rules football
Australian rules footballAustralian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
is a small sport in New Zealand, with programs established under the reorganised governing body of AFL New Zealand. Australian rules football was previously much more popular in New Zealand, with a team competing at the 1908 Melbourne Carnival
1908 Melbourne Carnival
The 1908 Melbourne Carnival was the inaugural Australian National Football Carnival, an Australian rules football interstate competition. It was known at the time as the Jubilee Australasian Football Carnival as it commemorated 50 years of Australian rules football.-Teams:The Victorian team was...
, defeating both New South Wales and Queensland. Participation dropped after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The game was re-established in New Zealand in the 1990s.
Leagues currently exist in Auckland, Canterbury, Waikato
Waikato AFL
Waikato AFL is an Australian rules football competition in Waikato, New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by AFL New Zealand.-Representative Side:The representative side for the Waikato AFL is known as the Waikato Thunder....
and Wellington
Wellington AFL
Wellington AFL is an Australian rules football competition in Wellington, New Zealand and is one of the Leagues governed by New Zealand AFL.-Current Clubs:*North City Demons *Hutt Valley Eagles*Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs *Wellington City Saints...
. The national team
New Zealand national Australian rules football team
The New Zealand national Australian rules football team nicknamed the Falcons, is the national team for the sport of Australian rules football in New Zealand. The team is selected from the best New Zealand born and developed players, primarily from the clubs of the New Zealand AFL. New Zealand-born...
won the Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
in 2005
2005 Australian Football International Cup
The 2005 Australian Football International Cup was the second time that the Australian Football International Cup tournament, an international Australian rules football competition was held....
.
New Zealanders who have played in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, the premier Australian rules football competition, include Joe Sellwood
Joe Sellwood
Joe Sellwood was a New Zealand born Australian rules football player, playing 181 games from 1930–1945. Sellwood, recruited from Wunghnu Football Club was part of the Geelong Football Club 1937 premiership team....
, Wayne Schwass
Wayne Schwass
Wayne Schwass was an Australian rules football player in the VFL/AFL who debuted in 1988.He is notable as one of only a few New Zealand-born players of Māori heritage in the history of the VFL/AFL....
, Thomas O'Halloran
Thomas O'Halloran
Thomas O'Halloran was an Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL between 1925 and 1934 for the Richmond Football Club. He served as Richmond's Vice President in 1936 and 1940.- References :...
, Danny Dickfos
Danny Dickfos
Danny Dickfos is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Bears and Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League.-Early life:Dickfos, of Maori descent, grew up in Brisbane Queensland....
, Trent Croad
Trent Croad
Trent Eric Croad is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League .During his 222 game AFL career, he achieved some of the Australian Football League's highest honours including an AFL premiership medallion, All-Australian selection, representing...
and Karmichael Hunt
Karmichael Hunt
Karmichael Neil Matthew Hunt is an Australian professional multi-code football player, currently playing Australian rules football for the newly formed Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League ....
.
Basketball
New Zealand have one professional basketball team, the New Zealand BreakersNew Zealand Breakers
The New Zealand Breakers are a professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The Breakers joined the NBL for the 2003/04 season as one of two expansion clubs. The club is based in the city of Auckland, New Zealand and play their home games at the North...
, who compete in the Australian National Basketball League
National Basketball League (Australasia)
The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia....
(ANBL).
In 2001 they defeated Australia in a three-game series to qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis. At the tournament they finished fourth, after beating Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals before losses to Yugoslavia and Germany. Tall Blacks captain Pero Cameron
Pero Cameron
Sean Pero MacPherson Cameron MNZM, known as "Pero", is a former New Zealand professional basketball player. Cameron captained the NZ National Team from 2000 - 2010...
was the only non-NBA player named to the all-tournament team in Indianapolis.
The Tall Blacks qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics but again finished with a 1-5 record and lost to Australia in the playoff for ninth place. Their most noted moment was on the 7th day of the games, when they beat Serbia and Montenegro, 90:87.
The most well-known former New Zealand player in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
is Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
forward Sean Marks
Sean Marks
Sean Andrew Marks is a New Zealand-American professional basketball player. He is the first native New Zealander to play in the NBA.-Basketball career:...
, who is in his fifth NBA season, with Kirk Penney
Kirk Penney
Kirk Samuel Penney is a New Zealander professional basketball player.-University of Wisconsin :...
being the only other player from New Zealand to play in the NBA.
Boxing
Amateur boxing was earlier a popular sport in New Zealand but during the 1950s there was a move to stop schools promoting boxing championships and the sport is now only of minority interest. Despite this there has been success at Commonwealth and Olympic Games level.Professional boxing in New Zealand has produced Bob Fitzsimmons
Bob Fitzsimmons
Robert James "Bob" Fitzsimmons , was a British boxer who made boxing history as the sport's first three-division world champion. He also achieved fame for beating Gentleman Jim Corbett, the man who beat John L. Sullivan, and is in The Guinness Book of World Records as the Lightest heavyweight...
and Torpedo Billy Murphy
Torpedo Billy Murphy
Thomas William Murphy was a boxer from New Zealand. A featherweight, he was the first world champion in any class to come from New Zealand and the only NZ-born champion to date. He was sometimes billed as Australian Billy Murphy Murphy was born in Auckland and began boxing there before continuing...
, both World Champions. Herbert Slade
Herbert Slade
Herbert Slade , also known as "Māori" Slade, was a New Zealand boxer of Irish and Māori descent, who fought John L Sullivan for the heavyweight championship of the world. This occurred at Madison Square Garden, New York, on 6 August 1883. Sullivan won...
, David Tua
David Tua
David "Tuamanator" Tua is a New Zealand professional heavyweight boxer, fighting out of South Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.He is a former WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion....
, and Tom Heeney
Tom Heeney
Thomas Heeney , commonly called Tom Heeney, was a professional heavyweight boxer from New Zealand, best known for unsuccessfully challenging champion Gene Tunney for the heavyweight championship of the world in New York City on 26 July 1928.Heeney was born in Gisborne, New Zealand, and worked as a...
were all contenders for a Heavy-weight Championship.
Canoeing
New Zealanders first won Olympic Games medals in 1984 when they won four events. The 1988 and 2004 Games also saw medal success.Cycling
New Zealand has produced a number of notable cyclists, across a variety of disciplines including track cycling, road cycling, mountain biking, Downhill and BMX. New Zealand won two cycling medals at the 2008 Olympics - Hayden RoulstonHayden Roulston
Hayden Roulston, MNZM is a New Zealand professional racing cyclist for UCI ProTour team . He won the silver medal in the men's 4000 m individual pursuit and a bronze medal in the men's 4000 m team pursuit at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.Roulston was a talented junior rider on both road and...
took silver in the Men's 4000m Individual Pursuit, while the men's team pursuit team took bronze. New Zealand is famous in Downhill Racing too; riders as Sam Blenkinsop, Brook McDonald, Nathan Rankin and Wyn Masters are some of the fastest downhill racers in the world. The sport is governed in New Zealand by BikeNZ
BikeNZ
BikeNZ was created in July 2003 to act as an umbrella body embracing all national bike and cycling organisations including, BMX NZ, Cycling Advocates' Network , Cycling NZ, Mountain Bike NZ and NZ Schools Cycling Association.It is the national governing body of cycle racing in New Zealand.BikeNZ is...
.
Extreme sports
Extreme sports are increasingly popular in New Zealand, both with residents and tourists. Bungee jumpingBungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
and zorbing
Zorbing
Zorbing is the recreation of rolling downhill in an orb, generally made of transparent plastic. Zorbing is generally performed on a gentle slope, but can also be done on a level surface, permitting more rider control. In the absence of hills some operators have constructed inflatable, wooden or...
were both invented in New Zealand.
Gliding
New Zealand hosted the 1995 World Gliding ChampionshipsWorld Gliding Championships
The World Gliding Championships is a gliding competition held every two years or so by the FAI Gliding Commission. The dates are not always exactly two years apart, often because the contests are sometimes held in the summer in the Southern Hemisphere....
at Omarama
Omarama
Omarama is a small township at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin, in the South Island of New Zealand. Omarama is in the Waitaki District, in the historic Province of Otago...
in North Otago near the centre of the South Island. The Southern Alps are known for the excellent wave soaring conditions. In 2002 and 2003 Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen Fossett was an American commodities trader, businessman, and adventurer. Fossett is the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon...
tried to beat the world gliding altitude record there (see Gliding New Zealand
Gliding New Zealand
Gliding New Zealand controls the sport of gliding in New Zealand for those clubs and other organisations that are affiliated to it. It was established after the Second World War to:...
and external links below).
Golf
New Zealand's Michael CampbellMichael Campbell
Michael Shane Campbell, CNZM is a New Zealand golfer who is best known for having won the 2005 U.S. Open and the richest prize in golf, the £1,000,000 HSBC World Match Play Championship, in the same year. He is a member of the European Tour.Ethnically, he is predominantly Māori, from the Ngati...
won the 2005 U.S. Open Golf Championship
2005 U.S. Open Golf Championship
The 2005 United States Open Championship was the 105th U.S. Open, played from June 13 to June 19 at Pinehurst Resort course No. 2. The U.S. Open returned to Pinehurst No. 2 for the first time since 1999 when Payne Stewart won his second U.S. Open four months before his death. Six years was the...
.
The New Zealand amateur team of Campbell, Phil Tataurangi
Phil Tataurangi
Phillip Mikaera Tataurangi is a New Zealand golfer.Tataurangi was born in Auckland. In 1992 he was a member of the New Zealand's winning Eisenhower Trophy team and was the leading individual player in the tournament. He turned professional in 1993 and has played mainly in the United States as a pro...
, Steven Scahill and Grant Moorehead won the Eisenhower Trophy
Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
(World Amateur team event) in 1992 in Vancouver.
Sir Bob Charles
Bob Charles (golfer)
Sir Robert James Charles, ONZ, KNZM, CBE is a New Zealand professional golfer whose achievements over five decades rank him among the most successful left-handed golfers of all time, being the first lefty to win a golf major, winning more than 70 titles, and beating his age twice during a...
has won the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
and a number of other titles.
Hockey
In New Zealand "hockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
" refers to field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
(as opposed to ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
) and is popular with both genders. New Zealand's men's and women's teams are both known as the "Black Sticks". The best result attained thus far by the men was a gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. The best placing by the women thus far has been a 4th placing at the 1986 Women's Hockey World Cup
Women's Hockey World Cup
The Women's Hockey World Cup is the field hockey World Cup competition for women, whose format for qualification and final tournament is similar to the men's. It has been held since 1974. The tournament has been organised by the International Hockey Federation since they merged with the...
.
The men's' team is ranked by the FIH at 7th in the world, and the women's team at 11th, as of 8 September 2008.
Motorsport
Despite New Zealand being a small country, it is very successful at motorsport. There are many levels of competitive motors sport series in New Zealand, which are most simply broken down into watersports (hydro-planing, jetski racing and thundercat racing), automobile racing (Club and national level circuit racing and rallying, with some international events, as well as speedway) and finally motorcycle racing (street, circuit and dirt/motocross).To date, New Zealand has seen one Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
World Champion, Denny Hulme
Denny Hulme
Denis Clive "Denny" Hulme, OBE was a New Zealand racing driver, the 1967 Formula One World Champion for the Brabham team....
, in 1967. Four other New Zealanders have raced at Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
level: Bruce McLaren
Bruce McLaren
Bruce Leslie McLaren , born in Auckland, New Zealand, was a race-car designer, driver, engineer and inventor....
(four wins), Chris Amon
Chris Amon
Christopher Arthur Amon MBE is a former motor racing driver. He was active in Formula One - racing in the 1960s and 1970s - and is widely regarded to be one of the best F1 drivers never to win a championship Grand Prix...
, Howden Ganley
Howden Ganley
James Howden Ganley is a former racing driver from New Zealand. He participated in 41 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on March 6, 1971, scoring a total of 10 championship points...
and Mike Thackwell
Mike Thackwell
Michael Thackwell is a former racing driver, who competed in a number of prominent racing categories, including Formula One. The second youngest driver ever to qualify for a Grand Prix, he participated in five of them, making his first start on 28 September 1980 at the Canadian Grand Prix. He...
. Bruce McLaren founded the McLaren racing team, which was named after him.
Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren also won the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans sports-car race. Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme won four Can-Am sports-car racing championships, 1967-1970. Scott Dixon
Scott Dixon
Scott Ronald Dixon, MNZM is a New Zealand motor racer who became the most successful all-time driver in the Indy Racing League championship in the United States when he won the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in August 2009. This took his total to 21 wins...
is a 2003 and 2008 IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
champion and 2008 Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
winner.
New Zealand has many drivers currently competing on a high level on the world stage: Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy
Greg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show...
and Steven Richards
Steven Richards
Steven Richards is a New Zealand racing driver, currently competing in the with the team. He previously raced in the V8 Supercar series for Ford Performance Racing....
are among several New Zealand drivers who contest the Australian V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
Championship, which holds a round in New Zealand each year. Until 2007, this was held at the Pukekohe
Pukekohe Park Raceway
Although Pukekohe Park Raceway is better known internationally as a motor racing circuit, it is primarily a horse racing circuit in New Zealand. It is located south of Auckland City in the North Island. The track is now owned by Pukekohe Park Limited...
circuit, with the race moving to Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, where it is contested on a street circuit
Hamilton Street Circuit
Hamilton Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in Hamilton, New Zealand as part of the V8 Supercars championship. The 2008 event from 18 to 20 April was known as the Hamilton 400....
. Murphy has won the pinnacle race of the V8 supercar season, the Bathurst 1000
Bathurst 1000
The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...
, twice and until recently held the lap record for the Mount Panorama course. Brendon Hartley
Brendon Hartley
Brendon Hartley is a New Zealand race car driver.-Career:Hartley was born in a family well integrated within motorsport. His father, Bryan, had raced in many forms of motorsport, most notably Formula Atlantic. At the age of six, Hartley began his motor racing career in kart racing, following his...
is racing in the British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
while testing for the Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
and Scuderia Toro Rosso
Scuderia Toro Rosso
Scuderia Toro Rosso , also known simply as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, is an Italian Formula One racing team...
Formula 1 teams.
A1 Team New Zealand
A1 Team New Zealand
A1 Team New Zealand is the New Zealand team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The team was formed by and is owned by prominent Auckland businessman Colin Giltrap, well known for this car dealerships. The team is managed by Kiwi Bob McMurray who retired last year after...
has been a front-runner since the series inception. Jonny Reid
Jonny Reid
Jonathan Ross Reid, more commonly known as Jonny Reid, is a New Zealand racing driver. Reid comes from a well-known New Zealand racing family. Both his grandfather and his father were known kiwi racers. His father, Clayton Reid, was a New Zealand champion in karting...
has won seven races for the team helping it twice claim second place in the Championship, 2006-07 & 2007-08. On 20 January 2008, Taupo Motorsport Park
Taupo Motorsport Park
Taupo Motorsport Park is a motorsports circuit located in Broadlands Road, Taupo, New Zealand. It is owned and operated by MIT Development Ltd....
hosted the fifth race in the 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season
2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season
The 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season was the third in the relatively short history of the championship.- Teams :All teams used same A1 Grand Prix car including chassis , engine and tyre...
.
Rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
is a popular sport at all levels in New Zealand, and hosts rounds of the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
and Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
Asia-Pacific Rally Championship
The Asia-Pacific Rally Championship is an international rally championship organized by the FIA. The championship was first held in 1988 and won by Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4. Other winners include the two-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz of Spain and the 1986...
each year. A highly competitive national championship is run each year, and some drivers also take part in the Australian Rally Championship
Australian Rally Championship
The Australian Rally Championship is a 6 Round National motorsport Championship run in forested countryside throughout Australia.-Current Competition:...
, most notably the late Possum Bourne, who was a seven-times Australian Rally Champion.
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger
Ivan Mauger, OBE, MBE, is a retired motorcycle speedway rider. He won a record six World Championships, a feat only equalled by Tony Rickardsson of Sweden...
won a record 6 motorcycle speedway World Championships
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
, 1968,1969,1970,1972,1977,1979 - R/Up 1971,1973,1974. Barry Briggs
Barry Briggs
Barry Briggs MBE from Christchurch, New Zealand is a former Speedway rider.He won the World Individual Championship title four times - in 1957, 1958, 1964 and 1966. He appeared in a record 17 consecutive World Individual finals , and a record 18 in all, during which he scored a record 201 points...
is a New Zealand motorcyclist who won four individual world speedway titles from 1957 to 1966 and took part in a record 87 world championship races. He was an individual world champion from 1957 to 1958, in 1964, and in 1966. He was a team world champion in 1968 and 1971.
Since then Graeme Crosby
Graeme Crosby
Graeme Crosby is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from New Zealand. A supremely versatile rider, Crosby holds the distinction of having won the Daytona 200, the Imola 200, the Suzuka 8 Hours, and the Isle of Man TT....
and Aaron Slight
Aaron Slight
Aaron Tony Slight is a former professional motorcycle road racer who has recently dabbled in car racing and now fronts the AA Torque Show....
have both risen to the top of World Championship motorcycle racing, in 500cc
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing currently divided into three distinct classes: 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP. The 125cc class uses a two-stroke engine while Moto2 and MotoGP use four-stroke engines. In 2010 the 250cc two-stroke was replaced...
and Superbikes
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
respectively but championships have been elusive.
Stefan Merriman
Stefan Merriman
Stefan Merriman is a New Zealand-born Australian enduro rider competing in the World Enduro Championship...
is a four-time winner of the World Enduro Championship
World Enduro Championship
The FIM World Enduro Championship is the world championship series for enduro, a popular form of off-road motorcycle sport. The championship currently features three classes , along with separate categories for junior and female riders. The WEC was first organized in 1990, and currently consists...
for enduro
Enduro
Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on courses that are predominantly off-road. Enduro consists of many different obstacles and challenges...
motorcycling.
Orienteering
OrienteeringOrienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
is a popular sport in New Zealand that combines cross-country running with land navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
skills across a range of settings. Variations of the sport popular in New Zealand include bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
orienteering, ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
orienteering, and rogaines. Orienteering is a popular sport for youth and juniors, and New Zealand regularly sends competitors to both the World Orienteering Championships and the Junior World Orienteering Championships. Orienteering in New Zealand is organized by the New Zealand Orienteering Federation.
Rowing
Rowing has been a consistent medal winner at the Olympic Games with the first coming in 1920. Medals were also gained at the following Games: 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1988, 2000, 2004, 2008.At the Rowing World Championships of 2006 in Gifu, Japan, New Zealand won 4 gold medals in 4 consecutive races - now known as the "Magic 45 Minutes".
In addition a number of Rowing World Cup events have been won by New Zealanders. Rowing New Zealand
Rowing New Zealand
Rowing New Zealand is sport governing body for rowing in New Zealand. Its purpose is to provide leadership and support to enable an environment of success for the New Zealand rowing community. This includes secondary schools, clubs, masters, universities and high performance.Rowing New Zealand was...
is the governing body.
Lake Karapiro
Lake Karapiro
Lake Karapiro is an artificial reservoir lake on the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand. The lake, near Cambridge and some south-east of the city of Hamilton, was created in 1947 to store water for the Karapiro Power Station, the last of the eight hydroelectric power stations on the...
will be hosting the 2010 World Rowing Championships
2010 World Rowing Championships
The 39th 2010 World Rowing Championships were held at Lake Karapiro, near Cambridge, New Zealand between October 29 – November 7. The annual week-long rowing regatta was organised by FISA . Usually held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer, they were held later in the year in the southern...
.
Sailing
New Zealand sailors have won a large number of international events, including Olympic Games medals in 1956, 1964, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 & 2008America's Cup
Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
hosted consecutive America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
regattas in 2000 and 2003. In 2000, Team New Zealand successfully defended the trophy they won in 1995 in San Diego, but in 2003 they lost to a team headed by Ernesto Bertarelli
Ernesto Bertarelli
Ernesto Bertarelli is a Swiss-Italian billionaire and entrepreneur.Together with his extended family, Bertarelli was ranked 81st in the 2011 annual ranking of the world's wealthiest people compiled and published by Forbes magazine, The family's wealth was estimated at US$10.0...
of Switzerland whose Alinghi
Alinghi
Alinghi is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup. Bertarelli had raced several smaller yachts named Alinghi previously, but 2003 was his first attempt at the America's Cup...
was skippered by Russell Coutts
Russell Coutts
Sir Russell Coutts, KNZM, CBE is a competitive sailor. His achievements include a Gold medal in the Finn Class in the 1984 Olympic Games, winning the America's Cup four times, the ISAF World Youth championships, three World Match Racing Championships, numerous international match race wins and...
, the expatriate Kiwi who helmed the victorious Black Magic in 1995 and New Zealand in 2000 as well as many other Kiwis. Coutts and Brad Butterworth, along with several other Team New Zealand members, defected to Bertarelli's Alinghi team, taking with them a wealth of experience that allowed the new team to win the America's Cup on the first challenge. Coutts was later dismissed from the Alinghi team; he fought a court battle with Bertarelli to allow him to sail in the 2007 America's Cup contest in Spain, but reached a settlement that kept him out of that contest.
Snowsports
New Zealand has some of the best skiing and snowboarding locations in the world, with workers at these venues creating world class facilities for competitions. WhakapapaWhakapapa
Whakapapa , or genealogy, is a fundamental principle that permeates the whole of Māori culture. However, it is more than just a genealogical 'device'...
and Turoa
Turoa
Turoa is a large skifield on the south western side of Mount Ruapehu, the highest mountain in the North Island of New Zealand, in Tongariro National Park. The area has been used for skiing since before the completion of the Mountain Road, but the first lifts opened in 1978.There are two beginner...
are the only commercial resorts on the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
, Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
, Wanaka
Wanaka
Wanaka is a town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, adjacent to the outflow of the lake to the Clutha River. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is primarily a resort town but has both summer and winter...
and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
are the top locations in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
to access the mountains. In addition to the commercial ski resorts, New Zealand has many non-profit club fields
Club skifield
In New Zealand, a club skifield is a small ski resort run by a ski club to provide affordable skiing to its members. While members of the public can ski, members of the club receive heavily discounted rates, in exchange for a yearly membership fee and usually several days of voluntary work...
across both the North and South Islands, particularly in the region of the Southern Alps close to Christchurch such as Craigieburn Valley
Craigieburn Valley
Craigieburn Valley Ski Area is a club skifield in the Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island, about east 104km from Christchurch. Catering only to intermediate and advanced skiers, it features a vertical range of 1308—1811 m, 600 hectares of skiable area and 3 fast rope tows. The resort has...
, Broken River
Broken River Ski Area
Broken River is a club skifield in South Island, New Zealand. Run by the Broken River Ski Club, it is located at about 110 km from Christchurch. It claims to often have the longest ski season anywhere in Australasia...
and Temple Basin
Temple Basin
Temple Basin is a club skifield in Arthur's Pass, in New Zealand's South Island. Operated by two clubs, the Temple Basin Ski Club, and the Canterbury University Snow Sports Club, the ski area has 3 rope tows, two on-site lodges, a ski school and ski shop. The tows cover an elevation range of...
. In the North Island there are club field skiing options on Mount Taranaki at the Manganui
Manganui
Manganui Ski Area, located in Taranaki, in New Zealand's North Island is a club skifield. Like all club fields, it has accommodation onsite, in the form of the 33-bed Manganui Lodge. It has 3 rope ski tows and a T-bar covering a beginner-intermediate terrain of 59 hectares. The elevation ranges...
area and also on the Eastern aspect of Mount Ruapehu at Tukino
Tukino
Tukino ski field is located on the eastern face of Mount Ruapehu, in the central area of the North Island, New Zealand.The field is a club managed field, but open to the general public. The ski area is serviced by two tows and an over-snow vehicle giving access for skiing and snow boarding. Tukino...
. The south of New Zealand offers arguably the longest ski and snowboard season in Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. New Zealand snowboarders have also places well on the international scene with brother and sister duo Mitchell and Kendall Brown with Mitchell placing 25th at the 2006 winter Olympics. Also New Zealand snowboarder Jacob Koia is currently sitting in 18th position on the TTR world rankings.
Softball
New Zealand's men's softball team, nicknamed the Black Sox, have been highly successful on the international stage despite the sport being a minority in NZ. The Black Sox shared the inaugural World Championships in 1976 with the USA and Canada, and won outright in 1984, 1996, 2000 and 2004. They were the runners up at the 2009 World Champs to Australia.Squash
Squash has been played competitively in New Zealand since 1932. In 2010 there were 220 clubs affiliated with the national organisation, Squash New Zealand. Competitions are played at club, regional and national level.Dame Susan Devoy
Susan Devoy
Dame Susan Elizabeth Anne Devoy, DNZM, CBE is a New Zealand squash player who dominated the sport in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won the World Open on four occasions.-Playing career:...
won the World Open Championship a record four times, in 1985, 1987, 1990 and 1992. She also won seven consecutive British Open
British Open Squash Championships
The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest and most established tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Open The British...
titles from 1984 to 1990, and an eighth in 1992.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games Joelle King
Joelle King
Joelle King, is a professional squash player who represents New Zealand. She reached a career-high world ranking of World No...
and Jaclyn Hawkes
Jaclyn Hawkes
Jaclyn Hawkes, is a professional squash player who represented New Zealand.Jaclyn grew up in Hong Kong and lived there until she was 15 when she moved to New Zealand. She started playing squash aged five because her mother Judy was a New Zealand representative and is an ex-World Masters champion...
won gold in the women's doubles. Joelle King and Martin Knight won silver in the mixed doubles.
New Zealand hosted the Women's World Team Championships in 2010. They were held at International Pacific College in Palmerston North.
Surfing and surfsport
SurfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
in New Zealand has a history dating back as far as 1963 when the first national championships were held at Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui
Mount Maunganui is a town in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, located on a peninsula to the north of Tauranga. It was independent from Tauranga until the completion of the Tauranga Harbour Bridge in 1988....
and won by Peter Way. Surfing has since become more popular with many New Zealanders competing on the international scene. In 1976, New Zealand hosted the Amco/Radio Hauraki Pro at North Piha which became the first event of the very first year of the World Professional Surfing Tour. The event was won by Michael Peterson. In 1987 Iain Buchanan would go on to compete on the world tour finishing 34th overall, the highest placing ever for a New Zealand surfer. New Zealand's top surfer Maz Quinn at a young age won the Billabong
Billabong
Billabong is an Australian English word meaning a small lake, specifically an oxbow lake, a section of still water adjacent to a river, cut off by a change in the watercourse. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end...
Pro-Junior Series in Australia in 1996, then competed in the World Pro Junior final in France coming second overall to Taj Burrow
Taj Burrow
Taj Burrow is an Australian professional surfer who is currently competing in this 14th year on the ASP World Tour.-Career:...
. Maz Quinn placed 7th on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) in 2001 to qualify for the World Championship Tour (WCT) – the first Kiwi to do so. Woman's surfing has also come far in recent years with New Zealand surfer Paige Hareb currently sitting in 8th position on the ASP World Tour Of Surfing.
Surf lifesaving is also popular in New Zealand, with national championships being held yearly.
Triathlon
Hamish CarterHamish Carter
Hamish Clive Carter ONZM is a New Zealand triathlete. He won the gold medal in triathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics, his second Olympic games. Carter also competed on the International Triathlon Union World Cup circuit as a professional for many years, culminating in a silver medal in 2006 before...
of New Zealand won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and was rated world number one for several years. Other successful triathletes from New Zealand include Bevan Docherty
Bevan Docherty
Bevan John Docherty is a triathlete from New Zealand who twice won medals at the Olympic Games. Docherty attended Tauhara College, Taupo....
, who won the ITU world championship, and a silver in Athens (both in 2004). He has also gained a bronze medal in Beijing 2008, and a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games (Melbourne in 2006).
On the women's side, Samantha Warriner
Samantha Warriner
Samantha Warriner is a triathlete who represents New Zealand in triathlons ranging from sprint distance up to the Half Ironman distance. She was born in Alton, Hampshire, England...
is ranked number 1 in the world. She won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, and Andrea Hewitt
Andrea Hewitt
Andrea Hewitt , is a professional triathlete, she placed third in the World Championship Series of 2009 and took part in the Olympic Games of 2008.- Biography :...
took bronze at the same event.
Olympic Games
The country achieves well on a medals-to-population ratio at the Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
; see New Zealand Olympic Committee
New Zealand Olympic Committee
The New Zealand Olympic Committee is the body in New Zealand responsible for selecting athletes to represent New Zealand in the Summer and Winter Olympic and the Commonwealth Games....
, New Zealand Olympic medalists and New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics
New Zealand at the 2008 Summer Olympics
New Zealand took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The country sent 182 competitors, making this its largest ever delegation to the Olympic Games. It was also one of the most successful, equalling New Zealand's combined medal tally from the previous two games...
. New Zealand are ranked 36th on the all-time Olympic Games medal table.
New Zealand have won one medal at the Winter Olympics, a silver medal won by Annelise Coberger for alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
at the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
in Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
.
New Zealand's most celebrated Olympian is probably middle distance runner Peter Snell
Peter Snell
Sir Peter George Snell, KNZM, MBE is a former New Zealand athlete, now resident in Texas, United States. He had one of the shortest careers of world famous international sportsmen, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand’s "Sports Champion of the Century"...
, who won three gold medals and broke several world records during the 1960s.
National team colours
New Zealand's national sporting colours are black and white (or silver). The silver fern is a national emblem worn by New Zealanders representing their country in sport.National team names
The national men's rugby team is known as the "All Blacks" rather than the New Zealand rugby team; the national women's netball team is known as the "Silver Ferns". Historically, rugby and netball dominated team sport in New Zealand, and the national teams of other sports have acquired names which have been formed with reference to these two (see list below). The women's rugby team is known as the "Black Ferns", rather than the "All Silvers". Some of these names seem to have arisen as genuine nicknames (e.g. "Tall Blacks", "Wheel BlacksWheel Blacks
The Wheel Blacks are the national wheelchair rugby team of New Zealand. The team won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. The 2008 Wheel Blacks were captained by Tim Johnson and coached by Grant Sharman...
"), and some are neologisms developed as marketing devices (e.g. Black Sticks (hockey), Black Caps (cricket)). New Zealand Badminton temporarily named their teams "Black Cocks". The men's national soccer team is called the "All Whites" as they play in an all-white strip. At the time the national soccer team was formed, an all-black strip would not have been allowed.
Two notable exceptions to the "All Ferns" naming scheme are the Kiwis (men's Rugby League) and SWANZ (the name formerly used for women's soccer).
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Badminton Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their... |
Temporarily Black Cocks Badminton New Zealand Badminton New Zealand is the badminton organisation in New Zealand which was established in 1927 under the stewardship of Archdeacon Ralph Creed Meredith of Whanganui, one of its first champions. , and became a founding member of Badminton World Federation in 1934... , now no official nickname. |
n/a |
| Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
Falcons New Zealand national Australian rules football team The New Zealand national Australian rules football team nicknamed the Falcons, is the national team for the sport of Australian rules football in New Zealand. The team is selected from the best New Zealand born and developed players, primarily from the clubs of the New Zealand AFL. New Zealand-born... |
n/a |
| Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
Tall Blacks New Zealand national basketball team The New Zealand national basketball team represents New Zealand in international basketball competitions. It is nicknamed the Tall Blacks, derived from the name of New Zealand's Rugby union team, the All Blacks.-History:... |
Tall Ferns |
| Cricket Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the... |
Black Caps | White Ferns |
| Field hockey Field hockey Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks... |
Black Sticks Men | Black Sticks Women Black Sticks Women The Black Sticks Women are the women's national field hockey team of New Zealand.-Summer Olympics:*1980 – Did not compete*1984 – Sixth place*1988 – Did not compete*1992 – Eighth place*1996 – Did not compete*2000 – Sixth place... |
| League Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
Kiwis New Zealand national rugby league team The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name... |
Kiwi Ferns |
| Netball Netball Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ... |
n/a | Silver Ferns Silver Ferns The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern , which is an iconic emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative... |
| Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
All Blacks All Blacks The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport.... |
Black Ferns Black Ferns The Black Ferns is New Zealand's national women's rugby union team.- The name :The name comes from the use of the colour black and the silver fern as New Zealand sporting symbols... |
| Wheelchair Rugby Wheelchair rugby Wheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport.... |
Wheel Blacks Wheel Blacks The Wheel Blacks are the national wheelchair rugby team of New Zealand. The team won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics. The 2008 Wheel Blacks were captained by Tim Johnson and coached by Grant Sharman... |
|
| Soccer Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
All Whites | formerly SWANZ, now Football Ferns |
| Softball Softball Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand... |
Black Sox Black Socks The Black Socks are the New Zealand national men's softball team. They won the World Championships in 1976 , 1984, 1996, 2000 and 2004... |
White Sox |
| Gridiron American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... |
IronBlacks | n/a |
| Ice Hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
Ice Blacks | Ice Fernz |
External links
- Participation in Sport URL accessed on 23 January 2006
- Top Sports and Physical Activities URL accessed on 23 January 2006
- SPARC Facts complete (pdf) URL accessed on 23 January 2006
- New Zealand Orienteering Federation URL accessed on 23 January 2006