Touch football (touch rugby) is one of New Zealand's most popular participation sports — fast-paced, non-contact, and accessible for all ages and abilities. Touch NZ has a large registered community and strong pathway from junior to senior competition. This guide covers the key funding sources for touch football in New Zealand.
Touch New Zealand (Touch NZ) is the national governing body for touch football in New Zealand.
Key investment areas:
- Club and association development
- Junior touch programmes
- National competitions (including Trans-Tasman)
- Women's and girls' participation
- Coaching and referee development
- Regional association support
Contact Touch NZ and your regional association for guidance on Sport NZ investment and national programme access.
Sport NZ funds community sport participation through Touch NZ as a national body. Access:
- Sport NZ invests in Touch NZ for national programme delivery
- Regional Sport Trusts fund community touch clubs with active participation programmes
Touch is a strong candidate for Sport NZ-aligned investment given its broad community participation.
RSTs fund community touch football:
- Club development grants
- Junior programme support
- Equipment grants (bibs, balls, cones)
- Facility contributions for field maintenance
RSTs vary by region — contact your local RST for available grants and current rounds.
New Zealand gaming trusts are significant funders for touch clubs:
- Four Winds Foundation
- Grassroots Trust
- Pub Charity
- Lion Foundation
- Southern Trust
Gaming trusts fund:
- Junior programme development
- Equipment (balls, bibs, cones, first aid)
- Club events and carnivals
- Referee development
Touch clubs with strong junior participation are well-positioned for gaming trust applications.
Lottery Sport funds community sport organisations. Touch clubs with active community programmes can apply through annual Lottery Sport rounds.
Junior touch is the sport's strongest area for funding:
- Primary school touch programmes
- Secondary school competitions
- Junior club tournaments and carnivals
- Development pathways for talented juniors
Funders (Sport NZ, RSTs, gaming trusts) all prioritise junior sport development. Junior touch numbers are a key metric in applications.
Touch football has strong female participation — many mixed-gender and women's-only competitions exist. Funding for women's programmes:
- Touch NZ women's development
- Sport NZ: Women in sport participation
- RSTs: Female participation grants
- Gaming trusts: Women's club sport
Touch requires grass or turf playing fields. Most community touch is played on council-managed parks:
- Local councils: Field maintenance and upgrade — the primary funder
- Floodlighting: Gaming trusts and sport facility grants
- Turf upgrades: State sport facility grants for higher-use venues
Touch has strong connections to school sport:
- Ministry of Education: School sport programmes
- Sport NZ school sport: Investment in school-based touch
- Regional school sport associations: Competition support
Touch carnivals are popular community events:
- Gaming trusts: Community event grants
- Local councils: Events on council land
- RSTs: Community sport events
- Tourism and regional funders: Carnivals attracting visitors from other regions
Strong touch applications demonstrate:
- Participation numbers: Total registered players, breakdown by age and gender
- Junior development: Numbers, growth, and development pathway
- Female participation: Women's teams and growth in women's sections
- Accessibility: Mixed ability, mixed gender, low barriers to entry
- Club governance: Financial health, volunteer structure, strategic direction
- Competition pathway: Club, regional, and national competition engagement
- Māori and Pacific participation: Touch football is popular in Māori and Pacific communities
Tahua's grants management platform helps sport organisations manage their grant applications, track reporting requirements, and demonstrate the participation outcomes that Sport NZ and gaming trusts value.