Synchronised swimming — known internationally as artistic swimming — combines swimming, gymnastics, and performance in water. New Zealand has active artistic swimming clubs competing at national level and contributing to international competitions. This guide covers the key funding sources for artistic swimming in New Zealand.
Swimming New Zealand governs artistic swimming as a discipline within competitive swimming in New Zealand:
- Artistic swimming as part of the national swimming programme
- National championship events
- Club affiliation through Swimming NZ
Contact Swimming NZ for access to Sport NZ investment and national programme guidance.
Sport NZ funds artistic swimming through Swimming NZ:
- National programme investment
- Participation growth for aquatic disciplines
RSTs fund community artistic swimming development.
RSTs fund artistic swimming clubs:
- Equipment grants for clubs
- Junior programme development
- Women's participation support
Key RSTs:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland clubs — strongest market
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch artistic swimming community
Gaming trusts fund artistic swimming clubs:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community sport organisations
- Grassroots Trust: Community sport development
- Pub Charity: Equipment and programme support
- Lion Foundation: Junior sport
Gaming trust applications for artistic swimming typically cover:
- Performance costumes for competition
- Underwater music systems (hydrophones)
- Pool hire subsidies
- Competition travel
Artistic swimming requires pool access — ideally deep water (3+ metres):
- Council aquatic centres: Most clubs train at public pools
- Some councils have dedicated artistic swimming lanes or synchronised swimming access
- Gaming trusts and RSTs can fund pool hire as a programme cost
Junior development:
- Learn-to-sync classes: Entry-level for young swimmers
- Junior competition: Age-group divisions (under-10, under-12, under-14)
- Solo, duet, and team formats: Multiple competition categories
- National juniors: Pathway to elite
Artistic swimming is predominantly a women's and girls' sport:
- Sport NZ women in sport: Female participation investment
- RSTs: Female sport development grants
- The female-dominated membership is a genuine strength for women-in-sport grants
Lottery Sport funds community sport:
- Artistic swimming clubs with active community programmes can apply
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Swimmers by age group and programme level
- Pool access: Confirmed facility relationship with an aquatic centre
- Junior development: Young swimmers in programmes
- Women's participation: The overwhelmingly female membership
- Competition: Teams in state and national championships
- Equipment: Costumes, underwater music systems — justified per programme
- Club governance: Financial health, affiliation to Swimming NZ
Tahua's grants management platform helps artistic swimming clubs manage grant applications across Sport NZ, gaming trusts, and RSTs, tracking the participation and programme outcomes that funders value.