Sport occupies a central place in New Zealand's culture and community life. From school sport and community clubs to national teams and Olympic programmes, sport in Aotearoa is funded through a distinctive combination of government investment, gaming trust revenue, and community fundraising. Understanding this landscape matters for sports organisations at every level — from the neighbourhood cricket club to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
Sport NZ (Sport and Recreation New Zealand)
Sport NZ is the primary Crown entity for sport and recreation — distributing government and Lotteries funding across the sport sector:
- National sports organisations (NSOs)
- Regional sports trusts (RSTs)
- High performance athletes and programmes
- Community sport and recreation
Sport NZ's investment approach focuses on:
- Increasing physical activity across the population
- Building a connected, high-performing sport system
- Supporting high performance excellence
High Performance Sport NZ
High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ) is the specialist body for elite athlete development:
- Government-funded high performance programmes
- Olympic and Paralympic athlete support
- Coaching, science, and medicine for elite athletes
- Hosting and managing high performance sport facilities
Regional Sports Trusts (RSTs)
New Zealand has 17 Regional Sports Trusts — independent charitable organisations funded primarily by Sport NZ to:
- Develop sport and active recreation in their regions
- Provide sport development services
- Administer community sport grants
- Build capability in regional sport organisations
RSTs are the primary point of contact for community sport organisations seeking development support.
Gaming trusts are the largest source of grant funding for community sport in New Zealand:
How gaming trusts fund sport
Gaming trusts (Pub Charity, Lion Foundation, Grassroots Trust, Lotto, and others) distribute a proportion of gaming machine revenue to community purposes — sport receives the largest share of gaming trust funding.
Eligible sport expenses typically include:
- Equipment (uniforms, balls, nets, protective gear)
- Travel and accommodation for competitions
- Facility hire and ground preparation
- Coaching and officiating courses
- Tournament administration
Gaming trust grant amounts
Typical gaming trust grants for community sport range from $1,000 to $15,000+ per application. Organisations can apply to multiple gaming trusts for the same project.
Applying to gaming trusts
Lotteries Community (administered by the Department of Internal Affairs) funds sport and recreation:
- Larger grants than gaming trusts
- Equipment, facilities, and programme development
- Requires more robust application and reporting
- Competitive assessment process
Sport NZ distributes grants through RSTs and direct programmes:
- Community sport activation (increasing participation)
- Sport for young people
- Women and girls in sport
- Māori and Pacific sport participation
- Para sport (sport for disabled people)
Eligibility and amounts vary by programme — organisations should engage with their RST to understand what's available.
National sports organisations (NSOs — the governing bodies for each sport) receive Sport NZ investment and distribute to regional associations and clubs:
- Participation development grants
- Coaching development
- Referee and volunteer development
- Competition support
Contact your sport's NSO to understand what funding they distribute to clubs and regional associations.
Māori and Pacific sport
Sport NZ has specific investment in Māori and Pacific participation:
- Pacific sport activation programmes
- Māori sport development
- Culturally appropriate sport programmes
Women and girls in sport
"Balance is Better" is Sport NZ's strategic approach to gender equity in sport — with specific funding for women and girls' participation and leadership.
Para sport
Parafed (regional para sport organisations) and Paralympic New Zealand support sport for disabled people:
- Community para sport participation
- Elite para athlete development
- Paralympic Games support
Older adults
Active Older Adults funding through Sport NZ and RSTs — keeping older New Zealanders physically active.
HPSNZ investment
High performance funding is allocated to sports and athletes based on:
- Olympic/Paralympic medal potential
- World championship performance
- National squad selection
Individual athletes don't apply directly — funding comes through NSOs and HPSNZ-approved programmes.
Athlete support
Elite athletes may receive:
- Training allowances
- Competition expenses
- Coaching and medical support
- Education bursaries
Commonwealth and Olympic cycles
Funding intensity increases in the years leading to Olympic/Commonwealth Games — with peak investment in the final 2-3 years of each cycle.
Facilities grant programmes
Major facility investment typically requires multiple funding sources:
- Sport NZ (major facilities)
- Regional councils (community facilities)
- Gaming trusts (equipment within facilities)
- Lotteries (facility development)
- Community fundraising
The Sport NZ Facilities Guide helps organisations plan and fund sport facilities.
Artificial turf
Artificial turf installations are frequently funded through gaming trusts, Sport NZ, and regional councils — enabling year-round sport regardless of weather.
Community access
Sport grants require open community access — exclusive facilities or elite-only programmes are not fundable. Show broad community participation.
Participation data
Document your membership numbers, participation levels, and trends. Show who participates — gender, age, ethnicity.
Volunteer and coaching capacity
Sport is sustained by volunteers. Show your volunteer and coaching base.
Affiliation
Affiliation with your NSO demonstrates recognition and legitimacy.
Child safety
Child safety policies (safeguarding, police vetting of volunteers working with children) are now expected for most sport grants.
Tahua's grants management platform supports sport organisations and regional sports trusts — with grant application management, participation tracking, equipment grant administration, and the portfolio tools that help sport development organisations coordinate funding from Sport NZ, gaming trusts, and community funders.