Women's participation in sport is a funded priority across New Zealand. Despite steady progress, women and girls remain underrepresented in many sport codes, particularly in coaching, governance, and high performance. This guide covers the key funding sources for women's sport in New Zealand.
Sport NZ invests specifically in women's sport:
- Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISA): Sport NZ's dedicated programme for women and girls
- Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa: Community sport — includes targeted female participation funding
- Coaching investment: Female coach development as a strategic priority
- Governance: Women in sport leadership and board roles
Sport NZ has a multi-year commitment to reducing the gender gap in sport participation.
WISA is Sport NZ's primary vehicle for women in sport:
- Female coaching development grants
- Governance leadership for women
- Visibility and media for women's sport
- Research on barriers to female participation
- Community initiatives to get girls and women active
Contact Sport NZ or your RST about WISA funding pathways.
RSTs fund women's sport at community level:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland women's sport development
- Sport Wellington: Wellington female participation
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch women's sport
- Sport Waikato, Sport Bay of Plenty: Regional women's sport
RST women's sport funding areas:
- Girls' sport in schools and clubs
- Women's coaching and officiating courses
- Female-friendly facilities and programmes
- Targeted outreach for underserved communities
Gaming trusts fund women's sport clubs and programmes:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community women's sport organisations
- Grassroots Trust: Female sport participation
- Pub Charity: Equipment and programme grants
- Lion Foundation: Community sport including women's codes
Gaming trust applications for women's sport:
- Uniforms and playing kit (netball, football, basketball)
- Equipment for female athletes
- Club registrations and competition fees
- Junior girls' sport development
Lottery Sport: Women's sport clubs active in competition.
Lottery Community Wellbeing: Women's wellness and physical activity programmes.
National sport organisations with women's programmes:
- Netball New Zealand: Largest women's sport — development and participation
- Football Ferns (NZ Football): Women's football pathway
- Cycling New Zealand: Women's road and track programmes
- Swimming New Zealand: Female swim development
- Athletics New Zealand: Women's track, field, and road
- Hockey New Zealand: Women's hockey development
- Basketball New Zealand: Women's competition funding
- Rowing NZ: Women's rowing development
School sport for girls:
- Sport NZ: School sport investment — female-focused programmes
- RSTs: School sport coordinators supporting girls' participation
- Secondary School Sport: Funding for girls' competition
- Primary school sport: Active fundamentals for girls
Female coaching is a national priority:
- Sport NZ coaching grants: Female coach development
- Coaching New Zealand: Women in coaching pathways
- National sport bodies: Women's coaching courses and mentoring
- RST coaching programmes: Community female coach training
Māori and Pacific women:
- Te Puni Kōkiri: Māori women's sport and physical activity
- Ministry for Pacific Peoples: Pacific women's sport
- Waka ama: Strong female participation — supported through specific funding
- RSTs: Targeted outreach for Māori and Pacific women
Elite women's pathways:
- Sport NZ High Performance: Female athlete investment
- High Performance Sport NZ: National women's programmes
- National sport body HP programmes: Olympic and Paralympic women's sport
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Female participation data: Members by age and gender — before and after targets
- Coaching equity: Female coaches in your programme
- Governance: Women in leadership and board roles
- Girls' pathway: Junior female development
- Retention: How the programme keeps women and girls in sport
- Accessibility: Low cost, transport, safe environment for women
- Equity focus: Reaching underserved women (Pacific, Māori, disabled, older adults)
- Community connection: Sport as vehicle for women's wellbeing
Tahua's grants management platform helps women's sport organisations manage grant applications across Sport NZ, RSTs, gaming trusts, WISA, and national sport bodies, tracking female participation, coaching, and governance outcomes.