Padel is one of the world's fastest-growing sports — a doubles racket sport played in an enclosed glass-walled court where the ball can bounce off the walls. The sport has arrived in New Zealand, with courts appearing in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Padel NZ governs the sport. This guide covers the key funding sources for padel in New Zealand.
Padel NZ is the national governing body:
- Club and venue affiliation
- National competition events
- ITF (International Tennis Federation) connection — padel is ITF-governed
- Junior development
Contact Padel NZ and Tennis NZ for sport investment access.
Tennis NZ has interest in padel development:
- ITF administers both tennis and padel internationally
- Tennis clubs adapting existing infrastructure for padel
- Shared administrative infrastructure
Sport NZ funds padel through relevant national bodies:
- New and growing sport investment
- Community participation development
RSTs fund community padel.
RSTs fund padel clubs and courts:
- Equipment grants for rackets and balls
- Junior padel development
- Women's participation programmes
Key RSTs:
- Aktive Auckland: Auckland padel — fastest growing market
- Sport Wellington: Wellington padel community
- Sport Canterbury: Christchurch padel development
Gaming trusts fund padel clubs:
- Four Winds Foundation: Community sport organisations
- Grassroots Trust: Community sport and recreation
- Pub Charity: Equipment and programme grants
- Lion Foundation: Junior sport
Gaming trust applications for padel:
- Padel rackets for club loan sets
- Padel balls (regular replacement item)
- Lighting for court use
- Junior programme development
Padel courts are the primary capital investment:
- Indoor court: Enclosed glass structure — $70,000–$130,000+
- Outdoor court: Open-air glass/perspex — $40,000–$80,000
- Modular pre-built: Faster installation option
Court construction is a major capital grant opportunity — targeting infrastructure funders, councils, and large community trusts.
Local councils fund community recreation infrastructure:
- Padel courts in parks and recreation centres
- Multi-use court facilities
- Sport facility capital grants
Youth development:
- Kids' classes: Social, accessible sport for children
- Schools padel: Physical education with padel
- Junior competition: Age-grade events
- Youth development: Rally-based format suits youth programmes
Women's participation:
- Sport NZ women in sport: Female participation investment
- RSTs: Women in sport development
- Women-only padel sessions growing
Padel's growth drivers:
- Social: Doubles format encourages play and conversation
- Accessible: Easy to learn, fast progression curve
- Compact courts: Can be installed in smaller spaces than tennis
- All ages: From children to seniors
Lottery Sport: Community padel clubs with active junior and competition programmes.
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Players by age, gender, and level
- Court infrastructure: Court needs and demand evidence
- Junior development: Youth players and school programmes
- Women's participation: Female players across all levels
- Community access: Affordable padel for all income levels
- Growth trajectory: Evidence of strong demand and growth
- Organisation governance: Affiliation to Padel NZ, financial health
Tahua's grants management platform helps padel clubs manage grant applications across Sport NZ, RSTs, gaming trusts, and community funders, tracking court utilisation, participation, and development outcomes.