Latest news with #SportNZ
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Shake up of Sport New Zealand in the pipeline
The funding of elite athletes means trade-offs need to be made, says an independent review of Sport NZ Photo: Photosport / AFP A shake up of Sport New Zealand is being undertaken following an independent review into the organisation which is responsible for sport and recreation nationally. Sport New Zealand also includes High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), which funds elite sport and has an annual budget of $194 million - $84 million of which goes to HPSNZ. The review was carried out by Brendan Boyle, who has is a former chief executive of the Ministry of Social Development, Department of Internal Affairs and Land Information NZ. Boyle suggested there should be a review of Sport New Zealand's current strategy, stating the organisation faces strategic choices and trade-offs when it comes to investing in the likes of Olympic medals and success versus national sports participation. The main recommendations focus on potential changes to governance arrangements, which Sports Minister Mark Mitchell said he will follow through on. The review noted "current arrangements create a potential conflict of interest for Sport NZ in being both policy and advisor as well as the decision-maker for funding." It added "(that) make(s) it difficult for Sport NZ policy to be well integrated into the wider government policy network and agenda." That will see Sport NZ's policy function move to the Ministry of Culture and Heritage from October. Mark Mitchell, Police Minister, Minister for Sport and Recreation Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi "Shifting the strategic policy function to a government agency will ensure a more consistent and integrated approach on government priorities and other policy decisions across portfolios like education and health," said Mr Mitchell. The review also recommended disbanding the HPSNZ and Taumata Māori boards and consolidating them into a single board and creating HPSNZ and Taumata Māori advisory groups. It noted though that rationalisation was unlikely to provide any cost savings and "any change would be driven by strategic reasons rather than an expectation of savings." The government has rejected that recommendation, opting to keep the current three board structure of a Sport NZ board, an HPSNZ board and the Taumata Māori Board. Boyle said questions raised during his review the indicated a strategy review was also needed to ensure "whether funds are all aligned to government priorities." "This will also aid in clarifying what the minister wants the focus and core business of Sport to be and by implication what it should not be spending resources or funding on." Boyle pointed out Sport NZ proposes to stop the funding of Hawaiki Hou, a community-led programme to improve physical activity levels among children and young people. This will free up $9.5 million that can be reprioritised into other sport and recreation programmes.
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Sport NZ board member and former police office on RUNIT craze
sport health 24 minutes ago Ryan Satterthwaite suffered a catastrophic head injury and died on Monday after playing a version of the game where competitors plough into each other at full speed with no protective gear. At an official Run-it Championship trials event in Auckland at the weekend two competitors were knocked unconcious. There's a $200,000 cash prize for the winner of the finals. The Minister for Sport has asked for urgent advice from Sport New Zealand on the issue. Fauono Ken Laban former police officer, league player and coach and board member of Sport NZ spoke to Lisa Owen.
RNZ News
28-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Concussion-hit AB Steve Devine wants collision games axed
Steve Devine in action during the captain's run for the All Blacks 'possibles' team held at McLean Park, Napier, on 2 June 2005. Photo: Photosport / John Cowpland A former All Black says New Zealanders don't understand the risks of head injuries and concussions well enough and the controversial collision game should be stopped. Nineteen-year-old Palmerston North teenager Ryan Satterthwaite died after suffering a catastrophic head injury while he and his friends played the tackle game that's trending on social media. Organised events offering big prize money are also causing concern after being promoted by influencers and content creators. Satterthwaite's uncle told Morning Report the events were "a stupid idea" and should be cancelled . Sports and Recreation Minister Mark Mitchell has also asked Sport NZ for advice about what could be done at a government level. Devine knows first hand the devastating effects of concussions and head injuries and says young untrained people are especially vulnerable. "It's a recipe for disaster having two large forces meet, and with a sudden impact and a sudden stoppage for either person generally doesn't bode very well for the brain, especially if it's around amateur people making serious body contact." Steve Devine is stretchered from the field in a neck brace, during a Super Rugby semi-final match between the Blues and the Brumbies, on 17 May, 2003. Photo: PHOTOSPORT The former Auckland player and All Black speaks from experience. He had "serious" ill-health for several years caused by repeated knocks to his head. "It took me a couple of years to get over my last one." One-off bigger collisions could be even worse for the brain, he believed. Devine said social media followers obviously wanted to see this kind of entertainment although he did not believe they would want to see anyone seriously injured. While it might offer them some humour, the other side of it was the serious injury risk it posed for participants. Most people would not understand the serious nature of brain injuries and concussion. People were most at risk when their brain met "a really large sudden force", Devine said. High speed vehicle collisions, falls from horses and contact in rugby and other sports were among the worst examples. "To actively put yourself in that situation I think is a scary and stupid thing. When two great forces collide, there's going to be an impact and quite often it's the brain. "It's something that doesn't need to happen but it obviously is something that is happening which is scary." He believed the events should be banned because they were just a chance for organisers to make some money at teenagers' expense. RUNIT organisers have not responded to requests for comment.
RNZ News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Sports News for 8 May 2025
The Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns have both been beaten by Australia in the opening games of the 3-match Trans-Tasman series in Adelaide. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Balance is better: Why we should let our kids have fun playing sport
The 'Balance is Better' philosophy developed by Sport NZ focuses on putting the interests of our young people first. It is about balancing the aspiration to win and perform with making participation in sport enjoyable. This requires a balanced focus rather than simply a win-at-all-costs approach. As adults, we need to align our expectations and behaviour with what is motivating our tamariki to participate. If we expect children to train and play like they are All Blacks at the expense of having fun, we will inevitably see participation drop off. This will be to the detriment of those missing out as well as the sustainability of the sport. Many sporting codes realise the importance of this and are changing the way they coach and play. The Balance is Better approach also extends to encouraging our tamariki to participate in a wide range of physical activity and sporting opportunities. Specialisation may be appropriate later in high school, but studies show participation in different sports will support greater skill development and co-ordination. There are many good resources for parents, coaches and administrators on the Balance is Better website that can help those involved with youth sport to build their knowledge and understanding around these topics. The other elephant in the room is sideline behaviour. At Sport Northland, we are working with sporting codes to help improve this. Participation data shows that 50% of children who play sport stop participating at age 11. Poor sideline behaviour is a key contributor, with 61% of surveyed parents, carers and supporters having witnessed bad behaviour. We all get passionate about sport. It brings up strong feelings for many people and sometimes those strong feelings can have unintended consequences. So next time you're on the sidelines, try to remember to use actions and language that celebrates effort and improvement, focusing the kids' growth, and remembering their why, rather than just focusing on winning – 'That was a great game, it looked like you were having heaps of fun out there' or 'The opposition was pretty tough today, but I saw how you enjoyed it, went for every ball and didn't give up.' And always be respectful to the refs/officials and coaches. Without our community volunteers who tirelessly give up their time to coach, umpire or referee, we wouldn't have sport in Northland. If you would like to read more about some of our outstanding volunteers or would like to find out how you can contribute as well, check out Good Sports on the Sport Northland website.
