New Zealand sportspeople and teams have achieved great international successes in an incredibly diverse range of sports.
However, winning on the international stage has become increasingly more challenging for New Zealanders. The international sporting environment has developed rapidly over the past decade, with more money being invested and higher standards and professionalism becoming the norm.
New Zealand has a smaller pool of athletes to call on and less funding available than most countries. Accordingly, we need to be wiser, more innovative and more strategic in our approach.
The High Performance Strategy 2006-2012, released in August 2006, is the outcome of a comprehensive analysis of New Zealand's high performance structures and systems. The review analysed the delivery structure and support programmes at a national and regional level.
New Zealanders believe winning in international events is important. It offers social, economic and health benefits:
