Sport NZ Announces 2025 New Zealand Sport And Recreation Award Winners

Scoop

6 hours ago

14 July 2025
Sport NZ has tonight announced the winners of the annual New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards.
People from across the country's play, active recreation and sport sector gathered at the Tākina Events Centre in Wellington to recognise and congratulate the winners.
Individuals and organisations in seven categories received awards and Sport NZ Group Chief Executive, Raelene Castle, says the winners have all made a significant contribution to sport and recreation across Aotearoa.
'This year's nominations were fantastic. They showed how dedicated and passionate people in our sector are, and how much they care about improving the wellbeing of our communities every day.'
'Each category had a high calibre of entries which made choosing a winner a challenge for the judging panel. I'd like to congratulate all the nominees, the finalists and the winners.'
The 2025 judging panel was Mike Stanley CNZM (Chair), Sarah Murray, Dallas Seymour, Rebecca McDonald, Wayne Werder and Cheycoda Cocks. In keeping with the past two years, a strong number of entries were received across all seven categories.
The Jim Maniapoto Memorial Taonga – Excellence in impacting Māori participation as Māori - was judged independently by Te Miri Rangi, Wai Taumaunu ONZM MBE and Veronica Thompson MNZM.
The New Zealand Sport and Recreation Award winners for 2025 are:
The winning partnership between Regional Sports Trust, He Toa Taua – Harbour Sport and local real estate business Harcourts Cooper & Co shows how shared values can create real community wellbeing through play, active recreation and sport opportunities.
Together they've strengthened North Harbour's sense of community by supporting an impressive 400 events annually, reaching 26,000 participants, including 11,681 young people.
Harcourts Cooper & Co has built brand trust and a deeper community connection through active volunteering and event support. This is a sector-leading public-private partnership in sport and recreation, creating a sustainable and scalable framework for positive community impact.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Hoa Motuhake Sports Trust
Te Pou o Te Whare is a 5-year, relationship-based sports mentoring intervention for tamariki aged 8-12 who are at risk and living in care. Developed by Ōtautahi Christchurch's Hoa Motuhake Sports Trust, it provides long-term tools to break cycles of violence and trauma, neglect and instability by using mentorship and sport to build resilience and self-worth.
The programme removes participation barriers, whether that's cost or a lack of transport, equipment or confidence. The person-centred approach begins with consistent, one-on-one mentoring and small group sessions, gradually transitioning into community sport.
In just a few years, 90 volunteer mentors have supported 90 tamariki - with 97% of recipients engaging in sport within their first year. The programme's adaptive design and community-driven approach is not just about sport, it's about healing and building brighter futures for tamariki and their whānau.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Hutt City Council
Hutt City Council's groundbreaking aquatic facility in Naenae, Te Ngaengae Pool + Fitness, is Aotearoa's first Green Star Five-rated pool complex. It combines strong environmental sustainability values with cultural identity and social inclusion for all.
Following the closure of the original Naenae pool due to seismic concerns, the new facility has cut carbon emissions by 56%, lowered energy use by 53%, and recycled more than 13,000 tonnes of demolition waste.
Cultural partnerships with Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa wove in Māori wellbeing and identity throughout, while a 'Green, Social and Sustainability' loan saved Hutt City Council $20,500 annually in funding costs. Te Ngaengae is more than a thriving suite of public pools, it is a symbol of climate leadership, equitable access and grounded wellbeing.
LEADERSHIP IN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Buttabean Motivation (BBM)
Buttabean Motivation (BBM) has been changing lives for the better since 2014. Led by Dave Letele – whose own journey of transformation through fitness inspired thousands – BBM has grown into a movement of 17,000 participants across the community.
Rooted in Te Ao Māori and now backed by independent qualitative and quantitative data, BBM particularly reaches Māori and Pasifika across Auckland, Tokoroa, and soon, Porirua and Whangārei.
'From the Couch' – one of BBM's core projects – is providing hope for people with multiple health conditions like diabetes and limb loss who have been inactive or isolated. Motivation and support is dispensed in conjunction with Total Healthcare, South Auckland's largest primary health organisation. From purposeful eating to reconnecting with community, BBM finds a way to empower individuals by addressing physical challenges alongside their emotional and cultural wellbeing.
JIM MANIAPOTO MEMORIAL TAONGA – EXCELLENCE IN IMPACTING MĀORI PARTICIPATION AS MĀORI
Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua and Sport Manawatū
The He Oranga Poutama Activation Fund is a pilot initiative between Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua and Sport Manawatū. Designed to enhance hauora across all seven iwi in the rohe, the collaboration is dedicated to equitable access to physical activity.
Leadership by Te Pae Oranga ensures iwi governance in decision-making while Sport Manawatū provides structural and administrative support. As a result, 29 Māori-led projects can now access $120,000 in vital funding, with an additional $100,000 leveraged through Sport Manawatū to amplify rangatahi-focused initiatives and support tamariki.
Funding kaupapa Māori promotes mātauranga Māori, te reo and tikanga through traditional activities like ngā taonga tākaro. Projects include kapa haka in schools and on marae, kaupapa Māori swimming for pēpi, whānau-led Hip Hop aerobics at Pā sites and waka ama programmes reconnecting tamariki to ancestral awa.
SUSIE SIMCOCK FUTURE LEADERS' SCHOLARSHIP
Kathryn Jones – Aktive
A standout influencer in sport and education, Kathryn Jones (Kat) is the Active Schools Manager for Aktive, strategically increasing participation in physical activity across 150 Auckland schools.
Kathryn led the launch of Game Plan AKL in 2023 – a five-year initiative supporting 100 Year 9 students annually with grants to reduce barriers to sport and recreation, while ensuring continued, seamless regional delivery of key national initiatives like Water Skills for Life and Healthy Active Learning.
With a collaborative, empowering style, Kat manages more than 30 people across Aktive's system partners. She inspires her peers not only to keep building more active, connected communities, but to keep on learning for even better outcomes.
C.K. DOIG LEADERSHIP AWARD
Sarah Murray – Recreation Aotearoa
As Chief Executive of Recreation Aotearoa, Sarah Murray has played a pivotal role in strengthening the organisation's influence in national recreation strategy – a complex and dynamic role to which she brings courage, clarity, and impact-driven change.
In just over 2 years as Chief Executive, Sarah's inclusive and strategic leadership has produced significant gains – shaping sustainable, community-focused initiatives that are transforming the recreation sector.
These include Te Whai Oranga – a capability programme that's upskilled 600 professionals in bicultural practice and governance and the Green Flag Parks Programme which accredited 35 new parks and brought climate leadership through a national Climate-Resilient Recreation Toolkit, already adopted by 30 organisations.
Sarah has shifted Recreation Aotearoa from a sector supporter to a sector shaper – with strong values at the core of its mission.