ABSTRACT
Sport has long played an important cultural and historical role within New Zealand society both as an active pastime and as an activity of national pride with regard to international performances. For much of the twentieth century the mandate for sports development remained solely with amateur sporting and community organisations and met with little government interest. Early government intervention was intermittent and limited; however, recent changes to the trajectory of sports development have impacted significantly not only on the direction of sports policy but also on the rationale for, and outcomes sought by, such interventions. Over the last 15 years or so there has been rapid change to the structure and development of sport in New Zealand. Perhaps most notable, has been the way in which the social significance of sport has burgeoned with links to health, education, social and commercial outcomes. Despite the strong cultural significance of sport and increased government interest, there has been limited academic literature regarding the study of sport, particularly prior to the mid-1980s (Collins 2000). While the volume of research on New Zealand sports development has been limited, it is nevertheless growing. More recent academic research has addressed sports development and sports policy issues from a range of historical, social and policy perspectives (Chalip 1996; Collins 2008; Piggin et al. 2009; Sam 2003, 2005; Sam and Jackson 2004).
