Winners announced at 2021 New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards

Sport New Zealand had congratulated the winners of the annual New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards, held in Hamilton earlier this week.

Commenting on the Awards, Sport NZ Chief Executive, Raelene Castle stated “(these awards are) about recognising the outstanding work and inspirational people across our sector that support New Zealanders to be physically active.

"The awards ceremony brings together leaders from across the sector to recognise the top achievements and to acknowledge leadership and lifetime achievement. This year has also seen the introduction of two new award categories, Māori Participation and COVID-19 Response, as well as the renaming of our lifetime achievement awards in honour of the late Sir Eion Edgar and his wife Jan, Lady Edgar.”

The awards coincide with Sport NZ's annual Connections Conference for leaders from the sport and recreation sector, being held with the conference theme ‘Leading and Managing Change’.

The conference and features speakers from a range of national and international experts spanning disciplines including sport, business, leadership and psychology.  

The award winners are: 

• Commercial Partnership - Badminton New Zealand | Barfoot & Thompson

• Leadership in Diversity - Sport Waitakere

• COVID-19 Response (Peoples’ Choice) - Basketball New Zealand - NBL Showdown

• Community Impact - Local/Community - Sport Waitakere

• Community Impact Finalists - Regional/National - Touch New Zealand

• Māori Participation Finalists - Waka Ama NZ

• Susie Simcock Future Leaders' Scholarship - Kylie Turuwhenua-Tapsell, Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti

• C.K. Doig Leadership Award - Andrew Leslie, Recreation Aotearoa

• Sir Eion and Jan, Lady Edgar Lifetime Achievement Awards - Terry Sheldrake MNZM, Jennifer Millar CNZM, Dick Garrett.

Image: Award winners with Sport NZ Chief Executive Raelene Castle. Credit: Sport NZ.