December 2019,

High Performance Sport NZ core investment for 2020

High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) has today confirmed a $36.8 million core investment programme for 2020, with some notable wins for women’s sport.

18 December 2019

In December 2018, HPSNZ provided all tier 1, 2 and 3 targeted summer Olympic and Paralympic sports with a two year investment commitment based on performance and available funding, to provide more certainty around preparations for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

HPSNZ Chief Executive Michael Scott says today’s announcement, for the final year of the Olympic and Paralympic cycle, confirms there are no changes to those levels of funding, with sports generally tracking well in the lead up to 2020.

“This approach is designed to give Olympic and Paralympic sports more certainty on which to base their transition from the Tokyo to Paris Olympic cycles and their preparations through the Paris cycle,” says Mr Scott.

Today’s announcement also sees some significant gains for women’s sport, especially in netball and cricket. Netball’s funding has increased from $1.50 to $1.88 million per annum for each of the next four years in preparation for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 World Cup. Cricket investment of $500,000 per year shifts from the Black Caps to the White Ferns for the next two years to support preparation for the 2021 ICC Cricket World Cup, to be hosted in New Zealand, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will feature women’s T20 cricket.

“The importance of funding certainty extends beyond Olympic and Paralympic sports. We are seeking to evolve our model to achieve this, and on this occasion we are delighted to be able to give greater support to elite women’s sport,” says Mr Scott.

Other notable features of today’s announcement include:

  • Increased investment in rugby league / Kiwis (up from $350,000 to $450,000);
  • Investment in one new sport (karate) and increased investment in two other sports (boxing and surfing) to include previously unfunded campaigns.
  • Decreased investment in softball – Black Sox (down from $350,000 to $200,000), White Sox (down from $30,000 to $0) – and shooting (down from $155,000 to $55,000).

Mr Scott says HPSNZ’s investment decisions are based on the same four criteria for all sports: past performance; future potential; quality of high performance programme and campaigns; and individual sport context. Today’s announcement also follows detailed performance discussions with the NSOs concerned.

HPSNZ will make further changes to its investment process over the next 12 months, beginning in March 2020. At that time, an investment equivalent to 60-80% of current funding levels will be confirmed for targeted Summer Olympic and Paralympic sports for the four years of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic cycle.

Following the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, all sports will be assessed based on Tokyo performance, with final investment decisions to be announced in December 2020. This will include any remaining investment for tier 1 and tier 2 sports, along with investments in other sports and campaigns.

In addition to investing funding in the NSOs and their campaigns, HPSNZ provides high performance expertise to targeted and campaign sports in areas such as strength and conditioning, technology and innovation, performance nutrition, performance psychology, performance technique and analysis, performance physiology, high performance coaching and performance medicine.

HPSNZ currently has more than approximately 90 staff working directly on Olympic and Paralympic campaigns ahead of Tokyo 2020, either in partnership with or embedded in the targeted NSOs.
This Olympiad has also seen more than 70 Tokyo Focus innovation projects either completed or underway at HPSNZ to enhance performance at Tokyo 2020 and subsequent pinnacle events.

ENDS

Media Contact
Philip Clark
M 0278 385 710
E philip.clark@sportnz.org.nz

Note to media
HPSNZ core investment is investment in the NSOs and does not include additional investment in Performance Enhancements Grants (PEGs) for athletes, Prime Minister’s Scholarships for athletes, coaches and support staff, Athlete Performance support (HPSNZ bespoke support teams who provide expertise to athletes across a range of disciplines including medical and rehab), or capacity and expertise provide through HPSNZ’s innovation (Goldmine) team.

Tier 1, 2 and 3 targeted summer Olympic and Paralympic sports are rowing, cycling, yachting, athletics, canoe racing, equestrian, rugby 7s, hockey, Paralympics.