Women in High Performance Sport

Female athletes significantly contribute to New Zealand’s success on the international sporting stage, yet females remain significantly under-represented in high performance sport leadership and coaching roles.

In October 2018, the Minister for Sport and Recreation, Grant Robertson, announced $2.7 million to fund the Women in High Performance Sport pilot project designed to address systemic issues associated with gender equity in high performance sport. As a result of early success in the pilot, HPSNZ has committed to our Women in High Performance initiatives as an ongoing strategic priority. 

The work HPSNZ is doing reflects the principles of the Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation Strategy and is delivering on one of its 24 commitments: Commitment #8 – Deliver initiatives to increase the number of women in leadership and coaching roles within the high performance system. 

The integrated approach to Women in High Performance Sport aims to create the right environment and opportunities for more women in high performance leadership and coaching positions. There are three core streams of work that focuses on leadership, coaching and the high performance sport working environment.  

Our three project streams…
Leadership – WHPS Residency Experience Provision of opportunities that will enable a diverse cohort of talented, highly capable, future female high performance leaders and coaches to gain real world high performance experience, through offering a range of fixed term employment options within NSOs as well as wider growth and development experience facilitated by HPSNZ. 
Coaching – Te Hāpaitanga  Our high performance coach initiative designed to grow the talent pool of emerging and future women high performance coaches. 
High Performance Environment – WHPS Network  Establishment of a network to collaborate with NSOs to foster sustainable and inclusive high performance sport environments.

Latest Women in High Performance Sport Journal Posts

EXPLORE ALL ENTRIES
May 2024

Healthy Women in Performance Sport driving change through 2024

December 2023

A development experience to remember - NZ Volleyball

May 2023

Fern juggles player and coach roles - newsroom

February 2022

Kaua's goal to become both epic coach and epic mum - newsroom

December 2021

A new chapter in world champion rower's legend - newsroom

December 2021

Trailblazing Wellington Phoenix duo rise above - newsroom

October 2021

Olympic champ takes the tiller of women's sailing - newsroom

August 2021

The women guiding our Olympians to greatness - newsroom

June 2021

Olympic Bonds: Lifter and coach plan to raise the roof - newsroom

December 2020

Rowing mum on a journey to become a top coach - newsroom

August 2020

Embedding female leaders in the heart of NZ sports - Newsroom

May 2020

Sports system failing top women coaches - RNZ