SPARC is investing a record $6.3 million in 19 national sport organisations’ high performance programmes and projects following the 2010 contestable investment round.
This is the largest amount since the contestable investment system was launched four years ago.The contestable funding is in addition to the $15 million investment for the nine ‘targeted’ sports announced in February this year. The targeted sports are athletics, bike, rowing, swimming, triathlon, yachting, rugby, cricket and netball.
SPARC High Performance General Manager Martin Toomey says the increase in the contestable funding reflects more athletes and teams meeting investment criteria.
Women’s hockey and canoeing are among the sports to receive significant boosts in investment.
Improved on-field results and a restructured high performance programme have resulted in a $650,000 investment in the women’s hockey programme. A huge year looms ahead for the Black Sticks women with the Champions Trophy, World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
Toomey says Hockey New Zealand has done the hard work off the pitch as well as on it to justify the faith SPARC is putting in the Black Sticks women.
“It’s good to see the progress Hockey New Zealand has made in putting a quality high performance programme in place around the women’s team. With $195,000 support from SPARC this year, the Black Sticks women have secured a world class coach, put robust systems in place and have a high performance plan that instils confidence.”
Canoe Racing New Zealand gets an increase in investment in its high performance programme which now totals $800,000. Toomey says the increase reflects the growing depth in the sport at the elite level.
“Canoe is developing a wider range of world class athletes and crews and has good potential looking ahead to the 2012 Olympics and beyond. We’ll be working closely with Canoe Racing New Zealand to ensure that potential is realised,” Toomey said.
In addition to the contestable high performance programme investment, $816,500 is being provided to national sport organisations for 2010 in service credits. Service credits cover the cost of sports medicine, sports science and athlete development services provided through the New Zealand Academy of Sport.
Sports funded under the contestable investment process:
| Sport | 2010 Investment | Service Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Archery | $100,000 | |
| Basketball (men) | $350,000 | $30,000 |
| Basketball (women) | $25,000 | |
| Beach Volleyball | $110,000 | $15,000 |
| Bowls | $350,000 | $25,000 |
| Canoe (flat water) | $800,000 | $90,000 |
| Canoe (slalom) | $25,000 | |
| Equestrian | $605,000 | $45,000 |
| Football (women) | $265,000 | $100,000 |
| Hockey (men) | $700,000 | $112,000 |
| Hockey (women) | $650,000 | $100,000 |
| Karate | $25,000 | |
| Paralympics | $650,000 | $90,000 |
| Roller Sports | $50,000 | |
| Shooting | $45,000 | |
| Snow Sports* | $75,000 | |
| Softball (men) | $200,000 | $30,000 |
| Softball (women) | $30,000 | |
| Squash | $300,000 | $25,000 |
| Surf Lifesaving | $150,000 | $20,000 |
| Tennis | $50,000 | $4,500 |
| Winter Sport* | $700,000 | $130,000 |
| Wrestling | $20,000 | |
| TOTAL | $6,275,000 | $816,500 |
*Snow Sports covers non-Olympic disciplines and Winter Sport covers Olympic disciplines.
Notes
- Previous investment in high performance programmes under the contestable system have been:
- $5.63 million across 17 sports in 2007
- $4.90 million across 15 sports in 2008
- $4.80 million across 18 sports in 2009
- New Zealand Football did not request funding for the All Whites high performance programme for 2010. SPARC did invest $250,000 in 2009 for the World Cup qualifying campaign. SPARC’s $265,000 funding for the Football Ferns women for 2010 is part of a $920,000 four year investment through to 2012.
- New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) did not submit a high performance proposal. NZRL is still in the process of finalising its new strategic plan and SPARC is in ongoing discussions about future potential investment.
- The contestable investment is just one component of the overall high performance investment programme of approximately $38 million per annum. Other components of the investment programme are;
- Targeted sport investment $ 15.00 million
- Performance enhancement grants (PEGs) $ 5.00 million
- NZ Academy of Sport athlete and coach support $ 6.25 million
- Prime Minister’s sports scholarships $ 4.25 million
- Technology research, innovation support $ 1.00 million
- The contestable investment process was open to all sports that could satisfy one or more of the following criteria:
- creditable Olympic performances
- winning world championship performances
- medal winning Commonwealth Games performances
- medal winning Paralympic performances.
- SPARC’s definition of a creditable Olympic performance is aligned to the NZOC selection criteria (i.e. the ability to record a top 16 finish for an individual, and the ability to progress beyond pool play for a team).
