Sport in New Zealand largely reflects the nation's colonial heritage, with some of the most popular sports being rugby union, rugby league, cricket, association football, basketball, horse racing and netball, which are primarily played in Commonwealth countries. New Zealand has enjoyed success in many sports, notably rugby union, rugby league, cricket, America's Cup sailing, world championship and Olympics events, and motorsport.
Anna Maree Harrison, originally known as Anna Scarlett, is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand teams that won gold medals at the 2003 World Netball Championships and 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. During the National Bank Cup era, she played for Otago Rebels and Auckland Diamonds. During the ANZ Championship era, she played for Northern Mystics. In 2012, Harrison began using a rugby union lineout-style form of goaltending. The technique subsequently became known as the Harrison Hoist. During the ANZ Premiership era, she played for Mystics and Northern Stars. As well as playing international netball, Harrison also played for the New Zealand women's national volleyball team and represented New Zealand on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998. In 2023, Harrison was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to netball and volleyball.
Hamish Bryon Bond is a retired New Zealand rower and former road cyclist. He is a three-time Olympic gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympic Games, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. He won six consecutive World Rowing Championships gold medals in the coxless pair and set the current world best times in both the coxless and coxed pair. He made a successful transition from rowing to road cycling after the 2016 Summer Olympics focussing on the road time trial. He returned to rowing for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, winning a gold medal in the men's eight.
Melissa Humana-Paredes is a Canadian beach volleyball player, who is partnered with Brandie Wilkerson. Humana-Paredes won the women's gold medal with Sarah Pavan at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships.
Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a Canadian beach volleyball and former indoor volleyball player. She was part of the Canada women's national volleyball team at the 2010 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in Japan. With Melissa Humana-Paredes she won the women's gold medal at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships.
Sam Dickson is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a forward for the New Zealand national sevens team.
Samuel Schachter is a Canadian Olympic beach volleyball player. In 2010 he won the FIVB World Junior (U-21) Championship with Garrett May. At the 2013 Maccabiah Games in Israel, he and Team Canada won a silver medal. He and partner Josh Binstock were 2014 Canadian national champions, and represented Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games and the 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he and Binstock earned silver medals.
Mariafe Artacho del Solar is an Australian beach volleyball player. She represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021. Artacho del Solar plays as a right-side defender. According to the Women's FIVB World Rankings, she and partner Taliqua Clancy are ranked 5th as of 21 January 2020.
Niall Williams-Guthrie is a New Zealand rugby league player. She has represented New Zealand in rugby sevens and touch rugby at an international level. She has won silver medals as part of New Zealand's touch football team in 2011, and in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of New Zealand's sevens team. She also won gold medals in sevens in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Shannon McIlroy is a New Zealand international lawn bowler.
Ali Forsyth is a New Zealand international lawn and indoor bowler.
New Zealand competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from 4 to 15 April 2018. It was the nations's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930. The New Zealand team consisted of 251 athletes, 130 men and 121 women, across 17 sports.
Kelsie Thwaites is a New Zealand rugby union player. She previously represented New Zealand in Beach volleyball before switching to rugby.
Shaunna Marie Polley is a New Zealand beach volleyball player.
Ben O'Dea is a New Zealand beach volleyball player.
Christopher McHugh is a male beach volleyball player from Australia. He represented Australia at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, both with teammate Damien Schumann, winning the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. Unfortunately, competing at the 2020 Olympics, the pair were knocked out in the group stage after finishing at the bottom of their pool.
Alena Saili is a New Zealand rugby sevens player.
Javier Bello is a British beach volleyball player.
Joaquin Bello is a British beach volleyball player.
New Zealand competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England, from 28 July to 8 August 2022. It is New Zealand's 22nd appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930. New Zealand finished fifth on the medal table, winning a total of 50 medals, 20 of which were gold. This makes these games New Zealand's best performance ever in terms of gold medals, beating the 17 won in Auckland at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, but third overall in terms of total medals, with 50, behind the 58 in 1990, and the 53 at the Games also in Auckland.
