The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the hall of fame since its inception representing a wide variety of sports. Inductions are held regularly every second year.
Since 1999, it has been located in Dunedin, in the city's railway station building, where a museum is sited displaying mementos of New Zealand's sporting achievements. Prior to this time the Hall of Fame was based in Wellington.
Sports writer Joseph Romanos was the chief executive of the Hall of Fame from 1995 to 1998. From 1998 until shortly before his death in August 2023 the chief executive was sports writer Ron Palenski.
After September 2021 the museum could have to close or move to another city unless a new sponsor was found.
Inductees
Individuals
The following individuals have been inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame:
| Year | Inductee | Sporting field |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Jean Batten | Aviation |
| 1990 | Ces Blazey | Administration |
| 1990 | Lofty Blomfield | Wrestling |
| 1990 | Chris Bouzaid | Yachting |
| 1990 | Godfrey Bowen | Shearing |
| 1990 | Barry Briggs | Motorsport |
| 1990 | Maurice Brownlie | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Malcolm Champion | Swimming |
| 1990 | Bob Charles | Golf |
| 1990 | Bert Cooke | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Lance Cross | Administration |
| 1990 | Stewie Dempster | Cricket |
| 1990 | Martin Donnelly | Cricket |
| 1990 | Bruce Farr | Yachting |
| 1990 | Dave Gerrard | Swimming |
| 1990 | Linda Jones | Thoroughbred racing |
| 1990 | Darcy Hadfield | Rowing |
| 1990 | Murray Halberg | Athletics |
| 1990 | Bill Hamilton | Jetboating |
| 1990 | Joan Harnett | Netball |
| 1990 | Edmund Hillary | Mountaineering |
| 1990 | Maurice Holmes | Harness racing |
| 1990 | Kevin Herlihy | Softball |
| 1990 | Gary Hurring | Swimming |
| 1990 | Naomi James | Yachting |
| 1990 | Ian Kirkpatrick | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Stan Lay | Athletics |
| 1990 | Brian Lochore | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Jack Lovelock | Athletics |
| 1990 | Arthur Lydiard | Athletics |
| 1990 | Winston McCarthy | Sports broadcasting |
| 1990 | Clark McConachy | Billiards |
| 1990 | Bruce McLaren | Motorsport |
| 1990 | Colin Meads | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Les Mills | Athletics |
| 1990 | Ted Morgan | Boxing |
| 1990 | Cecil Mountford | Rugby league |
| 1990 | Billy Murphy | Boxing |
| 1990 | George Nēpia | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Don Oliver | Weightlifting |
| 1990 | Onny Parun | Tennis |
| 1990 | Rebecca Perrott | Swimming |
| 1990 | Arthur Porritt | Athletics |
| 1990 | Dick Quax | Athletics |
| 1990 | Norman Read | Athletics |
| 1990 | John R. Reid | Cricket |
| 1990 | Eve Rimmer | Disabled sport |
| 1990 | Rusty Robertson | Rowing |
| 1990 | Jeff Robson | Badminton / tennis |
| 1990 | Bob Scott | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Bill Skelton | Thoroughbred racing |
| 1990 | Phil Skoglund | Lawn bowls |
| 1990 | Peter Snell | Athletics |
| 1990 | Jean Stewart | Swimming |
| 1990 | Bert Sutcliffe | Cricket |
| 1990 | Dick Tayler | Athletics |
| 1990 | Glenn Turner | Cricket |
| 1990 | John Walker | Athletics |
| 1990 | Billy Wallace | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Wilson Whineray | Rugby union |
| 1990 | Des White | Rugby league |
| 1990 | Anthony Wilding | Tennis |
| 1990 | Elsie Wilkie | Lawn bowls |
| 1990 | Roy Williams | Athletics |
| 1990 | Yvette Williams | Athletics |
| 1990 | Val Young | Athletics |
| 1993 | Susan Devoy | Squash |
| 1993 | Ian Ferguson | Canoeing |
| 1993 | Richard Hadlee | Cricket |
| 1993 | Denny Hulme | Motorsport |
| 1993 | Lois Muir | Netball |
| 1993 | Mark Todd | Equestrian |
| 1995 | Fred Allen | Rugby union |
| 1995 | Chris Amon | Motorsport |
| 1995 | Hugh Anderson | Motorsport |
| 1995 | Richard Arnst | Rowing |
| 1995 | Erin Baker | Multisport |
| 1995 | Marise Chamberlain | Athletics |
| 1995 | Don Clarke | Rugby union |
| 1995 | Graeme Crosby | Motorsport |
| 1995 | Leonard Cuff | Administration |
| 1995 | Barrie Devenport | Swimming |
| 1995 | Bob Fitzsimmons | Boxing |
| 1995 | Dave Gallaher | Rugby union |
| 1995 | Philippa Gould | Swimming |
| 1995 | Walter Hadlee | Cricket |
| 1995 | Stan Hill | Basketball |
| 1995 | Ron Jarden | Rugby union |
| 1995 | Stuart Jones | Golf |
| 1995 | Ronnie Moore | Motorsport |
| 1995 | Anthony Mosse | Swimming |
| 1995 | Kathleen Nunneley | Tennis |
| 1995 | Joe Scott | Athletics |
| 1995 | Bob Skelton | Thoroughbred racing |
| 1995 | George Smith | Athletics / rugby league / rugby union |
| 1995 | Eric Tindill | Cricket / rugby union |
| 1995 | Kel Tremain | Rugby union |
| 1995 | Peter Wolfenden | Harness racing |
| 1996 | Albert Baskerville | Rugby league |
| 1996 | Tommy Baxter | Rugby league |
| 1996 | Bill Broughton | Thoroughbred racing |
| 1996 | Jack Cowie | Cricket |
| 1996 | Rod Dixon | Athletics |
| 1996 | Mark Graham | Rugby league |
| 1996 | Tom Heeney | Boxing |
| 1996 | Oliver Hollis | Golf |
| 1996 | Harry Kerr | Athletics |
| 1996 | Chris Lewis | Tennis |
| 1996 | Tom Lowry | Cricket |
| 1996 | Cecil Matthews | Athletics |
| 1996 | Jenny McDonald | Field hockey |
| 1996 | Meda McKenzie | Swimming |
| 1996 | Graham Mourie | Rugby union |
| 1996 | Philip Rush | Swimming |
| 1996 | Billy Savidan | Athletics |
| 1996 | Charlie Seeling | Rugby union |
| 1996 | Ned Shewry | Woodchopping |
| 1996 | Kevin Skinner | Rugby union |
| 1996 | Waimarama Taumaunu | Netball |
| 1996 | Alan Thompson | Canoeing |
| 1996 | Bryan Williams | Rugby union |
| 1997 | Cecil Devine | Harness racing |
| 1997 | Jim Ellis | Thoroughbred racing |
| 1997 | Karen Holliday | Cycling |
| 1997 | Paul MacDonald | Canoeing |
| 1997 | Marilyn Marshall | Football / softball |
| 1997 | Bill Massey | Softball |
| 1997 | Dick Motz | Cricket |
| 1997 | Dan Reese | Cricket |
| 1997 | Randolph Rose | Athletics |
| 1997 | Buck Shelford | Rugby union |
| 1997 | Ian Smith | Cricket |
| 1997 | Billy Webb | Rowing |
| 1997 | Cis Winstanley | Lawn bowls |
| 1999 | Tom Ellison | Rugby union |
| 1999 | Rita Fatialofa | Netball |
| 1999 | Grant Fox | Rugby union |
| 1999 | Ivan Mauger | Motorsport |
| 1999 | Mark Nicholls | Rugby union |
| 2001 | Martin Crowe | Cricket |
| 2001 | Sandra Edge | Netball |
| 2003 | Peter Blake | Yachting |
| 2003 | Annelise Coberger | Skiing |
| 2003 | Sean Fitzpatrick | Rugby union |
| 2005 | Duncan Laing | Swimming |
| 2005 | Danyon Loader | Swimming |
| 2005 | Wynton Rufer | Football |
| 2006 | Gary Anderson | Cycling |
| 2008 | Lorraine Moller | Athletics |
| 2008 | Mike Ryan | Athletics |
| 2009 | Anne Audain | Athletics |
| 2009 | Ross Norman | Squash |
| 2010 | Barry Magee | Athletics |
| 2010 | Allison Roe | Athletics |
| 2011 | Bill Baillie | Athletics |
| 2011 | Michael Jones | Rugby union |
| 2012 | John Kirwan | Rugby union |
| 2013 | Bruce Kendall | Yachting |
| 2013 | Jeff Wilson | Rugby union |
| 2014 | Jonah Lomu | Rugby union |
| 2014 | Sarah Ulmer | Cycling |
| 2015 | Barbara Kendall | Yachting |
| 2015 | Stacey Jones | Rugby league |
| 2016 | Lance O'Sullivan | Thoroughbred racing |
| 2016 | Don Rowlands | Rowing |
| 2016 | Lesley Rumball | Netball |
| 2016 | Mark Sorenson | Softball |
| 2017 | Don Jowett | Athletics |
| 2017 | Rob Waddell | Rowing |
| 2017 | Ruben Wiki | Rugby league |
| 2018 | Beatrice Faumuina | Athletics |
| 2020 | Sid Going | Rugby union |
| 2022 | Ron Palenski | Sports journalism |
Teams
The following teams have been inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame:
| Year | Inductee | Sporting field |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1905 All Blacks | Rugby union |
| 1990 | 1924 All Blacks | Rugby union |
| 1990 | 1968 New Zealand coxed four | Rowing |
| 1990 | 1971–1972 New Zealand eight | Rowing |
| 1990 | 1976 New Zealand men's hockey team | Field hockey |
| 1990 | Peter Mander and Jack Cropp | Yachting |
| 1990 | Helmer Pedersen and Earle Wells | Yachting |
| 1995 | 1982 New Zealand eight | Rowing |
| 1995 | 1987 All Blacks | Rugby union |
| 1996 | 1967 New Zealand netball team | Netball |
| 1996 | 1987 New Zealand netball team | Netball |
| 1997 | 1945–1946 2NZEF rugby team | Rugby union |
| 1999 | 1982 New Zealand women's softball team | Softball |
| 2005 | 1975 New Zealand men's crosscountry team | Athletics |
| 2012 | Philippa Baker and Brenda Lawson | Rowing |
References
- "Death of a museum; disappointment over lack of support for sports Hall of Fame". Stuff. 8 September 2021.
- ^ "New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame inductees". New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- "Sports Hall of Fame founder now inducted himself!". RNZ News. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
External links
- Official website
- Obituary of Ron Palenski in the Otago Daily Times including video of Palenski discussing the Sports Hall of Fame