Sport in New Zealand largely reflects its British colonial heritage, with some of the most popular sports being rugby, cricket and netball which are primarily played in Commonwealth of Nations countries. New Zealand is a small nation but has enjoyed success in many sports, notably rugby union (the national sport), rugby league, cricket (considered the national summer sport), America’s Cup sailing, world championship and Olympics events and motorsport.
Other popular sports include netball, basketball, golf, tennis, rowing and a variety of water sports, particularly sailing and surf sports. Winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding are also popular as are indoor and outdoor bowls.
Read more about Sport In New Zealand: Participation Rates
Famous quotes containing the words sport and/or zealand:
“If a walker is indeed an individualist there is nowhere he can’t go at dawn and not many places he can’t go at noon. But just as it demeans life to live alongside a great river you can no longer swim in or drink from, to be crowded into safer areas and hours takes much of the gloss off walking—one sport you shouldn’t have to reserve a time and a court for.”
—Edward Hoagland (b. 1932)
“Teasing is universal. Anthropologists have found the same fundamental patterns of teasing among New Zealand aborigine children and inner-city kids on the playgrounds of Philadelphia.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)