Sport New Zealand Support for Wider Tertiary Sector Engagement

University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand (UTSNZ) is pleased to announce support from Sport NZ to help strengthen its engagement with the wider tertiary sector.

UTSNZ Strategy 2022-2025 outlines the organisation’s vision in working together with others to enhance university and tertiary student well-being through sport.

Central to the strategy (and the Constitution of UTSNZ) is a commitment to all New Zealand university and tertiary students to foster and develop opportunities for students to participate and represent their institution in sport.

UTSNZ recognises that whilst the traditional and current membership model of UTSNZ is New Zealand’s eight universities, the tertiary sector is also filled by a number of other providers including Te Pūkenga (recently bringing together New Zealand’s 16 Polytechnics and Institutes of Technology), wānanga and private tertiary establishments (PTEs).

UTSNZ has received its first Sport NZ grant to better understand the wider tertiary environment and the sport participation behaviour of student’s studying in non-university tertiary institutions.

As part of the investment agreement, UTSNZ will work the tertiary network to conduct research, provide useable insights and apply new findings with the goal being to ensure programmes, events and initiatives are relevant, appealing and meaningful to a more diverse range of students.

UTSNZ Executive Director, Sarah Anderson hopes that the investment will assist in the broadening of UTSNZ’s reach, impact and value within the tertiary sector.

"I have been involved with tertiary sport for the past seven years, with a focus on rebuilding the pathways and frameworks that needed to be in place for the quality, sustainable delivery of inter-tertiary sport, which has included the revival of national inter-tertiary competitions and pathways to international opportunities.  It is hoped that this investment will now help inform us as to how we can better engage a wider segment of the tertiary student population” says Anderson.

ENDS