The 5 Most Popular Sports in New Zealand

Sport is one of those things that unite people in all parts of the world. There is no country that does not have a national sport and where interest in it does not exist.

Of course, the sports that people choose to follow vary considerably. Ones that attract enormous crowds in some countries are virtually ignored in others. 

Our passion for sport is simultaneously universal and something that helps to mark out different nations as distinct from each other in a globalized world.  We should be very grateful for that – as it is just those national quirks that keep society colorful and interesting.

Countries and Sports

Most major countries are strongly associated with particular sports. For example, American football (NFL) and baseball (MLB) are probably the two sports most closely linked to the United States in the minds of casual observers.

They are almost synonymous with that nation in the same way that soccer (the EPL) is with the UK. Other examples of that include cricket (India or the West Indies) and rugby (Australia and New Zealand).

New Zealand is a sports mad nation, and that passion is further fuelled by the freedom people there have to bet on their favorite sports online at a variety of sportsbooks. Sports betting adds a little extra thrill to the viewing experience for a lot of people.

But what sports exactly are people in New Zealand watching and betting on? Here are the top five in that country.

Rugby Union

This is far and away the single biggest game among New Zealand sports watchers. That fact will not come as a surprise to many: after all, the All Blacks are the single most globally recognized sports team the country has produced.

Rugby can be said to be the national sport of New Zealand and fans take the fortunes of the All Blacks very seriously indeed. Part of the reason for this devotion is that they are pretty good at rugby.

New Zealand have won the prized Rugby World Cup on two occasions; in 1987 and 2011 and have hosted the prestige tournament twice as well. The nation boasts 600 clubs dedicated to rugby and nearly 147,000 registered rugby players.

It is also a sport that is starting to attract more females there. The Women’s Rugby World Cup is a tournament on the rise.

Cricket

Cricket is another sport that has a lot of fans throughout the country. People do not associate the game with New Zealand in the same way that they do with rugby, but the interest is certainly there.

Perhaps it is because of the success of neighbors Australia at cricket that the passion for it in New Zealand is overshadowed. Then again, perhaps it is just the dominance of the All Blacks.

New Zealand is certainly no slouch when it comes to the game. It has produced international cricket teams that are capable of competing against Australia, England, India and other top cricketing forces.

Netball

This is a fairly obscure sport in other parts of the world, but netball is very big in New Zealand. It is popular as a sport to watch and also for people to play themselves.

Netball is a part of the Commonwealth Games, where it is a competitive event. It gained that status back in the late 1990s and has kept it ever since.

In addition to that, there is also the INF Netball World Cup that is held every few years. That is the top international event for those who play competitive netball.

The New Zealand team have been successful. They defeated arch rivals Australia across the four Commonwealth Games gold medal matches in both 2002 and 2010. 

They are also regular competitors at the World Cup and that high profile is a big reason for its popularity there.

Basketball

Basketball was first brought to New Zealand way back in 1908, so it is certainly not a new thing there. It has grown steadily in support ever since and the country now has a very accomplished national basketball team.

Many of the players who are part of that team ply their trades in the top league: the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. Steven Adams, Kirk Penney and Sean Marks are among those whose talent has earned them a move to the US and big money.

That has helped make basketball more liked in New Zealand, as fans take pride in the success of these players. 

Soccer

Soccer is not one of the sports that people traditionally think of in connection with New Zealand. There is no shortage of soccer fans in the country though.

Top supported clubs there include Auckland City, Eastern Suburbs and Canterbury United. Among the star players are Michael McGlinchey, Ryan Nelsen and Shane Smeltz.

Of course, in addition to this homegrown soccer, fans also watch the English Premier League and gamble on results. The EPL is a genuine global phenomenon that has opened up soccer to the world

New Zealanders love physical sports with lots of raw excitement, making soccer as much of an obvious choice as rugby for sporting enthusiasts. Rugby is clearly still the number one game in the country though, and the love for the All Blacks will probably keep it that way.

These are the five sports that attract the most interest in New Zealand.