This lines up with HPSNZ’s strategic shift towards partnering with a wider range of sports including campaigns that can inspire New Zealanders through our Aspirational Fund. Respected HPSNZ Performance Team Lead Hannah Porter is engaging with the three Ferns campaigns as a result.
“The opportunity came to work closely with these three sports that have impending world cups on home soil. We’re able to lend an independent view, support and challenge, also to bring the cross sport groups together. There’s no better people to learn from than the people working through similar challenges,” Hannah says.
NZC’s General Manager High Performance Cricket, Bryan Stronach echoes that sentiment. “It’s obviously a big year for our WHITE FERNS with a home Women’s Cricket World Cup in their own backyard in 2022 – an opportunity of a lifetime.”
“It’s been great working with Hannah and the team at HPSNZ, they have helped to facilitate collaboration with the other female codes hosting World Cups in Aotearoa and enabled us to share ideas and address challenges together. We only benefit from Hannah’s wide range of expertise and personal knowledge of the women’s sporting landscape.”
“Women’s cricket is on the rise both here in New Zealand but also on the world stage. We are doing all we can to support our female athletes to succeed at the highest level and want to ensure the effects are seen well beyond the Women’s World Cup in 2022.”
Typically HPSNZ works on a sport on its specific high performance programme or campaign – the difference here is the opportunity to share learnings across all three codes with a particular focus on support for women in team sports.
A research piece being led by Dr Katie Schofield in Cambridge looking specifically at nutrition in female team sports, nationally and internationally, is one example of that. Her findings will be complete within the month and taken back to the sports to incorporate into their campaigns.
Hannah sees the opportunity for added value for both sides. “Previously we’ve focused quite heavily on our podium based and Olympic sports, so this is a great opportunity for us to partner more closely with cricket, rugby and football. The shift to widen the portfolio of people we work with will give us breadth. If we’re able to share across the New Zealand sporting system what both our aspirational and our podium sports are doing – I think that’s the biggest opportunity for us.”
Hannah hopes the growing global audience watching women’s sport translates to packed stadiums and big viewer numbers for the New Zealand based women’s World Cups. “It’s an amazing opportunity for these women to play at home. All three sports are making big strides to take their females game into a professional space and the ability for fans to come and see that is super exciting.”
