Sport, active recreation and play builds individuals and communities.

The Sport Whanganui team work closely with councils, sports clubs, community groups and education providers to activate tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people), and provide sport, play and recreation opportunities for our communities. We also support clubs and organisations with strategic development and can provide advice around planning, structure and future-proofing your organisation.

Looking for ways to get active? Search our Directory or check our events calendar to see what’s coming up near you.

Community Sport

Here to help your club grow and flourish. The Sport Whanganui team can provide advice about club planning and leadership, help you to source funding, and share information about opportunities for sport, play and active recreation in your area.

We also provide regular training and education sessions and are always keen to hear about any great ideas you have for activating your community.

Support for clubs

Tākaro – Play

Play is a vital part of children’s physical and cognitive development. Sport Whanganui are strong advocates for the importance of play in our communities. We work in partnership with schools and kura, community organisations and territorial authorities to create opportunities for play in our region.

Find out more about our plans to grow opportunities for play in our region, and some great places to play here.

Play information and resources
Children play with water fountain as part of the Great Whanganui Play Trail

Rangatahi – Young People

Activating sport and active recreation opportunities for secondary school-aged rangatahi. We support schools to create positive physical activity experiences for rangatahi by connecting them with clubs, sharing resources, facilitating training and education workshops, and partnering with other organisations to deliver events and activations.

Support for rangatahi
Whanganui Secondary School Athletics, 2022. Young womens' race at Cooks Gardens.

Tamariki – Children

Sport Whanganui champion ways for tamariki to get active in the classroom and the community, through play, active recreation and sport.

We work closely with primary schools and kura in the region to encourage participation, provide positive sports experiences and increase the physical literacy of tamariki, so they can build a lifelong love of activity.

Programmes for tamariki