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Kōrero: Sport and the nation

Sporting knights and dames

Name For services to Year
Vincent Meredith Sports administration 1952
Edmund Hillary Mountaineering 1953
Ronald Scott Athletics administration 1974
Cecil (Lance) Cross Sport 1984
Murray Halberg Sport and crippled children 1988
Richard Hadlee Cricket 1990
Peter Blake Yachting 1995
Terence McLean Sporting journalism 1997
Susan Devoy Sport and the community 1998
Wilson Whineray Sport and business management 1998
Robert (Bob) Charles Golf 1999
Brian Lochore Sport and the community 1999
Russell Coutts Yachting, especially the 2000 America's Cup challenge 2000
Patrick Hogan Thoroughbred breeding and racing 2000
Colin Meads Rugby and the community 2001
Peter Snell Sport 2002
Lois Muir Sports administration and netball 2004
Tennant Edward (Tay) Wilson Olympic and Commonwealth Games 2007
John Walker Sport and the community 2009
Murray Wells Business and sport 2009
Frederick Allen Rugby 2010
David (John) Graham Education and sport 2011
Graham Henry Rugby 2012
John Kirwan Mental health and rugby 2012
Mark Todd Equestrian sport 2013
Gordon Tietjens Rugby 2013
Peter Vela Thoroughbred industry 2014
Graeme Avery Business and sport 2014
Paul Collins Sports governance 2015
Donald Rowlands Business and rowing 2015
Therese Walsh Sports administration 2015
David Fagan Competitive shearing 2016
Valerie Adams Athletics 2017
Bryan Williams Rugby 2018
Graham Lowe Youth and education 2019
Yvette Corlett Athletics 2019
Noeline Taurua Netball 2020
Ruia Morrison Tennis 2021
Wayne Shelford Rugby 2021
Ruth Aitken Netball 2022
Lisa Carrington Canoe racing 2022
Sophie Pascoe Swimming 2022
Farah Palmer Sport, particularly rugby 2023

This table lists those who have been made knights or dames in the New Zealand honours system (since 1996 this has been the top two levels of the New Zealand Order of Merit) where service to sport has been included in the citation. Many have been honoured primarily for administrative services, and the first New Zealand sportsperson who was still competing to be knighted was Richard Hadlee in 1990. 

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Sources: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; Karen Fox, 'Dames in New Zealand: gender, representation and the royal honours system, 1917–2000.' MA thesis, University of Canterbury, 2005.

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Jock Phillips, Sport and the nation – Sport and national debate, 1970 to 1990, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/interactive/41214/sporting-knights-and-dames (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Jock Phillips, i tāngia i te 26 March 2013.