The following lists events that happened during 1998 in New Zealand.

Population

* Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,829,200 * Increase since 31 December 1997: 26,500 (0.70%) * Males per 100 Females: 96.8

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

- The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys

GNZM The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

GCMG The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

, QSO

Government

The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued, with the Fourth National Government in power. *

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

Doug Kidd Sir Douglas Lorimer Kidd (born 12 September 1941) is a former New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1978 to 2002, representing the National Party. He served for three years as Speaker of the House of Representatives. Early life Kidd was ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Jenny Shipley Dame Jennifer Mary Shipley (née Robson; born 4 February 1952) is a New Zealand former politician who served as the 36th prime minister of New Zealand from 1997 to 1999. She was the first female prime minister of New Zealand, and the first woma ...

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020 ...

then

Wyatt Creech Wyatt Beetham Creech (born 13 October 1946) is a United States-born retired New Zealand politician. He served as the 14th deputy prime minister of New Zealand in Jenny Shipley's National Party government from August 1998 to December 1999. Ear ...

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

Bill Birch Sir William Francis Birch (born 9 April 1934), usually known as Bill Birch, is a New Zealand retired politician. He served as Minister of Finance from 1993 to 1999 in the fourth National Government. Early life Birch was born in Hastings on ...

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

Don McKinnon Sir Donald Charles McKinnon (born 27 February 1939) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 12th deputy prime minister of New Zealand and the minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. He was the secretary-general of the Commonwealth of ...

* Chief Justice — Sir

Thomas Eichelbaum Sir Johann Thomas Eichelbaum (17 May 1931 – 31 October 2018) was a New Zealand jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of New Zealand. Early life and family Eichelbaum was born in Königsberg, Germany, and his family emigrated to Wellin ...

Opposition leaders

See: :Parliament of New Zealand, :New Zealand elections *

National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

* Act -

Richard Prebble Richard William Prebble (born 7 February 1948) is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament. Initially a member of the Labour Party, he joined the newly formed ACT New Zealand party under Roger Douglas in 1996, becoming its leader from 19 ...

New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...

United New Zealand United New Zealand was a centrist political party in New Zealand founded in 1995. It merged with the Christian-based Future New Zealand party to form the United Future New Zealand party in 2000. History Formation United was founded on 28 June 1 ...

Peter Dunne Peter Francis Dunne (born 17 March 1954) is a retired New Zealand politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ōhāriu. He held the seat and its predecessors from 1984 to 2017—representing the Labour Party in Parliament from 1984 ...

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

Helen Clark Helen Elizabeth Clark (born 26 February 1950) is a New Zealand politician who served as the 37th prime minister of New Zealand from 1999 to 2008, and was the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2009 to 2017. She was ...

(

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

) * The Alliance -

Jim Anderton James Patrick Anderton (born Byrne; 21 January 1938 – 7 January 2018) was a New Zealand politician who led a succession of left-wing parties after leaving the Labour Party in 1989. Anderton's political career began when he was elected to th ...

and Sandra Lee

Main centre leaders

Mayor of Auckland The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland Region in New Zealand, which it controls as a unitary authority. The position exists since October 2010 after the amalga ...

Les Mills Leslie Roy Mills (born 1 November 1934) is a retired New Zealand track and field athlete and politician. He represented New Zealand at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games over two decades, competing in the shot put and discus throw. He w ...

then

Christine Fletcher Christine Elizabeth Fletcher (née Lees, born 25 January 1955) is a New Zealand politician. Currently an Auckland Council councillor, she was previously a National Party Member of Parliament from 1990 to 1999, and served one term as Mayor of A ...

* Mayor of Hamilton - Margaret Evans then Russell Matthew Remmington *

Mayor of Wellington The Mayor of Wellington is the head of the municipal government of the City of Wellington. The mayor presides over the Wellington City Council. The mayor is directly elected using the Single Transferable Vote method of proportional representati ...

Mark Blumsky Mark Herbert Blumsky (born 29 August 1957) is a former New Zealand politician and diplomat. He was Mayor of Wellington from 1995 to 2001, and a Member of Parliament for the National Party from 2005 to 2008. Blumsky was New Zealand's High Comm ...

Mayor of Christchurch The Mayor of Christchurch is the head of the municipal government of Christchurch, New Zealand, and presides over the Christchurch City Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First Past the Post electoral system. The current mayor, Phil ...

Vicki Buck Vicki Susan Buck (born 16 July 1955) is a New Zealand politician. She was Mayor of Christchurch for nine years from 1989 to 1998. She retired after three terms, having been very popular. She made a political comeback, standing in the 2013 loc ...

then

Garry Moore Garry Moore (born Thomas Garrison Morfit; January 31, 1915 – November 28, 1993) was an American entertainer, comedic personality, game show host, and humorist best known for his work in television. He began a long career with the CBS network ...

Mayor of Dunedin The Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the local government, the city council of Dunedin, New Zealand. The Mayor's role is "to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform c ...

Sukhi Turner Dame Sukhinder Kaur Gill Turner (born Sukhinder Kaur Gill, 13 April 1952), commonly known as Sukhi Turner, is an Indian-born-New Zealand politician who served as the Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, from 1995 until her retirement from the positio ...

Events

*2 May – By-election in Taranaki-King Country after the former

Jim Bolger James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was born to an Irish immigrant family in Ōpunake, Taran ...

resigned.

Shane Ardern Philip Shane Ardern (born 26 January 1960) is a New Zealand politician. He is a member of the National Party and represented the electorate of Taranaki-King Country from 1998 to 2014. Early years Ardern is the son of Noel and Olive Ardern. He ...

retained the seat for National. *14 August – Prime Minister Jenny Shipley sacks Winston Peters from Cabinet after a dispute over the privatisation of Wellington International Airport. Peters subsequently cancels New Zealand First's coalition agreement with National. *22 October – '' Magnum Photo Supplies Ltd v Viko New Zealand Ltd'',

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Books * ''999'' (anthology) or ''999: T ...

(1 NZLR 395) case is decided. * New Zealand appoints a resident ambassador to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

and establishes an embassy in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

. * Until 2016, this year was New Zealand's warmest year on record.

Arts and literature

* Michael King wins the

Robert Burns Fellowship The Robert Burns Fellowship is a New Zealand literary residency. Established in 1958 to coincide with bicentennial celebrations of the birth of Robert Burns, it is often claimed to be New Zealand's premier literary residency. The list of past ...

. *

Montana New Zealand Book Awards The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are literary awards presented annually in New Zealand. The awards began in 1996 as the merger of two literary awards events: the New Zealand Book Awards, which ran from 1976 to 1995, and the Goodman Fielder W ...

: **Montana Medal:

Harry Orsman Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

(ed.), ''Dictionary of New Zealand English'' **Deutz Medal: Maurice Gee, ''Live Bodies'' **Reader's Choice: Malcolm McKinnon(ed.), ''New Zealand Historical Atlas'' **First Book Awards ***Fiction: Catherine Chidgey, ''In a fishbone church'' ***Poetry: Kapka Kassabova, ''All Roads Lead to the Sea'' ***Non-Fiction: Genevieve Noser, ''Olives: The new passion'' See 1998 in art,

1998 in literature This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1998. Events *March 5 – Tennessee Williams' 1938 play ''Not About Nightingales'' receives its stage première in London, in a collaboration between the Royal Nati ...

, :1998 books

Music

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

Winners are shown first with nominees underneath. were: * Album of the Year:

Bic Runga Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976), recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the Recording Industry Association of New Ze ...

Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" ...

**Salmonella Dub - Calming of the Drunken Monkey **Rob Guest - Standing Ovation **The Stereobus - Stereobus **Greg Johnson - Chinese Whispers * Single of the Year: Bic Runga - Sway **Shihad - Home Again **The Feelers - Pressure Man **Darcy Clay - Jesus I Was Evil **Moizna - Just Another Day * Best Male Vocalist: Jon Toogood – (

Shihad Shihad are a rock band formed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1988. The band consists of founders Tom Larkin (drums, backing vocals, samplers), Phil Knight (lead guitar, synthesiser, backing vocals) and Jon Toogood (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), ...

) **Greg Johnson (Greg Johnson Set) **Booga Beazley (Head Like A Hole) * Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga **Sulata **Annie Crummer * Best Group: Shihad **The Mutton Birds **Dam Native * Most Promising Male Vocalist:

Darcy Clay Darcy Clay (born Daniel Robert Bolton, 5 December 1972 – 15 March 1998) was a New Zealand singer, songwriter and musician, who was made famous in 1997 for his Number 5 hit "Jesus I Was Evil", in which he recorded all of the instruments in his ...

**Dave Yetton (The Stereobus) **James Reid (The Feelers) * Most Promising Female Vocalist: Alesha Siosiua (Miozna) **Maisey Rika (St Josephs Maori Girls College) **Jordan Reyne * Most Promising Group: Moizna **The Feelers **The Stereobus * International Achievement: OMC **The Mutton Birds **Garageland * Best Video: Mark Hurley - Home Again (Shihad) **Joe Lonie - Pressure Man (The Feelers) **Wayne Conway - Suddenly Strange (Bic Runga) * Best Producer: Malcolm Welsford - Pressure Man (

The Feelers The Feelers is a New Zealand pop rock band formed in the early 1990s in Christchurch by James Reid (singer/guitarist) and Hamish Gee (drums/guitar). History The Feelers was signed by Warner Music and released their first album, '' Supersyste ...

) **Chris Sinclair - Kia Koe (Sulata) **Debbie Harwood & Stephen Small - So This Is Love * Best Engineer: Simon Sheridan - Sway (Bic Runga) **Chris Sinclair - Kia Koe (Sulata) **Malcolm Welsford - Pressure Man (The Feelers) * Best Jazz Album: the New Loungehead - Came a Weird Way **Trip to the Moon - Jazz Hop **Sustenance - Food For Thought * Best Classical Album: Daniel Poynton - You Hit Him, He Cry Out **Alexander Ivashkin - Shostakovich Cello Concertos **Keith Lewis And NZ Chamber Orchestra - Opera Kings Gods And Mortals * Best Country Album: Kylie Harris - Fancy * Best Folk Album: Paul Ubana Jones - Blessings and Burdens **T&D Bigger Band - Hillingdon **AJ Bell - Ragwort Touch * Best Gospel Album: Parachute Band - You Alone **

Dennis Marsh Dennis Te Uhi Marsh (born 22 February 1951) is a New Zealand country music singer and television presenter, best known for his series of popular albums in the 2010s and for hosting the country music TV show ''My Country Song''. He is New Zeala ...

- ''Faith'' **Invasion Band - You Call My Name * Best Mana Maori Album: Te Matapihi – Te Matapihi **Maori Volcanics - Kia Ora **Dam Native - Kaupapa Driven Rhymes Uplifted * Best Mana Reo Album: St Josephs Maori Girls College - E Hine **The Willie Matthews Quartet - A Treasury of Maori Songs **Nga Kura O Hananah - Nga Kura O Hananah * Best Children's Album: Kids TV - Sing Something Simple **Tessa Grigg & Brian Ringrose - Where Are You Going Colin **Jules Riding - Kids Time With Jules Riding * Best Songwriter: Bic Runga - Sway **Greg Johnson - Liberty **Jordan Luck - Change Your Mind * Best Cover: Wayne Conway - Drive (Bic Runga) **Crispin Schuberth - Came A Weird Way (The New Loungehead) **A Penman & Ross (Finnart) - Calming of the Drunken Monkey (Salmonella Dub) * New Zealand Radio Programmer Award: John Diver - Channel Z (Wellington) **Melanie Wise - Q92FM (Queenstown) **Kaye Glamuzina - National Radio See:

1998 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998. Specific locations * 1998 in British music * 1998 in Norwegian music * 1998 in South Korean music Specific genres * 1998 in classical music * 1998 in country music * ...

Performing arts

Benny Award The Benny Award is bestowed on a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded to a variety performer who ha ...

presented by the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

to Dame Malvina Major ONZ GNZM DBE.

Radio and television

*16 March: British children's television series ''

Teletubbies ''Teletubbies'' is a British children's television series created by Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport for the BBC. The programme focuses on four differently coloured characters known as the Teletubbies, named after the television screens on th ...

'' premieres on TV3. *30 August:

Prime Television New Zealand Prime is a New Zealand free-to-air television network. It airs a varied mix of programming, largely imported from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was originally owned by Prime Television Limited in Australia. Prime lat ...

begins transmission. See: 1998 in New Zealand television,

1998 in television 1998 in television may refer to: *1998 in American television The following is a list of events affecting American television during 1998. Events listed include television series debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel initiations, closure ...

List of TVNZ television programming This is an incomplete list of television programmes, past and present, screened on TVNZ, Television New Zealand that were made in New Zealand. Programmes Regular shows (screened throughout the year) Seasonal shows One-off series Shows tha ...

, :Television in New Zealand,

TV3 (New Zealand) Three ( mi, Toru), stylized as +HR=E, is a New Zealand nationwide television channel. Launched on 26 November 1989 as TV3, it was New Zealand's first private broadcasting, privately owned television channel. The channel currently broadcasts nat ...

, :New Zealand television shows,

Public broadcasting in New Zealand Public broadcasting in New Zealand is funded through New Zealand Government body New Zealand On Air, and consists of a number of television channels, radio stations, and websites. In addition to funding solely public media outlets, New Zealand On ...

Film

* Memory and Desire * Saving Grace See: :1998 film awards,

1998 in film The year 1998 in film involved many significant films, including ''Shakespeare in Love'' (which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), ''Saving Private Ryan'','' Armageddon'' (which was the top grossing film of the year in the United States), ' ...

List of New Zealand feature films This is a list of feature films and pre 1910 short films produced or filmed in New Zealand, ordered by year of release. Key * * = Funded in part by the New Zealand Film Commission. * † = Year given is date of principal photography rather th ...

Cinema of New Zealand Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...

, :1998 films

Internet

See
NZ Internet History

Sport

* See:

1998 in sports 1998 in sports describes the year's events in world sport. Alpine skiing * Alpine Skiing World Cup ** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria ** Women's overall season champion: Katja Seizinger, Germany American football * Super B ...

, :1998 in sports

Athletics

* Mark Hutchinson wins his second national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:24:51 on 25 October in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

while Bernardine Portenski claims her second in the women's championship (2:44:52)

Basketball

* the NBL was won by the Nelson Giants

Commonwealth Games

Cricket

Various Tours,

New Zealand cricket team The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. Named the Black Caps, they played their first Test in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. From 1930 ...

* The

Shell Trophy New Zealand has had a domestic first-class cricket championship since the 1906–07 season. Since the 2009–10 season it has been known by its original name of the Plunket Shield. History The Plunket Shield competition was instigated in Octob ...

for 1998-99 was won by Canterbury, with Northern Districts runners-up.

Golf

New Zealand Open The New Zealand Open is the premier men's golf tournament in New Zealand. It has been a regular fixture on the PGA Tour of Australasia tournament schedule since the 1970s. The 2019 event was the 100th edition of the tournament. Since 2014 it has ...

:New Zealand golfers

Horse racing

Harness racing

New Zealand Trotting Cup The New Zealand Cup for standardbred horses, also known as either the New Zealand Trotting Cup or the New Zealand Pacing Cup is a Group One (G1) harness race held annually by the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club at Addington Raceway in Chri ...

Christian Cullen Christian Mathias Cullen (born 12 February 1976) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. He played most of his rugby at fullback for New Zealand (the All Blacks), for the Hurricanes in the Super 12, and for Manawatu, Wellington and later ...

Auckland Trotting Cup The Auckland Pacing Cup which is sometimes referred to as the Auckland Trotting Cup or merely the Auckland Cup is a race held at Alexandra Park in Auckland, New Zealand for Standardbred horses. It is one of the two major harness races, along with ...

: Christian Cullen

Thoroughbred racing

Netball

Silver Ferns The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern (''Cyathea dealbata''), which is National symbols of New Zealand, ...

National Bank Cup The National Bank Cup was the pre-eminent national netball competition in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship. Format In the rounds, each team played every other team once, then the top four teams ...

Netball World Championships The Netball World Cup is a quadrennial international netball world championship organised by the World Netball, inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australia national netball team and t ...

Olympic Games

* New Zealand sends a team of eight competitors in six sports.

Paralympic Games

* New Zealand sends a team of five competitors in one sport.

Rugby league

* The

Auckland Warriors The New Zealand Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as ...

finished 15th out of 20 teams in the first season of the

National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

premiership. *

won the National Provincial Competition by defeating

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

44-8 while

Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...

ended the season holding the

Rugby League Cup The Rugby League Cup is a New Zealand rugby league trophy that is contested between districts on a challenge basis. The trophy used to be known as the Northern Union Challenge Cup. It is the oldest rugby league competition in New Zealand. Histo ...

. *24 April, New Zealand defeated Australia 22-16 *9 October, New Zealand lost to Australia 12-30 *31 October, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 22-16 *7 November, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 36-16 *14 November, New Zealand drew with Great Britain 23-all

Rugby union

:Rugby union in New Zealand, *

Super 12 Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

- was won by the

Canterbury Crusaders The Crusaders (formerly Canterbury Crusaders and BNZ Crusaders due to sponsorship by the Bank of New Zealand) are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch, who compete in the Super Rugby competition. They are the mos ...

who defeated the

Auckland Blues The Blues (known as the Auckland Blues from 1996 to 2000) is a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland, who play in the Super Rugby competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by ...

20–13 in the final. Season summary *

National Provincial Championship The National Provincial Championship may refer to: * National Provincial Championship (1976–2005), original competition before reform into 14 sides * National Provincial Championship (2006–present) The National Provincial Championship, o ...

- won by Otago *

Bledisloe Cup The Bledisloe Cup is an annual rugby union competition originally staged between the national teams of Australia's Wallabies and New Zealand's All Blacks that has been contested since the 1930s. The frequency that the competition is held has va ...

- won 3-0 by Australia *

Tri Nations Series The Rugby Championship is an international rugby union competition contested annually by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. These are the four highest ranked national teams in the Southern Hemisphere; the Six Nations is a s ...

- won by South Africa. New Zealand came last with no wins and only 2 bonus points *

Ranfurly Shield The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challeng ...

- Waikato held the shield all season, beating Poverty Bay 121–0, King Country 76–0, Bay of Plenty 25–18, Auckland 24–23, Southland 95–7, Nth Harbour 39–22, Northland 63–22, and Canterbury 29-23

Shooting

*Ballinger Belt –

Mike Collings Mike Collings (born 29 September 1954) is a sport shooter from New Zealand. At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester he was 21st in the full bore rifle open singles and seventh in the full bore rifle open pairs. At the 2010 Commonwealth G ...

(Te Puke)

Soccer

* The second

National Summer Soccer League The National Summer Soccer League was a brief national association football league competition in New Zealand which persisted from 1996 to 1998. It succeeded the Superclub competition and was itself succeeded by the second incarnation of the New ...

was won by

Napier City Rovers Napier City Rovers is a football team based in Napier, New Zealand, competing in the Central Premier League. Club history The team was founded in 1973 via a merger of Napier Rovers and Napier City. Napier City Rovers have won New Zealand's p ...

* The

New Zealand national soccer team The New Zealand men's national football team ( mi, Tīma hoka a-motu o Aotearoa) represents New Zealand in men's international football competitions. The team is governed by the governing body for football in New Zealand, New Zealand Football ...

won the

OFC Nations Cup The OFC Nations Cup is an international association football tournament held among the OFC member nations. It was held every two years from 1996 to 2004; before 1996 there were two other tournaments held at irregular intervals, under the name ...

tournament held in Australia, beating the host nation 2–0 in the final. * The

Chatham Cup The Chatham Cup is New Zealand's premier knockout tournament in men's association football. It is held annually, with the final contested in September. The current champions of the Chatham Cup are 2022 winners Auckland City, who defeated Eastern ...

is won by

Central United Central United Football Club is an amateur association football (soccer) club based in Sandringham, Auckland, New Zealand who complete in the NRF Championship. The team was officially called ''Central Soccer Club'' until 1996 when it changed ...

who beat

Dunedin Technical Dunedin Technical (known locally as Tech) is a semi-professional association football club in Dunedin, New Zealand. They compete in the ODT FootballSouth Premier League and were the 2018 ODT FootballSouth Premier League champions. Club history ...

5–0 in the final.Chatham Cup records, nzsoccer.com
*New Zealand U-16 team coached by

Wynton Rufer Wynton Alan Whai Rufer (born 29 December 1962) is a New Zealand retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent more than a decade of his professional career in Switzerland and Germany, achieving his greatest success at Werd ...

travels to unofficial U-16 World Cup in France to coincide with

1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the football world championship for men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. The country was chosen as the host nation by FIFA for the ...

. Achieve mixed results (0-3 v Italy, 0-2 v Cameroon, 1-1 v Austria, 0-1 v USA, 0-1 v Israel, 1-0 v Norway)

Births

January–March

* 6 January – Eleanor Epke, squash player * 11 January –

Thomas Mikaele Thomas Mikaele Ravalawa commonly known as Thomas Mikaele (born 11 January 1998) is a New Zealand rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Gold Coast Titans in the National Rugby League Background Mikaele was born in Auckland, New Zeal ...

, rugby league player * 25 January –

Sione Havili Sione Havili Talitui (born 25 January 1998) is a Tongan born New Zealand rugby union player who plays for in the Bunnings NPC and the in the Super Rugby competition. His position of choice is flanker. Early career In 2016 Havili represente ...

, rugby union player * 4 February – Tevita Mafileo, rugby union player * 5 February –

Tai Wynyard Tai Hikuroa Wynyard (born 5 February 1998) is a New Zealand professional basketball player who last played for the Taranaki Airs of the National Basketball League (NZNBL). He began his career playing in his home country for the New Zealand Bre ...

, basketballer * 6 February –

Hayden Phillips Sir Gerald Hayden Phillips (born 9 February 1943)PHILLIPS, Sir (Gerald) Hayde ...

, field hockey player * 11 February – Ben Sears, cricketer * 20 February **

Emma Cumming Emma Cumming (born 20 February 1998) is a New Zealand racing cyclist. She represented her country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, claiming the silver medal in the team sprint (with Natasha Hansen) and the bronze medal in the track time trial. ...

, racing cyclist **

Nicole Fujita is a New Zealand-born Japanese model and ''tarento''. She is represented by the talent agency Oscar Promotion and is currently active in Tokyo. She is an exclusive model for the fashion magazine '' ViVi''. Career In 2012, Fujita won the 13th Ni ...

, model and

tarento Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as "tal ...

* 24 February –

Will Jordan Will Jordan (born Wilbur Rauch, July 27, 1927 – September 6, 2018) was an American character actor and stand-up comedian best known for his resemblance to, and impressions of, television host and newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan. Early life B ...

, rugby union player * 3 March –

Sione Asi is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a Prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to ...

, rugby union player * 4 March –

Tom Christie Thomas Christie Thomas Christie (1761–1796) was a Scottish radical political writer during the late 18th century. He was one of the two original founders of the important liberal journal, the ''Analytical Review''. Life Christie was born to ...

, rugby union player * 28 March – James Fouché, racing cyclist

April–June

* 2 April –

Sam Fischli Samuel Fischli (born 2 April 1998) is a New Zealand rugby union player who players for in the National Provincial Championship (NPC). He also plays for the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR) in the U.S. His playing position is ...

, rugby union player * 5 April –

Michaela Drummond Michaela Drummond (born 5 April 1998) is a New Zealand professional track and road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's Continental Team . She won bronze medals in the team pursuit at the 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championshi ...

, racing cyclist * 9 April –

James McGarry James McGarry may refer to: * James McGarry (hurler) * James McGarry (footballer) {{hndis, McGarry, James ...

, association footballer * 13 April –

Paige Satchell Paige Therese Satchell (born 13 April 1998) is a footballer from New Zealand. She has played for the New Zealand national team in the under-17, under-20, and senior levels. She was a travelling reserve for the New Zealand team at the 2016 Summer ...

, association footballer * 17 April – Vilimoni Koroi, rugby union player * 18 April – Liana Dance, water polo player * 21 April – Jackson Wells, freestyle skier * 29 April – Fraser Sheat, cricketer * 30 April – Liam Wood, association footballer * 4 May – Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa, rugby union player * 7 May –

Jess Watkin Jessica Marie Watkin (born 7 May 1998) is a New Zealand cricketer. She made her Women's Twenty20 International cricket (WT20I) debut for New Zealand against Ireland Women on 6 June 2018. On debut, she and Suzie Bates made the highest partnersh ...

, cricketer * 12 May –

Campbell Stewart Campbell Stewart (born 12 May 1998) is a New Zealand professional track and road cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He represented his country at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, gaining two silver medals in the scratch race and poin ...

, racing cyclist * 18 May – Brianna Fruean, environmental activist * 28 May –

Logan Rogerson Logan Tipene Rogerson (born 28 May 1998) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays for Finnish Premier League club FC Haka as a winger. He has been capped by the New Zealand national football team. Career After beginning his senior c ...

, association footballer * 16 June – Tanielu Tele’a, rugby union player * 19 June ** Ali Galyer, swimmer ** Harry Plummer, rugby union player

July–September

* 6 July – Ma'ava Ave, cricketer * 9 July – Mikayla Harvey, racing cyclist * 12 July – Hoskins Sotutu, rugby union player * 15 July – Nathan Smith, cricketer * 18 July – Ella Harris, racing cyclist * 1 August – Rosie Cheng, tennis player * 2 August – Ricky Jackson, rugby union player * 7 August – Jesse Arthars, rugby league player * 22 August ** Leica Guv, Thoroughbred racehorse ** Adam Pompey, rugby league player * 28 August **

Morgan Harper Morgan Harper is a New Zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League (NRL). He previously played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL. Background Harp ...

, rugby league player ** Sarah Morton, association footballer * 30 August –

Ngane Punivai Ngantungane Gisborne James Punivai (born 30 August 1998, in New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for the in Super Rugby. His playing position is wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through ...

, rugby union player * 3 September – Bailyn Sullivan, rugby union player * 13 September – Evelina Afoa, swimmer * 20 September –

Isaiah Papali'i Isaiah Papali'i (born 20 September 1998) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Wests Tigers in the NRL. He has played for both Samoa and New Zealand at international level. He previously played for the New ...

, rugby league player * 23 September –

Bradley Slater Bradley Slater (born 23 September 1998) is a New Zealand rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes ...

, rugby union player

October–December

* 20 October – Tasmyn Benny, boxer * 29 October ** Laghlan McWhannell, rugby union player ** Felix Murray, cricketer * 7 November –

Rosemary Mair Rosemary Alison Mair (born 7 November 1998) is a New Zealand cricketer. In January 2019, she was named in New Zealand's squad for their series against India. Mair made her Women's Twenty20 International cricket (WT20I) debut for New Zealand aga ...

, cricketer * 17 November –

Courtney McGregor Courtney Louise McGregor (born 17 November 1998) is a retired artistic gymnast who represented New Zealand. She competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics and retired in 2020. Early life and education McGregor was born in 1998 in Christchurch, wher ...

, artistic gymnast * 19 November – Thomas Sexton, racing cyclist * 29 November – Xavier Numia, rugby union player * 4 December –

Just An Excuse Just An Excuse (4 December 1998 – 30 June 2008) was a champion New Zealand Standardbred racehorse, notable for twice winning the New Zealand Trotting Cup, in 2003 and 2004. Racing career Bred by Ollie and Irene Haines, trained by Robert Mi ...

, Standardbred racehorse * 11 December – Rakai Tait, snowboarder * 12 December –

Elizabeth Anton Elizabeth Grace Anton (born 12 December 1998) has represented New Zealand in association football at international level. Anton was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1998. Anton was a member of the New Zealand U-17 side at the 2014 FIFA U-17 ...

, association footballer * 18 December – Jade Lewis, tennis player * 22 December – Ben Beecroft, cricketer * 24 December –

Nikita Howarth Nikita Stevie Howarth (born 24 December 1998) is a New Zealand para-cyclist and para-swimmer. She became New Zealand's youngest ever Paralympian after being selected for the 2012 Summer Paralympics, aged 13 years 8 months. She again represent ...

, swimmer

Undated

* Rupena Parkinson, rugby union player *

Henry Williams Henry Williams may refer to: Politicians * Henry Williams (activist) (born 2000), chief of staff of the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign * Henry Williams (MP for Northamptonshire) (died 1558), Member of Parliament (MP) for Northamptonshire ...

, actor

Deaths

January–March

* 12 January – Neil Williams, water polo player (born 1918) * 14 January – Leonard Atkinson, public servant (born 1906) * 27 January –

Gavin Downie Gavin Price Ansell Downie (5 December 1924 – 27 January 1998) was a Member of Parliament for Pakuranga in Auckland, New Zealand. Early life and career Gavin Downie was born in Auckland, New Zealand, 5 December 1924, not long after his parent ...

, politician (born 1924) * 14 February –

Peter Jacobson Peter Jacobson (born March 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Chris Taub on the Fox medical drama series ''House''. He also starred on the USA Network science fiction drama ''Colony'' as former Proxy Snyde ...

, poet (born 1925) * 20 February –

Ces Blazey Cecil Albert Blazey (21 July 1909 – 20 February 1998), generally known as Ces Blazey, was a New Zealand rugby union and athletics administrator. During the controversial 1981 Springbok tour he was the NZRFU chairman and spokesman. He has ...

, rugby union and athletics administrator (born 1909) * 8 March – Kuini Te Tau, Ngāi Tahu kaumātua, welfare worker, community leader (born 1899) * 10 March – C. E. Beeby, educationalist (born 1902) * 15 March –

, singer–songwriter (born 1972) * 18 March – Vernon Clare, musician, cabaret owner, restaurateur, music teacher (born 1925)

April–June

* 6 April – Sam Chaffey, alpine skier (born 1934) * 26 April – Sir

Alan Boxer Air Vice Marshal Sir Alan Hunter Cachemaille Boxer, (1 December 1916 – 26 April 1998) was a senior Royal Air Force officer. Early life Boxer was born in Hastings, New Zealand, on 1 December 1916, and was educated at Nelson College from 1927 ...

, air force officer (born 1916) * 30 April – William Newland, potter (born 1919) * 1 May – Brian Kendall, boxer (born 1947) * 14 May – ** Ron Withell, boxer (born 1916) **

Jade Wilson Jade Wilson (1977 – 14 May 1998) was a New Zealand squash player representing the New Zealand women's national squash team, national team mainly in the junior level competitions. Jade Wilson is still remembered as one of the greatest ever juni ...

, squash player (born 1977) * 15 May –

Jack Warcup John Henry Warcup (29 October 1921 – 15 May 1998) was a New Zealand-born mycologist. He moved to the United Kingdom to undertake his PhD, examining distribution of fungi through soil profiles at Lakenheath Warren, in the University of Cambridge' ...

, mycologist (born 1921) * 20 May – John Trenwith, novelist, marketing academic (born 1951) * 2 June –

Brian Johnston Brian Alexander Johnston (24 June 1912 – 5 January 1994), nicknamed Johnners, was a British cricket commentator, author, and television presenter. He was most prominently associated with the BBC during a career which lasted from 1946 until h ...

, field hockey player (born 1933) * 13 June – Henry Tatana, rugby league player (born 1945) * 21 June –

Peter Mander Peter Garth Mander (4 July 1928 – 21 June 1998) was a New Zealand yachtsman and Olympic gold medal winner. With Jack Cropp, Mander won the Sharpie class at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. Mander then retired from competitive yachtin ...

, sailor (born 1928) * 22 June – Brian Davis, Anglican archbishop (born 1934)

July–September

* 3 July –

Elizabeth Riddell Elizabeth Riddell (21 March 1910 – 3 July 1998) was an Australian poet and journalist. Life Born in Napier, New Zealand, Elizabeth Richmond Riddell came to Australia in 1928 where she worked at ''Smith's Weekly'' and won a Walkley Award. She ...

, poet and journalist (born 1910) * 5 July – Frank Creagh, boxer (born 1924) * 7 July – Maurice Holmes, harness racing driver (born 1908) * 17 July **

Marc Hunter Marc Alexander Hunter (7 September 195317 July 1998) was a New Zealand rock and pop singer, songwriter and record producer. He was the lead vocalist of Dragon (1973–11/1979, 8/1982–1989, 1995–11/1997), a band formed by his older brother, ...

, musician (born 1953) ** Ronald Tremain, composer, music academic (born 1923) * 26 July –

Dixie Cockerton Dixie June Cockerton (10 July 1925 – 26 July 1998) was a New Zealand netball player and coach. She played as goal keep in the New Zealand team in one Test match, in 1948 against Australia. She went on to coach the national team from 1960 to 1 ...

, netball player and coach, cricketer, school principal (born 1925) * 29 July – Alex Griffiths, conservationist (born 1911) * 31 July – Athol Meyer, politician (born 1940) * 3 August –

Ronnie Boon Ronald Winston Boon (11 June 1909 – 3 August 1998) was an international rugby union wing for Wales who played club rugby for Cardiff. Boon possessed a tremendous self-confidence in his own ability and this was reflected in his nickname ''Cock ...

, rugby union player (born 1909) * 7 August –

Bill Laney William Ross Laney (4 May 1913 – 7 August 1998) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament representing the New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party, and Mayor of Oamaru. Biography Early life and career Laney was born in 1913 in Weston, New Zealand ...

, politician (born 1913) * 27 August –

Essie Summers Essie Summers (born Ethel Snelson Summers, 24 July 1912 – 27 August 1998) was a New Zealand writer whose romance novels sold more than 19 million copies in 105 countries. She was known as New Zealand's "Queen of Romance." Writing Despite th ...

, novelist (born 1912) * 30 August – Sir

Toss Woollaston Sir Mountford Tosswill "Toss" Woollaston (11 April 1910 – 30 August 1998) was a New Zealand artist. He is regarded as one of the most important New Zealand painters of the 20th century. Life Born in Toko, Taranaki in 1910, Woollaston attended ...

, painter and writer (born 1910) * 12 September – Neville Thornton, rugby union player (born 1918) * 13 September – Sir

Frank Renouf Sir Francis Henry Renouf (31 July 191813 September 1998) was a New Zealand stockbroker and financier. Early life Born in Wellington on 31 July 1918, Renouf was the son of Mary Ellen Renouf (née Avery) and Francis Charles Renouf. He was educated ...

, stockbroker, businessman, philanthropist (born 1918) * 15 September – Amy Harper, photographer (born 1900) * 18 September – Andy Wiren, cricketer (born 1911) * 23 September – Trevor Berghan, rugby union player (born 1914)

October–December

* 1 October – Jim Kearney, rugby union player (born 1920) * 4 October – Tony Shelly, motor racing driver (born 1937) * 18 October –

Ilse von Randow Ilse Amalie Mathilde von Randow (née Henneberg, 12 June 1901 – 18 October 1998) was a New Zealand weaver. Life and career Ilse von Randow was the daughter of Bruno Paul Eduard Henneberg, university professor, and Helene Mathilde Fritze. Her fa ...

, weaver (born 1901) * 26 November – Sir Charles Bennett, broadcaster, military leader, public servant, diplomat, politician (born 1913) * 6 December –

Ken Comber Kenneth Mark Comber (20 January 1939 – 6 December 1998) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party, and an accountant. Biography Early life and career Comber was born in New Plymouth in 1939. He received his education at St Joseph ...

, politician (born 1939) * 8 December – Aaron Hopa, rugby union player (born 1971) * 12 December – Phillippe Cabot, rugby union player (born 1900)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1998 in New Zealand

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

1990s in New Zealand Years of the 20th century in New Zealand

Population

Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

Government

Opposition leaders

Main centre leaders

Events

Arts and literature

Music

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

Performing arts

Radio and television

Film

Internet

Sport

Athletics

Basketball

Commonwealth Games

Cricket

Golf

Horse racing

Harness racing

Thoroughbred racing

Netball

Olympic Games

Paralympic Games

Rugby league

Rugby union

Shooting

Soccer

Births

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Undated

Deaths

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

See also

References