New Zealand has competed in all of the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

since the first in 1930, and has won a total of 656 medals including 159 gold. The

New Zealand Olympic Committee The New Zealand Olympic Committee (before 1994, The ''New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association'') is both the National Olympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Association in New Zealand responsible for selecting athletes to re ...

(known as ''The New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association'' prior to 1994) is the body in New Zealand responsible for selecting Athletes to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games. The NZOC is a member of the

Commonwealth Games Federation The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), currently known as Commonwealth Sport, is the international organisation responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games, and is governing body of the ...

. In 1978, Nigeria boycotted the

in protest at New Zealand's continued relations, including sporting contacts, with

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

-era South Africa.

Host nation

New Zealand has hosted the Games three times: * 1950 British Empire Games –

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 ...

1974 British Commonwealth Games The 1974 British Commonwealth Games ( mi, 1974 Taumāhekeheke Commonwealth) were held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 24 January to 2 February 1974. The bid vote was held in Edinburgh at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. The Games were off ...

–

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

* 1990 Commonwealth Games –

Medals

Historically, New Zealand has generally been 4th or 5th, though was up to 3rd (1950 & 1962), and down to 11th (1970 & 2010) and 9th (2006). At the first games in 1930, New Zealand's 4th position was ahead of Australia at 5th. At the conclusion of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, New Zealand has earned 159 gold medals, 220 silver medals and 278 bronze medals. In the all-time medal tally New Zealand is ranked 5th behind Australia, England, Canada and India.

By sport

Events in bold featured at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Competitors

Notable competitors for New Zealand include

Greg Yelavich Gregory Thomas Yelavich (born 8 March 1957) is a competitive pistol shooter from Auckland, New Zealand. As well as winning numerous national pistol titles, Yelavich has the distinction of having won more Commonwealth Games medals than any oth ...

in sports shooting, who has won 12 medals at 6 games from 1986 to 2010.

Rowan Brassey Rowan James Brassey (born 18 January 1956) is a former New Zealand international lawn and indoor bowls player. Bowls career An earth-moving contractor by trade, Brassey's first national success was the 1980 New Zealand Open Pairs. He went on ...

has also competed at 6 games, and has won 3 medals in lawn bowls. Gary Anderson won 3 golds, 2 silvers and 3 bronze medals for New Zealand in cycling. Athlete

Valerie Young Valerie Isobel Marie Young (née Sloper, born 10 August 1937) is a former athlete from New Zealand. She competed at the 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1974 Commonwealth Games, and won seven medals in the shot put and discus throw. She retired after ...

has won the most gold medals (5) of any New Zealand competitor.

References

External links

New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games

''Athletics'' in the 1966 ''Encyclopaedia of New Zealand'' has a paragraph on each Olympiad and Empire Games to 1964
{{Sport in New Zealand Nations at the Commonwealth Games