National leagues get $5m boost

National sporting leagues received a $5 million injection from the government yesterday.

The announcement was made by minister for sport Grant Robertson, as part of the first wave of funding from the

$265 million sport recovery package.

It is a lifeline for basketball, hockey and rugby league, which will now be able to get national competitions off the ground.

Netball, football, cricket, bowls, softball, rugby and ice hockey also received funding for national competitions.

Basketball New Zealand has received $300,000 for the men’s league and $200,000 for the women’s.

Basketball NZ was bypassed in Sport New Zealand’s $4.6 million Covid-19 financial relief package for professional sports announced in early June, so the

$500,000 injection has come as a ‘‘huge relief’’ for chief executive Iain Potter.

The funding women’s league means the will also go ahead in 2020. More details will be announced later this month.

New Zealand Rugby League chief executive Greg Peters said the organisation has received ‘‘a substantial amount, in the hundreds of thousands’’ from the fund, which will help both the men’s and women’s leagues go ahead.

Sport New Zealand said rugby league will receive $300,000 for the mens league, while the women’s league will receive $290,000.

Peters said the organisation was considering cancelling the leagues as they did not have the funds to run them. He said NZRL is reliant on Class 4 gaming money to fund the national leagues.

He is still looking at the final scheduling, but it’s likely the national leagues will be played in September and October.

The number of teams competing is still to be confirmed, but he said it’s likely four women’s teams will participate in the league.

More announcements on funding for national leagues is due in the coming days, with Football New Zealand set to announce its funding today.