A Century of Sporting Ties
Celebrating unity through sports between New Zealand and India
As New Zealand and India celebrate 100 years of official sporting ties, a new Asia New Zealand Foundation report, authored by Stephen Hewson, traces the evolution of the relationship through hockey, cricket and mountaineering, as well as more recent sporting connections, such as squash, tennis and kabaddi.
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Sport holds an important place in the heart of New Zealanders, whether that be as a player, fan, passing observer or professional athlete. It also plays an increasingly crucial role in our international partnerships.
International sporting ties are valuable in so many ways. They give countries a common language when one is not necessarily spoken and provide sports fans with a shared bonding experience – but they also help to broaden and deepen relationships between countries and people.
Download the report
pdf, 9.73 MB
Our research shows that a vast majority of New Zealanders who follow Asian sports teams or competitions say that doing so has helped them to learn more about Asian countries and cultures. A quarter of New Zealanders report that following sports in Asia helped them better understand traditions, customs and religions, while others say that sport has informed them about a country’s etiquette, protocols and values, as well as its geography.
Perhaps more so than in any other of New Zealand’s international connections, sport has long been a cornerstone of the New Zealand-India relationship and has been a symbol of close partnership between our countries. Given its importance, it seems only right that we take the opportunity to formally celebrate 100 years of sporting ties.
While the sports relationship officially began with the Indian Army hockey team’s 1926 tour of New Zealand, it deepened significantly with the mountaineering links forged by Sir Edmund Hillary. These links in turn helped grow broader diplomatic and philanthropic ties between New Zealand, India and Nepal.
But today it is undeniably cricket that forms a key pillar of the New Zealand-India relationship. Cricket is New Zealanders’ most followed sport in Asia, well ahead of football, rugby and basketball. When asked why India is seen as a friend to New Zealand, New Zealanders frequently point to a shared love of cricket. Such findings show that the importance of sport – and sports diplomacy – cannot be underestimated.
This report traces the evolution of the New Zealand-India relationship through hockey, mountaineering and cricket, as well as more recent sporting connections, such as squash, kabaddi and tennis.
What emerges is a story that has grown much bigger than sport itself. It is a celebration of community, camaraderie and collaboration that has underpinned a century of growing ties between New Zealand and India.
To accompany this research report, we will publish four articles exploring New Zealand–India ties through the lens of specific sports. These will be published fortnightly over coming weeks, starting with hockey: A century of sporting ties: The 1926 hockey tour that began it all, which will be published here on 7 October.
The Foundation's research programme publishes surveys, reports, and insights briefs relating to all aspects of New Zealand’s relationships with and interests in Asia. We also provide grants to emerging scholars with Asia-related research interests.
