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| Sports in New Zealand |
Sports in New Zealand truly reflects the British colonial heritage of the country. Sports in New Zealand comprise sports and games such as rugby, cricket, tennis and golf.
Some of the most popular Sports in New Zealand are rugby, netball and cricket. These sports are primarily played in all the British Commonwealth countries. Besides these sports other sports which are encouraged in New Zealand are skiing and different water sports, particularly sailing. Snow sports such as Snow boarding is also very popular in New Zealand.
Rugby is regarded as the most popular sport among the sports in New Zealand. A rugby union is also present across the country and many New Zealanders associate it with their national identity. The All Blacks team is regarded as the best rugby team in New Zealand which has an enviable record of being one of the best teams in the world. Besides the test matches that are played there are three widely reputed competitions:
- The Air New Zealand Cup involving only the New Zealand teams and played during the winter season.
- The Heartland championships, an amateur competition of lower-level New Zealand teams
- The Super 14 cup, started in the year 2006 which involves teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
Cricket is regarded as the most popular summer sport among the sports in New Zealand. The country has a glorious cricketing history and participates actively in both test matches and one day games. New Zealand has a number of modern cricket fields with large seating capacities. The country played its first cricket match in the year 1903 but it was not until 1956 that it succeeded in winning the first test match. The national team was at its peak during the 70’s and 80’s.
Sports activities in New Zealand also include Netball. This is a sport which is played primarily by women. The sport is similar to basketball.
Soccer is another sport that has gained immense popularity in New Zealand. The soccer team managed to qualify for the Fifa world cup in the year 1982 and gave a good performance. The country's only professional soccer team, Wellington Phoenix FC, plays in the A-League.
For more information on Sports in New Zealand browse through travel.mapsofworld
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