New Zealand’s newest government agency is born

The new commission was announced following an investigation into the death of top cyclist Olivia Podmore
photo: Photo sports

After more than six years of sports reviews, feasibility studies, draft proposals and working group meetings, New Zealand’s newest government organisation is set to be formally launched.

The Sport Integrity Commission (Te Kahu Raunui) was formally launched on Monday, completing a system-wide overhaul sparked by a series of scathing reviews into the country’s elite sporting environment.

Formation of the Committee It was announced by then-Sports and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson in mid-2022. It follows a high-profile investigation into Cycling NZ and High Performance Sport NZ following the death of Rio Olympian Olivia Podmore.

But since then, much of the regulatory work to get new agencies up and running has failed to gain traction.

Here’s everything you need to know about the committee.

Why do we need a sports integrity body?

The commission’s creation dates back to 2018, a year of reckoning for many of the country’s elite sporting environments. Amid high-profile reviews across a number of sports including cycling, hockey and football, renowned sports lawyer Stephen Cottrell was commissioned by Sport New Zealand to conduct a comprehensive review of the rights and welfare of elite athletes.

Cottrell’s review found shortcomings in New Zealand’s sport integrity mechanisms and recommended that Sport New Zealand urgently address the lack of a clear escalation process for athlete welfare issues.

Sport New Zealand has implemented several interim fixes while the Integrity Working Group looks at options to “streamline institutional arrangements” in the area of ​​sport integrity.

Then, in August 2021, the landscape of high-level sport changed again when Podmore died by suspected suicide. An inquiry launched after Podmore’s death made it clear that the system needed an overhaul.

Following the findings, Robertson announced that “change is coming”.

What will the committee actually do?

The commission is an independent Crown body tasked with “preventing and addressing threats to the integrity of New Zealand sport”. If that sounds like a broad remit, that’s because it is.

Its mandate includes participant protection (including discrimination), child protection, anti-competitive manipulation and anti-corruption.

From Monday the commission will also take over responsibility for enforcing the World Anti-Doping Code, with the operations of Drug Safety New Zealand (DFSNZ) also to be absorbed into the new body.

The Sport and Recreation Complaints and Conciliation Service (SRCMS) is also now part of the Commission, with responsibility for supporting the resolution of complaints and investigation functions.

Dual citizen Rebecca Rolls will lead the new committee
photo: Marty Melville

Who is the key person?

The new agency will be led by former White Ferns player Rebecca Rolls, who not only has extensive sporting experience but has also held leadership roles in the Police, Corrective Services, Serious Fraud Office and Sport New Zealand.

Board of Directors It was led by renowned lawyer and governance expert Don Mackinnon, who did some sports commentary and had former All Black Keven Mealamu and former Silver Ferns captains Adine Wilson and Lesley Nicol as guests.

Does this new body have any real power?

In short, yes. The Integrity in Sport and Entertainment Act of 2023 gives the Commission investigative powers.

A key compliance lever for the commission is a new national integrity code, which will be launched later this year. Adoption of the code will be voluntary.

But regardless of whether a sport has signed up to the code, the commission has the power under the Act to investigate a sporting body – including Sport New Zealand, High Performance Sport New Zealand and the New Zealand Olympic Committee – if it believes the integrity of the sport is at risk and the commission decides it is in the public interest to do so.

Rawls said the public interest test would be “participant-centric” and take into account the vulnerabilities of the participants in question.

What levels of sports will the committee govern?

The Commission is responsible for all levels of sport and recreation in New Zealand, from community programs to elite programs.

Many grassroots sports organisations are run by volunteers – isn’t that a bit too much?

Rawls said she sees the commission’s primary role as educating and supporting sports organizations to reduce the need for enforcement.

“We have an opportunity to promote and embed consistent values ​​that positively shape the culture of sports and entertainment. This will help this community uphold standards of integrity, promote positive beliefs and behaviors, and build capacity.”