New Zealand Football has claimed double honours at the 2026 Diversity Awards NZ™.

Football’s national body took home the He Ara Māori Tohu - Cultural Competence Award, before the night was topped off with the 2026 Supreme Award.

The He Ara Māori Tohu - Cultural Competence Award recognises organisations that have gone beyond awareness to actively build cultural knowledge and skills, demonstrating cultural humility and intelligence by making the effort to learn about, respect, and apply cultural understanding in their work.

The Diversity Awards NZ™ programme showcases the full breadth of workplace inclusion in Aotearoa New Zealand, recognising excellence at every level — individual, team, and organisation.

New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell says the organisation has been on a significant journey to build its cultural capacity.

“We are thrilled to accept these awards from Te Uru Tāngata Centre for Workplace Inclusion, it shows we’re on the right track although there’s still a lot of mahi to do before we achieve our targets.

“By 2035 we want to increase participation across the country, aiming for 60,000 new female footballers, 14,000 new Māori footballers and 22,000 new players of Pasifika and Asian backgrounds.

“Our mahi and how we look to the future is aligned around our strategic objectives, which includes making football the most inclusive sport in Aotearoa New Zealand. I want to thank our board, staff, members and all football stakeholders for embracing this mahi.

“So far the organisation has seen a nine per cent increase in Māori player participation and delivered 90 per cent engagement in cultural learning across the organisation’s staff. NZF has also developed cultural framework guiding governance and operations and have invested in Māori leadership development through coaching pathways and national programmes.

Te Uru Tāngata Centre for Workplace Inclusion Chief Executive Maretha Smit says New Zealand Football has tackled historic and systemic inequity by embedding tikanga Māori and building authentic partnerships as a foundation for change.

“They have worked closely with Māori Football Aotearoa (MFA) and iwi partners such as Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to co-design a range of initiatives to strengthen participation, leadership pathways, and cultural capability.”  

“What stood out for our judges was the depth of partnership and co-creation, ensuring that Māori are not only included but are actively shaping the direction of the organisation,” Maretha says.

“The combination of governance reform, capability building, and participation outcomes reflects a highly credible example of Tiriti-led transformation. This positions New Zealand Football as a leading example of how national bodies can meaningfully respond to Te Tiriti obligations while strengthening identity and performance.” 

PINNACLE AWARDS

Supreme Award
Winner – New Zealand Football

FEATURE AWARDS

He Ara Māori Tohu
Winner – New Zealand Football

Article added: Wednesday 06 May 2026