Paul Collins Knighthood for Sport Governance highly deserved

Sport New Zealand Chief Executive Peter Miskimmin says a Knighthood awarded to Paul Collins in this year’s New Year’s Honours is highly deserved.

Paul Collins has been made a Knight Companion of the Order (KNZM) for services to sport governance.

Miskimmin says the honour recognizes the huge contribution he has made to the sport sector over more than 30 years.

“Paul is a passionate follower and supporter of all types of sport. He understands the value of sport, both to our society and to indviduals,” he said.

“Nothing makes him happier than to see New Zealanders winning on the world stage, whether it’s in rugby, rowing or any other sport. The sport sector has been fortunate that Paul has been so generous with his considerable talent over the years. There are many organisations and individuals in the sector who have benefited from his visionary leadership and wise counsel.”

Miskimmin says Collins has played a significant role in New Zealand’s current high performance success.

“Paul was at the helm of Sport NZ when we launched High Performance Sport NZ as a one-stop shop for athletes. He has also overseen the development of a network of world-class sports facilities around the country including the jewel in our crown, the Avantidrome in Cambridge which opened this year. As chair of both Sport New Zealand and High Performance Sport New Zealand, he has carried a tremendous workload. But he wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Collins was a governor of the New Zealand Sports Foundation from 1986 to 1999, and chair from 1992 to 1999. In 2005 he was a member of the Rugby 2011 World Cup Bid Committee which won the hosting rights for the 2011 Rugby World Cup and he was a director of Rugby New Zealand 2011 Limited, the group which oversaw the staging of the very successful event.

He is also a director of Wellington Rugby and part-owner of the Hurricanes, as well as being an adviser to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. He was also chair of the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust from 2000 to 2012.

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