Thursday October 11, 2012
New partnership to boost sporting excellence at University of Waikato
The University of Waikato has announced it will partner with the Home of Cycling Charitable Trust to develop a range of
research and consultancy services around community and high-performance sport in the Waikato region.
As the Tertiary Education Partner, the University will have tertiary naming rights for the National Cycling Centre of
Excellence (Avantidrome) complex, and access to high-quality facilities for staff and students.
The Avantidrome will be located near St Peter’s School near Cambridge and will consist of a velodrome and associated
space for athletes and administrators.
Under the partnership, the University of Waikato plans to further develop teaching and research in sport science,
management and related areas, and will be the preferred institution in the region to deliver professional development
and postgraduate opportunities for BikeNZ and High Performance Sport New Zealand.
The University’s $1 million investment in the partnership will be spread over five years, and will provide access to
facilities worth $28.5 million, and enhanced research opportunities.
“Our investment with the Home of Cycling Charitable Trust will enhance the University of Waikato’s position as the key
provider in the region in the area of high performance sport and excellence,” says the University’s Vice-Chancellor
Professor Roy Crawford.
“The partnership will give us access to state-of-the-art facilities for our prestigious Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship
programme for all-round high achievers in sport and creative and performing arts. It will also allow associated sporting
groups to identify talent among our high-performing sports students.”
The Avantidrome is the second high-performance centre to be located in the region, and based on past experience from the
University’s proximity to the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Centre at Lake Karapiro, the new partnership is
expected to attract high performance cyclists to the University – and to the Waikato region.
The University of Waikato already has existing applied research strengths in athlete development and performance, sports
coaching and coach development educational programmes. It is anticipated access to high performance facilities at the
Avantidrome will enable Sport and Leisure Studies within the Faculty of Education to substantially grow its externally
funded research income and enhance its programmes.
“There are significant benefits in this investment for enhancing the Waikato student experience, increasing access to
research opportunities, and growing our regional and national sporting links,” says Professor Crawford.
“The Avantidrome will be an extension of the excellent facilities available on our campus – and there are many synergies
to be gained from sharing.”
Home of Cycling Chief Executive Geoff Balme says the University of Waikato will be a key partner in the Avantidrome,
which is intended to make a regional, national and international impact.
“Tertiary education has a key role to play in the delivery of community and high-performance sport and so we are excited
to welcome the University of Waikato as a partner in a regional asset of national importance,” he says.
Work has already begun on the Avantidrome, and with completion anticipated at the end of 2013, students and researchers
from the University of Waikato can expect to be taking up the opportunities provided by this world-class facility in
2014.