Sport New Zealand and the New Zealand Olympic Committee have announced the creation of Development Scholarships to help get more women onto the boards of sports organisations.
The joint initiative is the first in a programme to encourage suitably qualified women to put themselves forward for sports governance roles.
"Improving the governance of sports organisations has been a focus for Sport NZ in recent years with progress being made in many areas, so the time is right to tackle gender balance on sports boards because it will further improve governance capability," said Peter Miskimmin, Chief Executive of Sport NZ.
"A growing body of international research is also highlighting the value of increased gender balance in governance and leadership positions.
"Better decision-making and ultimately better bottom-line performances are quantifiable outcomes from the broader perspectives gained with a diverse board."