The chief executive of the Hillary Commission, Peter Dale, has saluted the appointment of Australian Sports Commission member Margot Foster to New Zealand sport's new controlling funding board announced yesterday.
The nine-strong recreation and sport agency combines the work of the Hillary Commission and the Sports Foundation.
Foster was a rowing gold medal-winner at the 1986 Commonwealth Games and bronze winner at the 1984 Olympics.
While it may seem unusual to appoint an Australian, Dale welcomed the move.
"We've had a fantastic relationship with the Australian Sports Commission over the years, and we've got a half-million-dollar exchange programme going with them, so it's quite nice to see some exchange of commissioners as well," he said.
The programme allows young Kiwi athletes to receive training at the Australian Institute of Sport.
"We have a large number of our young people go over, not only to the AIS in Canberra, but also to the state institutes.
"Clearly, you have to admire the way the Aussies go about things, so [Foster] could have some thoughts about funding which could be very helpful to us,"Dale said. "I would think the people across the ditch would be very helpful in setting up a new organisation."
John Wells is the new board's chairman. Other board members are businessman Wayne Boyd, Queen's Counsel David Collins, Christchurch city councillor and former sportsman Graham Condon, professional company director Elizabeth Coutts, businesswoman Jane Huria, former All Black Bill Osborne and Christchurch doctor Jenny Ross.
- NZPA
Sporting board includes Aussie
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