November 28, 2025 • 11 mins
The New Zealand Olympic Committee are welcoming the flexibility that comes with potentially hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2034.
They've declared an expression of interest to bring the event to the country for the first time since 1990 in Auckland, with the recent scaling back of the event making it a more attractive proposition.
NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol told Piney it would be a fantastic opportunity, not just for the athletes, but also for the fans and the country.
“I can remember 1990 and how it lifted the country.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fyne
from Newstalks ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, left down in the air, both arms in the air.
That's up big one from Tom Walsh. He can't claim
her if they made us the swim clear her putting
into big ones.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
They go to the line.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It's gold for Lowis Clambert. Can you believe it? Swim
like a butterfly, one like a kway.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
She's a leelas and England. She's looking to get her
self Homer.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
She works around unto the frustrate and she's coming towards
the line of leasse Entriw. She's got gold now standing
rights to Alessandrew. She controlled the final woman's Karen chop shot.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's down.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
It's gold. Four pool, cold suburbs.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
On the Gold Coast. Gold at Birmingham. He goes to
his knees.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Some of the golden moments from the last Commonwealth Games
in Birmingham twenty twenty two. Glasgow will stage next year's Games,
although it will be a scaled back version with fewer
sports after the Scottish the only gained hosting rights last
year after the Victorian government pulled out because of rising costs.
The Indian city of Ahmetabad confirmed on Thursday as the
(01:26):
destination for the centenary edition of the Games in twenty
thirty and now there is genuine optimism that New Zealand
might host the twenty thirty four edition of the Commonwealth Games,
the first time they would have been here in New
Zealand since nineteen ninety. New Zealand Olympic Committee Chief Executive
Nicky Nichol is with us on this. NICKI thanks for
(01:49):
your time. How keen are you to try to bring
the twenty thirty four Commonwealth Games to New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Oh, I figure it would be a fantastic opportunity, not
only just for our athletes, but for our fans and
for New Zealand. And you know, I can remember nineteen
ninety and how it lifted the country. I for the
rugby Will Cup in twenty eleven, the women's Will Cups
have had I mean, we do big sport well and
I think for our athletes to have something like that
(02:15):
to aim for. You know, there'll be athletes that are
still at school, but it'll be pretty exciting. And forty
four years between tracks is quite a long time.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Indeed, it is so what is the process from here
in order to carry out a feasibility study and make
the bid official.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah, well, Commonwell's Sport have been in this rebuild phase
on the back of the sudden westerra all of Victoria
and you know, we really only have to go back,
you know, a short while ago where we were really
challenged around what was going to be the future of
Commonwealth Sport and in that short period of time really
exciting when you think about all of the interest that
(02:52):
is in the Commonwealth Games. And so we've got Glasgow
coming up in about eight months time. It was it
was just really inspiring to be in the room when
India was announced and so they have worked through a
new process and so what we've found with the process
that India has just been awarded has been this resets
from Commonwealth Sport and from that it means that the
(03:13):
Games are much more flexible, they're much more affordable, much
more sustainable, but also means that they've actually got higher
graph confidence because it will be a very competitive process
as we've seen in this last round and we expect
thirty four will be the same.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So in terms of that then a flexible event, what
would that mean for a New Zealand hosted Commonwealth Games then.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, so what they've done is they've put a lot
more flexibility in the host and so some of the
things that they've done are things like the sport program,
so they've now established and that's just been announced over
the week that we've been up in Glasgow as well,
eight sports a core plus avalodrome, cycling at the valodrome
if you have one, and that's really getting consistency for
(03:59):
international federations, for national sporting organizations. It gives them confidence
that they're on the schedule every time. That's great and
they think fifteen to seventeen sports is really that magic number.
So one, there's a sport program, there's flexibility and of
course we can do sports that we really love in
New Zealand. They want to use existing infrastructure, so they're
(04:20):
really challenging some of the gold standards of around stadiums
and things like that that actually they just need to
be fit for purpose for the events that behold. So
those things are being more flexible and what we're seeing
in Glasgow the athletes there's no purpose built village, don't
need high capital. Athletes are staying in hotels so those
are the sorts of things that you'll start to see
(04:41):
just to give more flexibility and you know, to make
it more affordable and attractive to more nations as well.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Is the one city model definitely the way for there's
no possibility, for example, that a Commonwealth Games could be
hosted across multiple cities in one country.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
There definitely is the possibility for that, and it even
could be New Zealand, and the Pacific could be an idea.
So these are some of the things that we're just
been talking about. Disable you know, no Pacific island country
probably in their own could host of full Commonwealth Games.
But again, you know, these are all the ideas. We've
got new facilities in christ which we know about. We
know the Hawks base, got some native facilities, we know
(05:20):
by plenty Auckland, Cambridge, so you know, there are natural
places all throughout New Zealand. And I don't mean to cut,
you know, alienating what I didn't say, but there are
just lots of opportunities. And really what that comes down
to is the balance between reach for our community, because
that's really important to our government that it's you know,
accessibility to as many cares as possible, but also it's
(05:43):
a cost value proposition as well.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
And speaking of cost, would you need significant central government
and local government investment to make this happen?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Definitely, and so it would definitely be a partnership with government.
And so that's what's been really supportive to this point
around the expression of interest. That expression of interest, it's
more than just we're thinking about it. It is a
commitment to move to another phase, which would be the
full feasibility. We expect the timing of that will be
(06:15):
probably post Glasgow, will be the announcement of the I
suppose the time frames with probably over the next twelve
months the process to run through. So that's sort of
the window that we're talking about moving to that next phase.
What was really interesting myself and our President Liz Dawson
sat down and had a bilateral meeting with the Indian delegation.
(06:36):
While we're up there, you know, we know what trade,
you know the importance of Indias as a market. We
know the work that we're doing is from a sport
diplomacy as we think about one hundred years of sporting
ties with India next year. So there is a lot
of things that we could also do and learn and
share and also maybe share some of our capability here
to support India as they prepare for twenty thirty as well.
(06:59):
So you know, in the room they had federal, state
and city delegates from government and they were really leading
the bid. And as we've seen with our government taking
a real lead in providing the boost to tourism to
bring major events to New Zealand, these are the sorts
of things that you know, the Indian government is really
aspirational in this space.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, how do you engage Metabad credentials and capability readiness
to host in twenty thirty.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, and they were certainly very humble and reflected on
twenty ten. But when we looked at some of the
proposals that they presented to us, the facilities themselves, the
Aarenda Modi Stadium one hundred and thirty two thousand seat capacity,
they hosted the Cricket Will Cup there in twenty three.
They have got massive ambition and even the facilities I've
(07:47):
got now, and they talked about what they wanted to
do between now and twenty eight, which you know it's
a three hundred acre campus, so you know, it is
a big aspiration and ambition for them from a capability perspective,
you know, they are putting a lot into their pathway
through to twenty forty seven, so one hundred years on,
(08:09):
and they really want to be known for running major events.
And we also know with our other hat on with
the Olympics, they are clearly going very hard for twenty
thirty six Olympics as well. So again this is a
demonstration of that capability as part of trying to show
that to the IOC as well.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
And as you mentioned, Glasgow now less than a year away,
well less than a year away. Is Glasgow ready for
twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Six, Oh, it certainly is. And really Glasgow the reason
Glasgow could bid for the Games was because of all
the investment they did in twenty fourteen for the Commonwealth
Games then, so they've got world class facilities, they've got
a great team. It has been a short runway, as
you know, because of Victoria. But we've just spent four
days with the people up there and you know they
(08:53):
are so committed to make sure that it is a
great event for all of our athletes from across the Commonwealth.
So feeling very confident that we will have an amazing Games.
It will be a little smaller, but for US probably
seventy percent of the medals, and Birmingham is still up
for office, so it's still very material for us as
a pathway for some sports through to Los Angeles and
for others as a real pinnacle such as you know,
(09:15):
the bowls and net ball, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Yeah, and just don that Nikki. How important do the
Commonwealth Games remain for our elite athletes?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Well, we've always thought it was important, but I think
suddenly when we didn't have it, which you know, we
were getting close to that or some sports didn't get
on the program for twenty six, we actually realized how
important it was. And it's always the way when you
actually take something away, you actually realize how important things are.
So for us, if I think about our summer athletes,
(09:46):
you know, Glasgow, Los Angeles met a bad Brisbane, maybe
New Zealand, Like I mean, that's a pretty exciting roadmap
for them. And so yeah, that certainly the Commonwealth Game
for many of the sports that go on too the
Olympics very important from a high performance perspective, and certainly
high performance sport in New Zealand you know, certainly have
that belief as well.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
All right, and just to finish back to the potential
of twenty thirty four here in New Zealand. So you'll
get past Glasgow, I guess, do a bit of work
between now and then. But beyond Glasgow, are there you know,
are there actual landmarks that you have to hit a
day or a time when you say, right, we we're
in we are, we're officially in the hat for twenty
(10:28):
thirty four.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, So that timeline hasn't been announced yet from Commonoal
Sports so where we guided by them, but certainly having
spent the last few days with them, I think it
definitely won't be we won't know that timeline before Glasgow,
but again that will be an important opportunity for us
to be present, making sure we've got the right representation
up there, to keep putting our best foot forward and
showing the credentials of who we are as a country
(10:51):
and being able to you know, bring an amazing event here.
So yes, it's still an ambition, still a lot of
work to do and a bit of time to come,
but you know, it's it's great that we're talking about it,
which I think is really important as well, because that's
what brings energy and gives everyone a real focus.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Absolutely right to be having the conversation. Niki, thanks for
joining us this afternoon and giving us the update. Look
forward to progress over the next little while.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
My pleasure. Thanks Jason, No, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Nicki, Ni Nicol there New Zealand Olympic Committee chief Executive
on the well. It seemed like a fairly warm desire
there to at least explore the possibility of hosting the
twenty thirty four Commonwealth Games. Yes, there's a few steps
to be undertaken, as you heard from Nicki there, we
won't know until after Glasgow what the process is around
(11:36):
bidding and expressions of interest, all that sort of thing.
But like I said, I think the fact we're talking
about it, I mean that can't hurt, can it.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fyne
from Newstalks ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yeah, left down in the air, both arms in the air.
That's up big one from Tom Walsh. He can't claim
her if they made us the swim clear her putting
into big ones.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
They go to the line.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It's gold for Lowis Clambert. Can you believe it? Swim
like a butterfly, one like a kway.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
She's a leelas and England. She's looking to get her
self Homer.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
She works around unto the frustrate and she's coming towards
the line of leasse Entriw. She's got gold now standing
rights to Alessandrew. She controlled the final woman's Karen chop shot.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's down.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
It's gold. Four pool, cold suburbs.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
On the Gold Coast. Gold at Birmingham. He goes to
his knees.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Some of the golden moments from the last Commonwealth Games
in Birmingham twenty twenty two. Glasgow will stage next year's Games,
although it will be a scaled back version with fewer
sports after the Scottish the only gained hosting rights last
year after the Victorian government pulled out because of rising costs.
The Indian city of Ahmetabad confirmed on Thursday as the
(01:26):
destination for the centenary edition of the Games in twenty
thirty and now there is genuine optimism that New Zealand
might host the twenty thirty four edition of the Commonwealth Games,
the first time they would have been here in New
Zealand since nineteen ninety. New Zealand Olympic Committee Chief Executive
Nicky Nichol is with us on this. NICKI thanks for
(01:49):
your time. How keen are you to try to bring
the twenty thirty four Commonwealth Games to New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Oh, I figure it would be a fantastic opportunity, not
only just for our athletes, but for our fans and
for New Zealand. And you know, I can remember nineteen
ninety and how it lifted the country. I for the
rugby Will Cup in twenty eleven, the women's Will Cups
have had I mean, we do big sport well and
I think for our athletes to have something like that
(02:15):
to aim for. You know, there'll be athletes that are
still at school, but it'll be pretty exciting. And forty
four years between tracks is quite a long time.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Indeed, it is so what is the process from here
in order to carry out a feasibility study and make
the bid official.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
Yeah, well, Commonwell's Sport have been in this rebuild phase
on the back of the sudden westerra all of Victoria
and you know, we really only have to go back,
you know, a short while ago where we were really
challenged around what was going to be the future of
Commonwealth Sport and in that short period of time really
exciting when you think about all of the interest that
(02:52):
is in the Commonwealth Games. And so we've got Glasgow
coming up in about eight months time. It was it
was just really inspiring to be in the room when
India was announced and so they have worked through a
new process and so what we've found with the process
that India has just been awarded has been this resets
from Commonwealth Sport and from that it means that the
(03:13):
Games are much more flexible, they're much more affordable, much
more sustainable, but also means that they've actually got higher
graph confidence because it will be a very competitive process
as we've seen in this last round and we expect
thirty four will be the same.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
So in terms of that then a flexible event, what
would that mean for a New Zealand hosted Commonwealth Games then.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah, so what they've done is they've put a lot
more flexibility in the host and so some of the
things that they've done are things like the sport program,
so they've now established and that's just been announced over
the week that we've been up in Glasgow as well,
eight sports a core plus avalodrome, cycling at the valodrome
if you have one, and that's really getting consistency for
(03:59):
international federations, for national sporting organizations. It gives them confidence
that they're on the schedule every time. That's great and
they think fifteen to seventeen sports is really that magic number.
So one, there's a sport program, there's flexibility and of
course we can do sports that we really love in
New Zealand. They want to use existing infrastructure, so they're
(04:20):
really challenging some of the gold standards of around stadiums
and things like that that actually they just need to
be fit for purpose for the events that behold. So
those things are being more flexible and what we're seeing
in Glasgow the athletes there's no purpose built village, don't
need high capital. Athletes are staying in hotels so those
are the sorts of things that you'll start to see
(04:41):
just to give more flexibility and you know, to make
it more affordable and attractive to more nations as well.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Is the one city model definitely the way for there's
no possibility, for example, that a Commonwealth Games could be
hosted across multiple cities in one country.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
There definitely is the possibility for that, and it even
could be New Zealand, and the Pacific could be an idea.
So these are some of the things that we're just
been talking about. Disable you know, no Pacific island country
probably in their own could host of full Commonwealth Games.
But again, you know, these are all the ideas. We've
got new facilities in christ which we know about. We
know the Hawks base, got some native facilities, we know
(05:20):
by plenty Auckland, Cambridge, so you know, there are natural
places all throughout New Zealand. And I don't mean to cut,
you know, alienating what I didn't say, but there are
just lots of opportunities. And really what that comes down
to is the balance between reach for our community, because
that's really important to our government that it's you know,
accessibility to as many cares as possible, but also it's
(05:43):
a cost value proposition as well.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
And speaking of cost, would you need significant central government
and local government investment to make this happen?
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Definitely, and so it would definitely be a partnership with government.
And so that's what's been really supportive to this point
around the expression of interest. That expression of interest, it's
more than just we're thinking about it. It is a
commitment to move to another phase, which would be the
full feasibility. We expect the timing of that will be
(06:15):
probably post Glasgow, will be the announcement of the I
suppose the time frames with probably over the next twelve
months the process to run through. So that's sort of
the window that we're talking about moving to that next phase.
What was really interesting myself and our President Liz Dawson
sat down and had a bilateral meeting with the Indian delegation.
(06:36):
While we're up there, you know, we know what trade,
you know the importance of Indias as a market. We
know the work that we're doing is from a sport
diplomacy as we think about one hundred years of sporting
ties with India next year. So there is a lot
of things that we could also do and learn and
share and also maybe share some of our capability here
to support India as they prepare for twenty thirty as well.
(06:59):
So you know, in the room they had federal, state
and city delegates from government and they were really leading
the bid. And as we've seen with our government taking
a real lead in providing the boost to tourism to
bring major events to New Zealand, these are the sorts
of things that you know, the Indian government is really
aspirational in this space.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Yeah, how do you engage Metabad credentials and capability readiness
to host in twenty thirty.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, and they were certainly very humble and reflected on
twenty ten. But when we looked at some of the
proposals that they presented to us, the facilities themselves, the
Aarenda Modi Stadium one hundred and thirty two thousand seat capacity,
they hosted the Cricket Will Cup there in twenty three.
They have got massive ambition and even the facilities I've
(07:47):
got now, and they talked about what they wanted to
do between now and twenty eight, which you know it's
a three hundred acre campus, so you know, it is
a big aspiration and ambition for them from a capability perspective,
you know, they are putting a lot into their pathway
through to twenty forty seven, so one hundred years on,
(08:09):
and they really want to be known for running major events.
And we also know with our other hat on with
the Olympics, they are clearly going very hard for twenty
thirty six Olympics as well. So again this is a
demonstration of that capability as part of trying to show
that to the IOC as well.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
And as you mentioned, Glasgow now less than a year away,
well less than a year away. Is Glasgow ready for
twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Six, Oh, it certainly is. And really Glasgow the reason
Glasgow could bid for the Games was because of all
the investment they did in twenty fourteen for the Commonwealth
Games then, so they've got world class facilities, they've got
a great team. It has been a short runway, as
you know, because of Victoria. But we've just spent four
days with the people up there and you know they
(08:53):
are so committed to make sure that it is a
great event for all of our athletes from across the Commonwealth.
So feeling very confident that we will have an amazing Games.
It will be a little smaller, but for US probably
seventy percent of the medals, and Birmingham is still up
for office, so it's still very material for us as
a pathway for some sports through to Los Angeles and
for others as a real pinnacle such as you know,
(09:15):
the bowls and net ball, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Yeah, and just don that Nikki. How important do the
Commonwealth Games remain for our elite athletes?
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Well, we've always thought it was important, but I think
suddenly when we didn't have it, which you know, we
were getting close to that or some sports didn't get
on the program for twenty six, we actually realized how
important it was. And it's always the way when you
actually take something away, you actually realize how important things are.
So for us, if I think about our summer athletes,
(09:46):
you know, Glasgow, Los Angeles met a bad Brisbane, maybe
New Zealand, Like I mean, that's a pretty exciting roadmap
for them. And so yeah, that certainly the Commonwealth Game
for many of the sports that go on too the
Olympics very important from a high performance perspective, and certainly
high performance sport in New Zealand you know, certainly have
that belief as well.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
All right, and just to finish back to the potential
of twenty thirty four here in New Zealand. So you'll
get past Glasgow, I guess, do a bit of work
between now and then. But beyond Glasgow, are there you know,
are there actual landmarks that you have to hit a
day or a time when you say, right, we we're
in we are, we're officially in the hat for twenty
(10:28):
thirty four.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Yeah, So that timeline hasn't been announced yet from Commonoal
Sports so where we guided by them, but certainly having
spent the last few days with them, I think it
definitely won't be we won't know that timeline before Glasgow,
but again that will be an important opportunity for us
to be present, making sure we've got the right representation
up there, to keep putting our best foot forward and
showing the credentials of who we are as a country
(10:51):
and being able to you know, bring an amazing event here.
So yes, it's still an ambition, still a lot of
work to do and a bit of time to come,
but you know, it's it's great that we're talking about it,
which I think is really important as well, because that's
what brings energy and gives everyone a real focus.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Absolutely right to be having the conversation. Niki, thanks for
joining us this afternoon and giving us the update. Look
forward to progress over the next little while.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
My pleasure. Thanks Jason, No, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Nicki, Ni Nicol there New Zealand Olympic Committee chief Executive
on the well. It seemed like a fairly warm desire
there to at least explore the possibility of hosting the
twenty thirty four Commonwealth Games. Yes, there's a few steps
to be undertaken, as you heard from Nicki there, we
won't know until after Glasgow what the process is around
(11:36):
bidding and expressions of interest, all that sort of thing.
But like I said, I think the fact we're talking
about it, I mean that can't hurt, can it.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk Set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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