New Zealand Football’s long-standing commercial partnership with McDonald’s NZ is in line for wider recognition after being included as a finalist in the New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards.

The pair form one of three finalists in the Commercial Partnership Award and are up against Auckland Council/Downer and New Zealand Rugby/AIG.

McDonald’s, who have been with New Zealand Football since 1999, are the official naming rights partner of Junior Football and provide support to the Small Whites campaign.

Benefitting from New Zealand Football’s partnership with McDonald’s are 60,000 children aged four to 12, who take to the field every Saturday morning during winter to have fun playing football.

“It’s fantastic for our partnership with McDonald’s to be recognised by Sport New Zealand,” says Carl Jackson, Commercial Director for New Zealand Football.

“The investment from McDonald’s has enabled New Zealand Football to deliver significant outcomes in the Junior Football space over what has been one of New Zealand’s longest enduring commercial partnerships in the sport sector.”

The Small Whites programme rewards children taking part in the game with posters and Player of the Day certificates while coffee vouchers are provided for parents on the sideline.

McDonald’s coaching videos and game cards are also widely distributed across the country to assist in the development of players and coaches while in-store promotion of New Zealand Football’s ‘Get In to Football’ campaign also helps to promote football and futsal during the registration period.

Other projects, such as the hugely-popular McDonald’s Junior Football Coach of the Year competition, meanwhile reward the sport’s tireless volunteers by providing a once-in-a-lifetime football experience.

“McDonald’s is proud to support Junior Football,” says Simon Kenny, Head of Communications for McDonald’s NZ.

“For the last three years, we’ve been the principal sponsor and it’s great that the work done through the partnership has been recognised as an award finalist.”

The New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards will be held in Auckland on 24 June with 22 finalists set to vie for five main honours: Community Impact, Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion, Event Excellence, Commercial Partnership and the Future Leaders’ Scholarship.

The awards serve to celebrate excellence and leadership by individuals and organisations working in community sport and active recreation.

The finalists by category (in alphabetical order) are:

Commercial Partnership Award

- Auckland Council and Downer
- New Zealand Football and McDonald’s
- New Zealand Rugby and AIG

Community Impact Award

- Aktive Auckland Sport & Recreation – Good Sports
- Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti – Waikirikiri Park Playground Project
- Sport Waitakere – Gear up our Schools
- Sport Whanganui – Community Bike Park

Event Excellence Award

- AIMS Games – Anchor AIMS Games International Sporting Championship
- Basketball New Zealand – Tall Blacks v China (FIBA World Cup Qualifiers)
- Waka Ama New Zealand – 2018 Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Waka Ama Sprint Nationals

Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Award

- Harbour Sport - ActivAsian
- New Zealand Cricket – A game for all New Zealanders, A game for life
- Paralympics New Zealand – Excellence and Equity through Sport
- Sport Waikato – This is ME

Future Leaders Scholarship

- Andrew Corkill – Sport Waikato
- Jan Rowsell – New Zealand Golf
- Michael Woodside – Sport Wellington
- Peter Caccioppoli – Auckland Council
- Sarah Murray – Wellington City Council

In addition to the shortlisting for the above categories, the judges considered nominations for the C.K. Doig Leadership Award. Recipients of all awards will be announced at the award ceremony on 24 June.

The judging panel comprised Diana Puketapu (Chair), Sir John Wells, Peter Miskimmin, Andrew Leslie, Sarah Beaman and Maddi McLean.

Article added: Friday 19 April 2019