Sports of New Zealand
Oceania
Originating in New Zealand
Sports whose history and codification began here.
Bungee Jumping
From New Zealand
Leap from a high platform tethered by an elastic cord and rebound just short of the ground.
Flames of War
From New Zealand
15mm WW2 wargame — company-scale operations from Battlefront Miniatures, played across gorgeous terrain boards.
Flesh and Blood
From New Zealand
New-Zealand-made TCG designed for a competitive-first, in-store organised-play scene — no lands, resource-neutral gameplay.
Poi
From New Zealand
Skill toy / performance art — spinning tethered weights (poi) in geometric patterns around body. Originated MĀORI PEOPLE of NEW ZEALAND (spiritual + practice for wrist flexibility). Modernized globally 1990s+ as flow art. Fire Poi = flaming variant popular at festivals. Non-competitive typically; performance + personal flow.
Zorbing
From New Zealand
Roll down a hill inside a giant transparent double-walled plastic sphere — for time (hydro) or free-form fun.
Widely played in New Zealand
Artistic Swimming
From Germany
Olympic aquatic sport blending swimming, dance, and gymnastics — athletes perform elaborate choreographed routines to music (solo, duet, team of 8-10) in pool with judged difficulty + artistic impression + execution. Renamed from Synchronized Swimming 2017. Historically women's-only; men added 2024.
Australian Rules Football
From Australia
Australia's homegrown 18-a-side contact sport played on a huge oval with a red leather ball — a fast, high-scoring blend of kicking, marking and long running.
BASE Jumping
From United States
Extreme parachute sport — jumpers leap from FIXED OBJECTS (Buildings, Antennae, Spans/bridges, Earth/cliffs) with parachute deployment during 3-15 second freefall. Coined 1978 by Carl Boenish. Iconic locations: Kjerag Norway, Perrine Bridge Idaho, Angel Falls Venezuela. ~40 deaths per year globally; one of world's most dangerous sports.
BMX
From United States
Bicycle motocross — high-intensity 20-inch-wheel bike sport spanning motocross-style racing on 8-rider tracks with jumps, and freestyle disciplines (park, dirt jump, street, flatland, vert).
Bodyboarding
From United States
Surf sport riding waves on a small rectangular foam board (~1m long) in prone (lying) or drop-knee position; uses fins for propulsion. Easier entry than surfing but capable of dramatic aerial tricks + heavy-wave riding (Pipeline, Teahupoo, Nazaré).
Canoe Sprint
From GB/DE
Olympic paddling race on flat calm water — athletes race kayaks (K) with double-blade paddles or canoes (C) with single-blade paddles over 200m, 500m, or 1000m in single, pair (K2/C2), or four (K4/C4) crews.
Canoeing
From Canada
Paddle sport using an open canoe (open-top boat) propelled by a single-blade paddle — includes flatwater sprint, whitewater slalom, marathon, and recreational touring.
Canyoning
From France
Adventure sport — descending canyons via combination of walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, swimming + rappelling. Popular in Alps, Pyrenees, USA (Utah, Colorado), Australia, NZ. Not competitive typically — recreational adventure activity. Requires technical equipment (harness, rope, wetsuit).
Capture the Flag
From Global (uncertain)
Traditional outdoor team game where two teams each guard a flag in their territory + try to capture the opponent's flag and bring it back — combines strategy, sneaking, tagging, and jailbreaks.
Cluedo
From United Kingdom
Deduction murder-mystery board game (3-6 players) — players move through a mansion's rooms, make suggestions about who committed the murder (which suspect, weapon, room), gathering clues by elimination until confident enough to make a final accusation.
Crazy Eights
From United States
Classic shedding card game (ancestor of UNO) — players discard cards matching top card by suit or rank; eights are wild + let player change suit. First to empty hand wins. Simple, fast, universal children's + family game worldwide.
Cribbage
From United Kingdom
Classic 2-player English card game (also 3-4 player variants) with unique peg-based scoreboard; combines card play + hand-scoring with combinations like 'fifteens' (cards totaling 15), pairs, runs, flushes, and the iconic 'nobs' bonus for jack matching cut card.
Cricket
From United Kingdom
A bat-and-ball team sport where two teams take turns batting and fielding, scoring runs by running between wickets or hitting boundaries.
Crossword Puzzle
From United States
Word puzzle where solvers fill grid with words based on clues — horizontal (Across) + vertical (Down) intersecting words. Invented by Arthur Wynne (British-American), published NY World Dec 21, 1913. Global staple: NYT Crossword launched 1942 (Sat/Sun 21×21, weekday 15×15); The Guardian cryptic; American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) since 1978.
Darts
From United Kingdom
Precision throwing sport in which players hurl small missiles at a segmented circular board, aiming to reduce a starting score (usually 501) to exactly zero, finishing on a double.
Dodgeball
From United States
Team throwing/dodging game in which two teams throw rubber/foam balls at each other, eliminating opponents by hitting them below the shoulders while avoiding being hit themselves.
Dragon Boat Racing
From China
Ancient Chinese team paddling sport (2,000+ year history) — long narrow decorated boat with 20 paddlers + 1 drummer + 1 steerer race over 200-2000m. Traditional Duanwu Festival ritual + modern global sport with world championships since 1995.
Endurance Riding
From United States
Long-distance equestrian racing 40-160 km (25-100 mi) over 1 day; horse welfare central via mandatory vet checks. Modern sport originated Tevis Cup 1955 (100 miles / 24 hours California Sierra Nevada). FEI governs internationally. Dominant: UAE (Sheikh Mohammed patronage), USA, Australia. Arabian horses preferred for endurance.
Escape Rooms
From Japan
Live team-based puzzle experience — 2-8 players 'locked' in themed room, solve interconnected puzzles + riddles to escape within 60 minutes. Originated Japan 2007 (SCRAP's 'Real Escape Game'); global explosion 2012+; 10,000+ facilities worldwide by 2020s; $2B+ industry.
Euchre
From United States
Fast 4-player partnership trick-taking card game using 24-card deck (9-A of each suit); features 'bowers' (jack of trump suit = highest card, jack of same-color suit = second-highest); popular in US Midwest, Canada, UK, Australia — origin of the joker card.
Eventing (3-Day Event)
From Sweden
Olympic equestrian triathlon combining Dressage + Cross-Country + Show Jumping across 1-4 days. Originated as cavalry test 1900s; Olympic since 1912. Cross-country phase — 4-6 km course with 30-45 obstacles at 550-570 m/min — is world's most physically demanding equestrian test. Iconic events: Badminton, Burghley, Kentucky.
Farkle
From United Kingdom
Family-favorite push-your-luck dice game in which players roll 6 dice, set aside scoring dice, and choose to bank points or risk further rolls — first to 10,000 points wins.
Field Hockey
From United Kingdom
Eleven-a-side stick-and-ball team sport played on artificial turf — flick, push and hit a hard ball into a caged goal using a J-shaped stick.
Gaelic Football
From Ireland
Irish team sport played 15-a-side with a round ball on a 130-145m pitch, combining elements of football, rugby, and Australian rules — score by kicking under the crossbar (goal, 3 points) or over (point, 1 point).
Geocaching
From United States
Global outdoor treasure hunt using GPS coordinates — players find hidden containers ('caches') at specific coordinates worldwide. Started May 2000 (day after GPS Selective Availability turned off); 3+ million active caches; 8+ million users; every continent + underwater + space station.
Golf
From United Kingdom
Individual precision sport played on an 18-hole course — hit a small ball from a tee into a series of cups using the fewest possible strokes.
Karting
From United States
Open-wheel motorsport with small four-wheeled vehicles ('karts'). Modern karting invented 1956 by Art Ingels (California). Standard training ground for Formula 1 drivers — Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen all started karting. FIA-sanctioned World Karting Championship + amateur leagues globally.
Kayaking
From GL
Water sport in which a paddler propels a kayak (a small, narrow enclosed boat) using a double-bladed paddle — includes flatwater sprint, whitewater, slalom, marathon, sea, and freestyle disciplines.
Kho Kho
From India
Traditional Indian tag sport in which one team of 9 chasers try to tag runners from the opposing team on a rectangular field, using seated relay-style handoffs and directional running.
Kitesurfing
From France
Extreme water sport combining surfing + kite flying + wakeboarding — rider stands on small board (kiteboard or surfboard) while being pulled across water by large controllable power kite; jumps 10-30m high, back-rolls, kite-loops. Olympic sport since Paris 2024 (Formula Kite class).
Kubb
From Sweden
Swedish lawn game played with wooden BLOCKS (kubbs) + THROWING STICKS (kastpinnar). Objective: knock down all opponent's kubbs + finally the KING (larger central block). Also called 'VIKING CHESS'. Modern popularity dates to 1990s Gotland, Sweden. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP annually in Rönneby, Sweden. Highly strategic + accessible.
Liar's Dice
From Peru
Bluffing dice game descended from South American origins in which players secretly roll dice under cups, make escalating bids on the total count of a given face across all players' dice, then challenge with 'Liar!' or higher bid.
Mölkky
From Finland
Finnish lawn game invented 1996 by Tuoterengas company (Karelian tradition). Players throw wooden PIN (Mölkky) at 12 numbered SKITTLES (Molkkypins). Complex scoring: knock down 1 = its number; knock 2+ = count of pins. First to EXACTLY 50 wins; over 50 = penalty back to 25. Highly strategic — endgame critical. World Championship annually in Finland.
Mountain Biking
From United States
Off-road cycling on rugged terrain — encompassing cross-country (XC), downhill (DH), enduro, freeride, and 4X disciplines using specialised suspension bikes.
Netball
From United Kingdom
Ball sport played predominantly by women — 7 vs 7 on a rectangular court (30.5 × 15.25m) with a raised goal ring at each end; players pass the ball (no dribbling) and only 2 specific position players can score.
Pandemic
From United States
Iconic COOPERATIVE modern board game by Matt Leacock (Z-Man Games, 2008) — 2-4 players work TOGETHER as disease specialists racing to cure 4 diseases before outbreaks destroy the world. Revolutionized cooperative board gaming; Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 (2015) is BoardGameGeek's #1 game of all time. 8M+ copies sold.
Pokémon Trading Card Game
From Japan
World's #2 collectible card game — 2 players battle using decks of 60 Pokémon + Trainer cards. Launched Japan 1996; global explosion via Pokémon franchise; 43+ billion cards printed by 2023. Pokémon TCG World Championships since 2004; Charizard rare cards sold for $420,000+; annual sales $1B+.
Polo
From Iran
Team equestrian sport — 4 mounted players per team hit small wooden ball toward goal using long-handled mallets. Ancient origins ~600 BC Persia + Central Asia; modern rules codified 1859 by British in India (Silchar Polo Club). Field 274 × 183m — largest team sport playing field. Governed by FIP; iconic in Argentina (top players + most-decorated), UK (Cowdray Park), USA, India.
Rally Racing
From MC
Point-to-point motorsport in which co-driver-navigated cars race one at a time against the clock over closed public roads of gravel, tarmac, snow, and mud across multi-day events.
Rock Paper Scissors
From China
World's most-played hand game — 2+ players simultaneously make 1 of 3 hand shapes (Rock, Paper, or Scissors). Rock crushes Scissors; Scissors cuts Paper; Paper covers Rock. Origins in ancient China (~200 BC 'shoushiling'); modernized Japan Edo era (jan-ken); global dispute-resolution tool. World RPS Society championships since 2002; $10K+ prizes.
Rocket League
From United States
'Soccer with rocket-powered cars' — Psyonix's beloved vehicular football; 3-vs-3 teams driving cars with jumps + boost + aerial flips to hit oversized ball into goals. Massive esports scene (RLCS); simple concept + deep skill ceiling; considered greatest hybrid sports game ever.
Rowing
From United Kingdom
Endurance water sport in which crews propel long, narrow shells backwards over 2,000 m using single (sculling) or double (sweep) oars, with or without a coxswain.
Rugby League
From United Kingdom
13-a-side rugby code with faster, more open play — a team keeps possession for six tackles, then must score, kick, or hand the ball over.
Rugby Union
From United Kingdom
Fifteen-a-side full-contact team sport played with an oval ball — carry, pass and kick it to score tries and goals against the opposition.
Sailing
From Netherlands
Wind-powered water sport in which crews race sailboats around a marked course, tacking and gybing to complete windward-leeward, coastal, or offshore legs faster than competitors.
Scrabble
From United States
The classic word-building board game — form crossword-style words on a 15×15 grid using seven lettered tiles per rack, scoring for length, letters and premium squares.
Shot Put
From United Kingdom
Ancient throwing event in athletics — athletes 'put' (push) a metal shot (7.26 kg men / 4 kg women) as far as possible from a 2.135m diameter circle using explosive rotational or gliding technique.
Snakes and Ladders
From India
Universal children's board game — 2-4 players race tokens from square 1 to 100 by rolling dice; ladders shortcut up, snakes drop you down. Originally ancient Indian MOKSHA PATAM (~2nd c BC) with SPIRITUAL/KARMA themes teaching virtue vs vice. British Victorian adaptation 1892; Milton Bradley 'Chutes and Ladders' 1943.
Snowboarding
From United States
Winter sport where riders descend snow slopes on a single board with feet in fixed bindings — competed in freestyle (halfpipe, slopestyle, big air) and racing (parallel, snowboard cross) disciplines.
Softball
From United States
Bat-and-ball team sport related to baseball — played with a larger ball, an underhand pitch and a smaller diamond over seven innings.
Squash
From United Kingdom
Racquet sport played on a four-walled indoor court where two players alternate hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall — fast, tactical, and endurance-demanding.
Surfing
From United States
Surface water sport in which a rider stands on a floating board and rides the face of an unbroken breaking ocean wave toward shore, performing manoeuvres for judged scores.
Track Cycling
From United Kingdom
Olympic velodrome-based bicycle racing on a banked oval indoor/outdoor 250m track — includes explosive sprint events (200m flying, keirin, team sprint) and endurance events (individual + team pursuit, points race, omnium).
Trampoline Gymnastics
From United States
Gymnastics discipline — athletes perform aerial acrobatics on trampoline. Invented 1936 by George Nissen + Larry Griswold (Iowa). Olympic since Sydney 2000 (individual + synchronized). Athletes reach 8+ meters height performing multiple twisting somersaults. China + Russia + Belarus dominant.
Triathlon
From United States
Endurance multi-sport combining swimming, cycling, and running in sequence with fast transitions — Olympic distance (1.5km swim + 40km bike + 10km run), Ironman (3.8km + 180km + 42.2km) and other distances.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar
From United Kingdom
Games Workshop's high-fantasy tabletop miniature wargame — successor to Warhammer Fantasy Battle after 2015 'End Times' reboot. Stormcast Eternals + Sylvaneth + Skaven + Nighthaunt + Ogor Mawtribes + 20+ factions battle across Mortal Realms. 4th Edition launched 2024. Sister game to Warhammer 40k.
Water Skiing
From United States
Water sport where rider on skis is towed behind a motorboat via handle attached to towrope; disciplines include Slalom (zigzag through buoys), Trick (rotations + flips), and Jump (ramp launches for distance). Invented 1922 USA; peak popularity 1950s-80s. Barefoot skiing + wakeboarding are related.
Whist
From United Kingdom
Classic 18th-century English 4-player partnership trick-taking card game — direct ancestor of Bridge. 52 cards, 13 tricks per hand; last card determines trump; simple scoring based on tricks over 6. Historically dominant card game 1700s-1900.
Wingsuit Flying
From France
Aviation sport using specialized suit with fabric between arms + legs to enable horizontal gliding flight after skydive/BASE jump. Modern wingsuit invented 1994 by Patrick de Gayardon (France); commercialized 1998 Jari Kuosma + Robert Pečnik (Birdman). Glide ratios 2.5:1 to 3.5:1; horizontal speeds 100-250 km/h; extreme risk in proximity flying.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
From Japan
World's #3 collectible card game — 2 players duel with decks of 40-60 monster/spell/trap cards. Based on manga/anime by Kazuki Takahashi (1996). Launched Japan 1999; global anime boom 2001+. Guinness Record most sold TCG (2011): 25.1+ billion cards sold; Blue-Eyes White Dragon + Dark Magician iconic; Konami owns rights.