Icons Inducted as Sports Hall of Fame Prepares for New Home

At the ISPS Handa Halberg Awards, the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame welcomed two new inductees, recognising their extraordinary achievements and enduring contribution to New Zealand sport. Their induction celebrates excellence, leadership, and a legacy that will inspire future generations. 

The 2026 inductees are: 

Dame Valerie Adams  

Dame Valerie Adams is one of New Zealand’s most decorated track and field athletes. She won two Olympic gold medals (Beijing 2008 & London 2012), a silver and a bronze at other Olympic Games, and dominated global shot put with four World Championship titles and multiple indoor world titles. She also claimed three Commonwealth Games gold medals and multiple Diamond League victories, cementing her legacy as a stand-out in international athletics. 

Richie McCaw  

Richie McCaw is one of New Zealand’s most decorated rugby players. He played 148 tests for the All Blacks, captaining them in 110 matches, and led New Zealand to two Rugby World Cup titles (2011, 2015). McCaw is a three-time World Rugby Player of the Year, was named World Rugby Player of the Decade, and has been honoured with the Order of New Zealand and induction into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. 

Stuart McLauchlan, Chair of the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, says the inductions signal the beginning of a renewed chapter for the Hall. 

“These inductions mark the start of a new era for the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame programme, aligned with the Hall’s new home at the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge, opening in late 2026.” 

The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the athletes, teams, and contributors who have shaped the nation’s sporting history. It preserves their stories, honours their achievements, and ensures their legacies continue to inspire future generations. 

Currently based in Dunedin, the Hall will relocate to the Grassroots Trust Velodrome in Cambridge. McLauchlan says the new home represents a significant evolution for the Hall of Fame, connecting New Zealand’s sporting heritage with contemporary, immersive experiences and increased public engagement. “The Hall of Fame at the Velodrome will be a dynamic, engaging and educational experience, featuring both treasured historical artefacts and new inductee stories presented in modern and interactive ways.” 

Alongside the Hall of Fame, a new interactive sport and movement experience, PlayLAB, will open in August 2026. The PlayLAB will offer hands-on, engaging sport and movement experiences designed to inspire participation, curiosity and learning through sport, particularly for young people. 

With close to 200,000 users and visitors each year, the Grassroots Trust Velodrome is an ideal location for the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame experience. Cambridge is widely recognised as a high-performance sport hub, home to elite athletes, national teams and major sporting events. Housing the Hall of Fame there reinforces its national status, not just as a repository of history, but as an active part of New Zealand’s sporting engine room. 

Cambridge also sits within the North Island’s ‘golden triangle’ of tourism, benefiting from strong visitor flows and accessibility, and is already established as a centre for cycling and high-performance sport. 

Together, the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and PlayLAB will celebrate sporting excellence, encourage active participation, and help inspire the love of sport to the next generation of New Zealanders.