Armed soldiers patrol the streets during the 2012 London Olympics. Photo / Brett Phibbs
A section on security and safety risks states: “Heightened geopolitical tensions have increased security concerns at sporting events, including threats of terrorism, protests and social unrest, jeopardising the safety of athletes, officials and spectators.”
A list of immediate actions national sports organisations should consider features an overhaul of event security, including “strengthen physical and digital safeguards for venues, data and personal”.
SNZ also recommended sporting bodies consider their travel and evacuation standards, suggesting “formalise guidelines for high-risk regions, including emergency support systems”.
Talking to the Herald before he stepped down as New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive late last month, Scott Weenink welcomed SNZ’s proactive stance, adding such planning was critical and an area his body already did a lot of work in.
The Black Caps are no strangers to playing in some of the world’s hotspots. Photo / Photosport
That included emergency exit strategies for all its national teams on tour; something that will be worked on when the Blacks Caps travel to India and Sri Lanka for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup and the White Ferns to England for the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
“That is an absolute key part of all of our tour and event planning, in conjunction with our players’ association,” Weenink told the Herald.
“Where it’s an ICC [International Cricket Council] event, it’s obviously led by them. But we need to be comfortable … with the security plans they have in place.
“We do play in hotspots.”
Geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan mean both proud cricketing nations won’t play each other in their rival’s home turf.
Former New Zealand Cricket chief executive Scott Weenink says the security of players and staff was always a top priority. Photo / Photosport
The stance has had Sri Lanka added as a co-host to India for the Men’s T20 World Cup; with Pakistan to play their games on the South Asian island nation.
“That brings in huge logistical and security issues, which make it very challenging to plan for tournaments,” Weenink said.
‘A fact of life’
An international security company on retainer with NZC would also carry out an extensive security review before the Black Caps tour England and Ireland in mid-2026.
Any plans would then be signed off by NZC and the players’ association.
“Security wherever we go in the world is a huge issue and a huge concern for us,” Weenink said prior to his departure.
A security review will be completed for the White Ferns before their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign. Photo / Photosport
“That’s now just a fact of life.”
He said the potential ramifications of geopolitics were “always a huge consideration for New Zealand Cricket and for the ICC”.
Any deals with potential sponsors included discussions around NZC’s “approaches to different political, cultural and social issues”.
The issue around the moral merits of the Black Caps continuing to play Afghanistan was discussed at every NZC board meeting.
The status of Afghanistan’s international men’s programme was also discussed at every ICC meeting since the Taliban took control of the country in 2021.
The Glasgow Commonwealth Games will have teams staying in hotels rather than at an athletes village. Photo / Supplied
Like NZC, the New Zealand Olympic Committee is overseeing the selection and preparation for Kiwi teams for multiple major events to be held in 2026; the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Former top athlete Nigel Avery – who will again be the New Zealand team’s chef de mission in Glasgow – said a huge part of event planning was ensuring all steps were taken to make sure athletes and team staff “are safe and return to their home base following that pinnacle event”.
“That’s our main goal. And so obviously we do take it very seriously,” he said.
It was a policy that had police liaison security officers being embedded with the New Zealand teams at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Nigel Avery (second from right) says the scaled-back Commonwealth Games will come with a different security detail for athletes staying in hotels. Photo / NZME
“That’s really to give a heads up on anything that might be happening, that we need to be aware of … then prepare and instruct our team,” Avery said.
Pre-competition, New Zealand team officials are briefed by police liaison staff about threat levels, with plans being put in place to “mitigate” any risks.
But Avery added: “You are never going to eliminate all risk”.
Scaled back
Glasgow was confirmed as home of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in only late 2024 after initial host Melbourne pulled out because of budget constraints.
The Scottish city will host a scaled-back event featuring only 10 sports.
New Zealand’s Winter Olympics team – including 2022 gold medallist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott – will be in action in Italy. Photo / Photosport
In another move to cut costs, there will be no athletes village, with competitors to stay in hotels and leave Glasgow once their respective events are over.
“The security measures that will be put in place for Glasgow will be different to other games,” Avery said.
“We just need to respect the organising company’s ability to help keep our people safe and that no doubt will be in conjunction with the local police and other security organisations throughout the wider United Kingdom.”
Avery was well versed in the increasing nature of security and potential threats at big events well before taking on the chef de mission role at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He represented New Zealand at two Commonwealth Games and an Olympic Games during his weightlifting career between 1998-2002, and earlier being a member of the New Zealand bobsled team at international competitions from 1991-96.
Earlier attacks on major sporting events – including the massacre of Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists at the 1972 Munich Olympics – had made security a key part in planning for successive Games.
Avery said unfortunately, all major events came with the potential risk of violent disruption.
“For Paris … they have been targeted in the past with terrorist events, so there was a significant push for security at those Games … to make sure that visitors to Paris, whether they be in a team event, team function, or spectators and tourists were safe,” Avery said.
“I’d like to think that the less-savoury people have a bit of respect for these events as well and you know, are put off ‘making their mark’ in [them]. You like to think that the good of people will prevail, but … you can’t rely on it.”
Aside from the document looking at global geopolitics, Sport NZ has listed non-sporting political issues as a factor to consider in its quarterly Disruptor Scan – a document that considers issues that could potentially impact the sporting environment.
Under the heading Geopolitical Events, the September edition states: “Geopolitical tensions and foreign interference have intensified, contributing to NZ’s most challenging security environment in decades and creating heightened uncertainties for international travel, partnerships and event participation in sport and recreation.”
It added that “ongoing instability” disrupted trusted sponsorship and collaboration models and demanded “greater resilience”.
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience.