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FIFA World Cup 2026 poster'I believe in New Zealand': Comm Games boss on Aotearoa hosting 2034
Alex Chapman • May 26th, 2026 12:23 pm
New Zealand at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham | Photo: Action Plus/Photosport
The boss of the Commonwealth Games Federation considers New Zealand “probably the right size” to host the 2034 event.
Last year, the New Zealand Olympic Committee lodged an expression of interest to host the Games in eight years' time, with President Liz Dawson last week saying the organisation “will be ready to go when they’re ready to have the more in-depth discussions around what it means and what it could look like.”
Visiting Aotearoa last week, CEO of the CGF Katie Sadleir - who won bronze in synchronised swimming at Edinburgh 1986 - feels the national body’s well-established to push their case.
“That expression of interest isn't saying that we will definitely do it, but it did have both parties of the Government supporting the fact that they were looking into it,” Sadleir told Sport Nation.
“I believe they've done a feasibility study. We haven't been party to that.
"But it is the Commonwealth Games, it has got a strong history with New Zealand. And it's probably the right size.”
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In 2024, the CGF created a new framework as part of a ‘reset’, to ‘redefine’ the Games. That saw the introduction of what it described as ‘five pillars of wealth creation: sport, cultural, social, diplomatic, and economic wealth.’
“I understand that every country around the world has got its financial issues that it's looking at, but Games are more than cost. There is a significant benefit.” Sadleir insisted.
“India has put forward their proposal for Ahmedabad [for 2030], which we're now working with, on the basis that they are using sport, sport diplomacy, sport economic development, and trade.
"So it's not just about the event. It's about looking at the health of the nation and it's about how do you want to position yourself globally.”
Sadleir points to the drastic cost differences between the 2022 event in Birmingham costing more than $NZ1.8 billion, and this year’s in Glasgow expected to cost less than a fifth of that at less than $NZ345 million.
“To do that, it was not about reducing any of the support that we had for athletes, but it was looking at things and saying, 'well, do you really need to spend that much money on an opening ceremony? If you were running 10 world championships, what would the dynamics of that look like from a security perspective?'
"So it's definitely doable. I believe in New Zealand."
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A significant part of that will be utilising already-established facilities. Organisers in New Zealand have made no secret of wanting to not only use pre-existing infrastructure, but those which New Zealand regularly has had success in.
Among those would be Lake Karapiro for rowing and canoe sprint, neither of which currently feature at the Commonwealth Games.
“That is definitely one of the parts of the reset. So it was taking 60 percent out of the cost using existing facilities.
"Then also looking at where the expertise is. New Zealand hosts events. We have had so many world championships, and the reputation we have as a country that does these things really well and world class should be capitalised on.
For now though, the CGF’s priority is securing the 2031 Youth Commonwealth Games, to ensure they can be handed over at next year’s edition in Malta.
“Then the year after that, we will open up what we call a collaboration process and it'll go to a more formal process."
