Australian Sport Policy

Sport Canada, opens in a new tab, a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage, is responsible for developing federal sport policy in Canada. It provides leadership and funding to build the Canadian sport system, enabling Canadians to progress from early sport experiences to high-performance excellence.

• Canadian Sport Policy 2025-2035, opens in a new tab. The purpose of this Policy is to guide and inspire everyone to work together to create sport environments that focus on people, reflect shared values, and enhance the health and culture of Canada and its communities. Sport must always be focused on the good of the participants involved.

In 2023, the Canadian Government announced, opens in a new tab the creation of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission, opens in a new tab. The Commission will undertake an independent and forward-looking review of Canada’s sport system. It will engage and seek input from a broad array of stakeholders, including survivors and victims of maltreatment in sport, to bring to light lived experiences, support healing and engage on how to improve the sport system in Canada. This process will be trauma-informed, survivor-centred and human rights-based. The Commission’s activities will culminate in a final report and recommendations due to be published in early 2026.

• Future of Sport in Canada Commission: Preliminary report, opens in a new tab, Lise Maisonneuve, Noni Classen, Andrew Pipe, Government of Canada, (August 2025). Following more than a year of thorough review, analysis, and cross-country engagement. The Preliminary Report sets out 71 preliminary recommendations aimed at enhancing safe sport and improving the sport system in Canada. Feedback on the preliminary recommendations will be gathered via online submissions and during the National Summit on the Future of Sport in September 2025. This feedback will help inform the findings and recommendations in the Commission’s Final Report, which is set to be published in early 2026. 

Other policies and strategies

• Canadian High Performance Sport Strategy, opens in a new tab, Sport Canada, (2019). Within the Canadian Sport Policy, the High Performance goal states that "Canadians are systematically achieving world-class results at the highest levels of international competition through fair and ethical means".
• A Common Vision for increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary living in Canada: Let’s Get Moving, opens in a new tab, Federal, provincial and territorial governments. (2018). The Common Vision is a collective way forward that guides the country towards ways of increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary living. It is a national policy document that is intended to move the country.
• Canadian sport policies, opens in a new tab, Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), (accessed 21 August 2025).

Own the Podium, opens in a new tab is a not-for-profit organisation that guides investment strategies for National Sport Organisations to enhance Canada's Olympic and Paralympic medal performance. Mainly funded by the Government of Canada with additional funding provided by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Canadian Olympic Foundation, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). Own the Podium was established in 2004 to support high-performance programs.

Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, opens in a new tab. The Sports Division works to promote greater sports participation and investing in new sports facilities and high performance athletes. The Division is also responsible for the implementation of national sports policy and oversight of Sport Ireland. The Division manages the Community Sport Facilities Fund and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, in addition to assessing / bidding for Major Sports Events and, when successful, leading a “whole of government” approach to the delivery of such events.

• National Sports Policy 2018-2027, opens in a new tab. The National Sports Policy provides the policy context in which we will operate over the next 10 years. Sport Ireland strongly endorses the National Sports Policy and, as the statutory agency responsible, will have a lead role in many of the key operational and strategic challenges contained within the Policy.
• Sports Action Plan 2024 - 2027, opens in a new tab. Since the launch of the National Sports Policy in 2018, most of its 57 Actions have since been completed. Some actions, by their nature, will never truly be completed and merit attention on an ongoing basis. In publishing the Sports Action Plan 2024-2027, we are setting out a roadmap for the continued advancement of Irish sport and look forward to seeing the ambitions of the plan realised.

Sport Ireland, opens in a new tab was established on 1 October 2015. It is the authority tasked with the development of sport in Ireland. This includes participation in sport, high performance sport, anti-doping, coaching and the development of the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus.

• Sport Ireland Strategy 2023 - 2027, opens in a new tab. This strategy sets out a five-year vision of how Sport Ireland will lead the sport sector to further develop sport and physical activity in Ireland.
• Women in Sport Policy, opens in a new tab, (2023). This policy expresses Sport Ireland’s commitment to women in sport.
• Diversity and Inclusion in Sport Policy, opens in a new tab, (2022). A vision for a diverse and inclusive sector.
• Sport Ireland Policy on Participation in Sport by People with Disabilities, opens in a new tab, (2017). Provides a clear policy context for the promotion of sport for people with disabilities and a basis for an enhanced and more concerted approach by us and the organisations we work with in this regard.

Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa., opens in a new tab Sport NZ's purpose is to contribute to the wellbeing of everybody in Aotearoa New Zealand by leading an enriching and inspiring play, active recreation and sport system. Their vision is 'Every Body Active'. Together with High Performance Sport NZ, they form the Sport NZ Group - the Crown entity responsible for leading the play, active recreation and sport system across the country.

• Sport New Zealand 2020-2032 Strategic Direction, opens in a new tab. Sport NZ ‘s vision is simple - to get Every Body Active in Aotearoa New Zealand. How we work towards the long-term goals is outlined in three four-year strategic plans, the first of which covers the period 2020 to 2024. Each strategic plan sets out the key target audience against which we seek to grow participation and the Key Result Areas (KRAs) against which we will measure success.
  • Sport NZ Strategic Plan 2024-2028, opens in a new tab. The long-term outcomes and goals identified in our 2032 Strategic Direction still ring true. This strategy represents an evolution, building on the positive momentum we’ve seen across a number of key performance areas since 2020.

High Performance Sport NZ (HPSNZ), opens in a new tab works together with National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) to enable and empower world class performances that inspire New Zealanders. To ensure repeatable success for New Zealand on the world stage, HPSNZ partner with specific sports and campaigns, focussing on the performance pathways, wellbeing, engagement, and funding and investment for those sports.

• High Performance Sport NZ 2032 HP System Strategy, opens in a new tab. The 2032 HP System Strategy is a living roadmap that sets out what the High Performance Sport System as a whole in New Zealand needs to achieve between now and 2032 and how it will go about this. It provides a whole of system view and contains 12 workstreams that span the breadth of the New Zealand High Performance system.
  • High Performance Sport NZ Strategic Plan 2025-2028, opens in a new tab. Marks phase two of the three phase delivery of the 2032 High Performance System Strategy.

Other policies and strategies

• Sport NZ Ihi Aotearoa Māori Activation Plan 2021 - 2024, opens in a new tab, Sport NZ, (2021). A plan to move beyond a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi to action.

Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, opens in a new tab. The department is responsible for the growth and administration of sport, arts, and culture in South Africa. Its mission is to provide an enabling environment for the sport, arts and culture (SAC) sector to foster an active, creative, winning and socially cohesive nation.

• Department of Sports, Arts and Culture Strategic Plan 2025-2030, opens in a new tab.

England

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, opens in a new tab. The department supports culture, arts, media, sport, tourism and civil society across every part of England.

• School sport and activity action plan, opens in a new tab, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2023). The plan aims to improve the quality of PE and school sport.
• Sport England framework document, opens in a new tab, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2023). This framework document sets out the broad governance framework within which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Sport England operate.
• Sporting Future - A New Strategy for an Active Nation, opens in a new tab, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2023). This cross-government strategy will tackle head on the flatlining levels of sport participation and high levels of inactivity in this country.
• Get Active: a strategy for the future of sport and physical activity, opens in a new tab, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, (2023). This strategy sets out how the government will work together with the sector to achieve these aims by ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to get active.

Sport England, opens in a new tab. Established by Royal Charter in 1996, Sport England invests in sport and physical activity to make it a normal part of life for everyone in England.

• Uniting the Movement, Sport England, opens in a new tab, (2021). A 10-year vision (2021-31) to transform lives and communities through sport and physical activity.

Northern Ireland

Department for Communities, opens in a new tab. The department is responsible for the central administration and promotion of sport in Northern Ireland and the administration of Sport Northern Ireland.

• Active Living More People, More Active, More of the Time, opens in a new tab, Department for Communities, (2022). The Sport and Physical Activity Strategy for Northern Ireland. This strategy sets out a new shared sporting vision of ‘a lifelong involvement in sport and physical activity’ over a period of the next 10 years that aims to deliver an active, healthy, resilient and inclusive society which recognises and values participation and excellence.

Sport Northern Ireland, opens in a new tab. Is the leading public body for the development of sport in Northern Ireland. They distribute funds on behalf of the Exchequer and The National Lottery.

• The Power of Sport: Corporate Plan 2021-26, opens in a new tab. By 2026, the department wants everyone to acknowledge and appreciate the transformative power of sport. It aims to optimise sport's potential to improve lives.
• The Sport Northern Ireland Institute, opens in a new tab is a team of professionals, from across lots of disciplines, working together to help Northern Ireland athletes achieve success on the world stage – as well as in their lives outside sport.

Scotland

sportscotland, opens in a new tab. The national agency for sport in Scotland. Its vision is for an active Scotland where everyone gains from participating in sport. It is a non-departmental public body accountable to the Scottish Parliament through ministers. sportscotland also acts as a distributor of National Lottery Funds, operating under National Lottery distribution rules.

• Sport for Life: A vision for sport in Scotland, opens in a new tab, sportscotland, (2019; updated 2025). The vision is for an active Scotland where everyone benefits from sport.
• Business Plan 2025, opens in a new tab. describes how we will deliver our commitment to our corporate strategy, Sport For Life. It outlines how we will continue to support the sporting system to respond to the current economic challenges and drive inclusion.
• sportscotland institute of sport (SIS), opens in a new tab. Funded by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery, SIS work collaboratively with key British and Scottish partners to make athletes’ dreams come true. Their expert team of staff are dedicated to the goal of delivering results at Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games as well as world and continental championships.

Wales

Sport Wales, opens in a new tab. The national body responsible for developing and promoting sport and physical activity in Wales. It advises the Welsh Government on sport and works with them to achieve the Vision for Sport in Wales. Sport Wales also distributes National Lottery grants to support the success of sport.

• Embracing the Vision for Sport in Wales: the new Sport Wales Strategy, opens in a new tab, Sport Wales. The vision is to create an active nation; to have as many people as possible inspired and active through sport.
• Vision for Sport, opens in a new tab, Sport Wales. The Vision for Sport seeks to transform Wales into an Active Nation following conversations with individuals from every part of the country.
• The Sport Wales Institute, opens in a new tab is a team of professionals, from across lots of disciplines, working together to help Welsh athletes achieve success on the world stage - as well as in their lives outside sport. The team also support British athletes on UK Sport World Class Programmes based in Wales, or when they return to Wales, to deliver at Olympic and Paralympic Games.

UK Sport

UK Sport, opens in a new tab. Through strategic leadership and investment of National Lottery and Government funds since 1997, UK Sport is the UK's high-performance experts, powering our greatest athletes, sports and events to achieve success.

• Powering Success Inspiring Impact: UK Sport's Strategic Plan 2021-31., opens in a new tab The purpose and mission of this strategy is for UK Sport to lead and enable extraordinary moments that enrich lives and to create the greatest decade of extraordinary sporting moments; reaching, inspiring and uniting the nation.
• The Power of our difference: Introducing our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy 2021-2025, opens in a new tab. This document sets out how UK Sport will build a more inclusive and diverse community of sports, staff and athletes.

UK Sports Institute (UKSI)., opens in a new tab Founded in 2002, originally as the English Institute of Sport. Through funding from UK Sport, the UKSI aims to maximise the resources it has available throughout an Olympic and Paralympic cycle, to benefit as many sports as possible. They provide support services to British Olympic and Paralympic sports, enabling sports and athletes to realise potential and to achieve excellence.