Massey sport research adopted by World Boccia and Swiss Olympic

Summary

Massey University senior lecturer Dr Rachel Batty has won the 2026 Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ) Industry Engagement Award, her second time receiving the honour. The award recognises her work with Boccia New Zealand, where she has served as co-chair since 2025 and leads a multi-university national research project using Boccia New Zealand as a case study to examine the impact of athlete classification systems. Findings will inform World Boccia guidelines and lay the groundwork for a larger classification study extending to the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.

Separately, a Massey sport science team has had its athlete development framework, developed through a partnership with Swiss Triathlon, adopted by Swiss Olympic. Like Dr Batty's Boccia classification research, the framework was led by Massey sport management scholars, developed with a national sport organisation, and taken up by a higher-level sports governance body. The two projects span different sports — classification research focused on fair participation in disability sport, the development framework on triathlon athlete pathways — but both represent cases of Massey's sport management research being incorporated into governance and policy documents by national or international sports organisations.

For New Zealand readers, the Boccia New Zealand classification study is ongoing; its findings will influence how New Zealand athletes are grouped in competition and provide a foundation for broader disability sport classification research ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games. The research is also embedded in Massey University's Bachelor of Sport and Exercise programme, giving students practical case studies in inclusion and sport governance.

Commentary

Massey University's international influence in sport management is being demonstrated through two research projects: a Boccia athlete classification study and a triathlon athlete development framework. The former, led by Dr Rachel Batty in partnership with Boccia New Zealand, will be adopted by World Boccia and extended to the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games; the latter has been taken up by Swiss Olympic. This reflects international recognition of New Zealand's research capability in sport governance and inclusive sport.

For local small and medium enterprises, while such research does not directly involve trade, it could stimulate demand in niche areas such as sports technology, assistive equipment and data analytics. Optimisation of classification systems, for example, may generate demand for more precise assessment tools or training services, while the rollout of the athlete development framework could attract international sports organisations seeking New Zealand consultancy services. In addition, Massey's integration of research findings into undergraduate courses means more sport management graduates with international perspectives will enter the workforce, and SMEs could look to university-industry collaboration opportunities.

Against the broader industry backdrop, the global disability sport market is growing as Paralympic attention rises, and Boccia, as a Paralympic sport, stands to benefit from unified rules and classification standards that support event commercialisation. New Zealand's leading position in sport management research could serve as a springboard for SMEs seeking to expand into international sports services markets.

Keywords: Massey University, disability sport classification, Boccia New Zealand, SMAANZ Industry Engagement Award, Swiss Olympic, triathlon, Brisbane Paralympic Games, sport governance, athlete development framework, Dr Rachel Batty

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