Black Ferns pioneer Farah Palmer has been made a dame in the New Year Honours for services to sport, and particularly rugby - a promotion from her officer rank in 2007

Snow sport athletes Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Nico Porteous and Corey Peters have been made members of the New Zealand Order of Merit - each won gold medals at the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Porteous says at 21, he and Sadowski-Synnott are on the cusp of more.



After years as companions, former rowers Hamish Bond and Eric Murray have been made... companions after remaining invincible in the pair between 2009 and 2016.

However, Bond says clinching a further gold in the eight at the Tokyo Games is his greatest sporting achievement.



Netball doyenne Leigh Gibbs and sports administrator Kereyn Smith are also companions.

Squash player Paul Coll and multisporter Nathan Fa'avae become officers and netball-volleyball veteran Anna Harrison is a member.