Tim Southee (left) and Sophie Devine. Photo: Photosport
Current White Ferns captain Sophie Devine and former Black Caps captain Tim Southee have been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours.
Both have been integral to their national sides and have become officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to cricket.
Devine, who is in the twilight of her career, was selected for the White Ferns in 2006 at 17 and has become one of the sports most dominant players.
The 35-year-old holds a number of records including scoring the fastest ever 50, from 18 balls, in a women's T20. Last year she led the White Ferns to their maiden T20 World Cup title in the United Arab Emirates.
Southee made his Test cricket debut in 2008, and was the mainstay of the New Zealand attack in all three forms of the game until his retirement from international cricket in 2024.
He appeared in four 50-over World Cups, and a World Test Championship Final. At the end of his career Southee had played 394 matches for the Black Caps across all formats, claiming 776 wickets.
He is the only player in world cricket to claim more than 300 Test wickets, 200 ODI wickets and 100 T20 wickets, and is New Zealand's second most successful test cricket bowler with 385 Test wickets.
Ellesse Andrews Photo: SW Pix / www.photopsort.nz
Four-time Olympic track cycling medallist Ellesse Andrews (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kāi Tahu) has been recognised off the back of a huge 2024.
Andrews won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Last year her two golds and a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics made her New Zealand's sixth most successful Olympian.
New Zealand's first Olympic medallist in BMX Racing has also been recognised in the King's birthday honours for services to BMX and sports governance.
Sarah Walker won silver at the 2012 London Olympics. The 12-time BMX World Championship medallist started her sports governance journey while she was still competing.
For eight years from 2016, Walker served on the IOC Athletes' Commission. Last year she was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as part of the governing body responsible for overseeing the Olympic Movement.
Sarah Walker Photo: PHOTOSPORT
One of the most well-known rugby players in the world has also been recognised.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahu) has been a leading figure in women's rugby union and sevens for over a decade.
Woodman-Wickliffe, who recently came out of international retirement to have a crack at another Rugby World Cup, helped the Black Ferns to World Cup victories in 2017 and 2022.
For the Black Ferns sevens, she helped secure gold medals at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. She has picked up two Women's Player of the Year awards in rugby union and in 2020 was named the Women's Sevens Player of the Decade.
Former All Black Murray Mexted is now an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to rugby.
Mexted played 73 matches for the All Blacks between 1979 and 1985. He spent a couple of decades as a Sky TV rugby commentator post retirement, then founded the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand (IRANZ) in 2001.
Don Mackinnon, one of New Zealand's leading sports directors, has also joined the honours' list.
Don Mackinnon Photo: Elias Rodriguez
He's held several influential roles including serving as a director of Sport New Zealand, and director of High Performance Sport NZ.
Mackinnon has also led several major independent reviews, including a report on the Silver Ferns disastrous 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign and a review into the All Whites failed World Cup qualifying campaign in 2022.
The sports lawyer and governance expert now chairs the Sport Integrity Commission, which was sparked by the death of Olympic cyclist Olivia Podmore and a series of damning reviews into the country's elite sporting environments.
A number of administrators and coaches have been recognised for decades of work in their respective sports, including swimming coach Clive Power, who led the New Zealand Swim Team on several tours.
Other recipients
Lesley Huckins - became the first New Zealand female FINA (now known as World Aquatics) referee and officiated at three Olympic Games.
Eugene Meredith - for his efforts to promote American Football in New Zealand since 1987.
Bruce Ross - well-known cycling figure and Tour of Southland tour manager from 1985 to 2020.
Ross Cooper - former Chiefs coach and All Blacks assistant coach from 1994 to 1998.
Pauline-Jean Luyten - became the first Pacific woman to be appointed to the New Zealand Rugby (NZR) Board in 2022 and is the Pasifika representative on NZR's Stakeholder Panel.
Ronnie Thompson - a former Tall Fern, turned influential basketball coach and administrator.
