12 April 2026 - PNZA partners with Hello Club to Streamline Membership Management

PNZA partners with Hello Club to streamline membership management from the national to the regional level.  PNZA is pleased to announce a new partnership with Hello Club, a leading New Zealand-based membership management platform, to enhance the way the organisation manages and supports its growing community.  This partnership marks a significant step forward in PNZA’s commitment to modernising its systems and improving the experience for members, clubs/playing groups and administrators across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Hello Club is a cloud-based platform designed specifically for clubs/playing groups and National Sporting Organisations, providing tools to manage memberships, automate renewals, process online payments, and streamline communications. The platform also supports event management, booking systems, and reporting, helping organisations reduce administrative workload while improving engagement with members.  Through this partnership, PNZA will transition to a more efficient, digital-first approach to membership management.  Clubs and members will benefit from simplified registration processes, automated renewals, secure online payments, improved communication tools and a discount on their annual membership fee if the club/playing group is affiliated with PNZA.

PNZA Chairperson, Ange Brady, said the move reflects the organisation’s rapid growth and the need for scalable systems. “Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in Aotearoa New Zealand, and it is critical that our systems keep pace.  Partnering with Hello Club enables us to provide a more seamless, professional experience for our members and affiliated clubs and playing groups.  A dedicated member management system will also help reduce the time-consuming administrative burden on volunteer organisers.”  

Hello Club’s CEO, Rodd Penney, said they were excited to support PNZA’s continued expansion. “We’re proud to partner with PNZA and support the growth of Pickleball across Aotearoa New Zealand. Our platform is purpose built for racquet sports, and through our experience working with Pickleball clubs both locally and internationally, we’ve designed it to enable club growth by reducing administrative workload and allowing organisations to focus on building strong, engaged communities.”

The rollout of Hello Club will begin immediately, with further updates and guidance to be provided to PNZA members and clubs/playing groups wanting to affiliate with PNZA.

1 April 2026 - PNZA announces Partnership with Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR)

PNZA is pleased to announce a new partnership with DUPR, establishing DUPR as the official rating system for all PNZA run and endorsed events.  This partnership marks an important step forward for the sport in Aotearoa New Zealand, supporting the growth of competitive play through a globally recognised and standardised rating system.  Under the agreement, match results from PNZA events will be submitted to DUPR, enabling accurate player ratings and the introduction of official national rankings.  Through this collaboration, DUPR will provide national rankings, participation and growth reporting, and targeted marketing support for key events such as the NZ Open and other PNZA events.  PNZA believes this partnership will enhance player development pathways, improve competition structures, and align Aotearoa New Zealand with international best practice in Pickleball.

On behalf of the Pickleball New Zealand Association (PNZA) Board, we wish our members, volunteers, clubs, partners, and supporters a safe and happy 2025 festive season.  Thank you for the passion, time and energy you have given to growing Pickleball across Aotearoa New Zealand this year and we look forward to continuing this journey in 2026.  Click below to read the PNZA 2025 Year Summary.

Global Pickleball Federation (GPF) and the United World Pickleball Federation (UWPF)

PNZA welcomes the announcement from the GPF and the UWPF regarding their formal commitment to work towards a single, unified international governing body for our sport.

This is a significant and positive step for the global pickleball community. As the sport continues its rapid expansion worldwide, the need for clarity, cohesion, and consistency in international governance has become increasingly clear. A single democratic, inclusive, IOC-compliant federation offers the best opportunity to support long-term growth, deliver transparency, and strengthen Pickleball’s prospects for inclusion in future multi-sport events.

PNZA is encouraged by the decisive action shown by both organisations, including the formation of a joint task force to oversee the transition process. We acknowledge the representatives appointed to this group and look forward to understanding how national federations will be engaged as this work progresses. Ensuring that all regions and member nations have a voice will be essential to building a federation that reflects the diversity and ambition of our global community.

As the governing body for Pickleball in Aotearoa New Zealand, PNZA is committed to supporting a unification process that upholds the highest standards of governance and provides certainty for our athletes, coaches, officials, clubs, and partners. We remain focused on advocating for a structure that is fair, future-focused, and aligned with best-practice international sport principles.

We congratulate the GPF and UWPF on taking this important step and look forward to constructive engagement as the pathway toward a single International Federation continues to unfold.