Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read has been named as part of the sports-related 2020 Queen's Birthday honours list.
On Monday, the 34-year-old was named an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for his services to rugby, acknowledgement for a decorated career that spanned 128 All Blacks tests, enough for third on the country's all-time list.
Read was a key part of the consecutive Rugby World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015, and was named the IRB world Player of the Year in 2013.
He played 52 tests as captain of the All Blacks, second only to Richie McCaw.
The Papakura product was also a mainstay for the Crusaders, winning four Super Rugby titles with the Christchurch-based Super Rugby side.
Barry Maister was named a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit for service to sport and the community.
Maister represented New Zealand at hockey at three consecutive Olympic Games, most notably in Montreal in 1976 as part of the gold-medal winning national team.
He's since become a prominent sports leader in New Zealand, serving as a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2010 to 2019 and as Sport New Zealand international ambassador from 2011 to 2018.
Racing guru David Ellis was also named Companion of the NZ Order of Merit for his services to the thoroughbred industry.
Ellis one of the country's most successful and astute race horse buyers, breeders, owners who has helped lead the renowned Te Akau stud to global prominence.
Sport management academic Sarah Leberman has been recognised for her services to women, sport and tertiary education by being named a Member of the NZ Order of Merit.
Professor of Leadership at Massey University, Leberman researches in the area of women and leadership in sport and academia and has designed and implemented a number of women in leadership programmes at national and university level.
Her most recent research publications have focused on mothers in sport leadership roles and as elite athletes.
Also named to the NZ Order of Merit are Black Sticks Women veterans Kayla Whitelock and Emily Gaddum.
Whitelock has made 213 appearances for New Zealand, which includes four Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016) and three Commonwealth Games, winning silver in Delhi in 2010 and bronze in Glasgow in 2014.
Gaddum was a part of those medal-winning sides, which were two highlights of a 12-year national tenure. She finished with 274 national appearances upon retiring in 2016.
Full list of sports Queen's Birthday Honours
Companions of the NZ Order of Merit
David Ellis - services to the thoroughbred industry
Barry Maister - services to sport and the community
Officers of the NZ Order of Merit
Jeanne Begej - services to ice figure skating
Joan Harnett-Kindley - services to netball and real estate industry
Anthony Lepper - services to sport administration and local government
Beverley May - services to cycling
Kieran Read - services to rugby
Members of the NZ Order of Merit
Patricia Broad - services to gymnastics
David Crerar - services to mountaineering and outdoor recreation
Emily Gaddum - services to hockey
Sharon Kearney - services to physiotherapy and netball
Sarah Leberman - services to women, sport and tertiary education
Christopher Te'o - services to health, cycling and the Pacific community
Mary Thompson - services to netball administration
Kayla Whitelock - services to hockey
Honorary Members of the NZ Order of Merit
Johan Hellemans - services to triathlon
Queen's Service Medal
Chandu Daji - services to Indian community and sport
Neil McCorkindale - services to hockey administration
Afiff Shah - services to the Muslim community and football
Barry Smith - services to football and historical research
Malcolm Walker - services to sport and education
