New Zealand's first sports school will open next year, in a partnership with Wellington Phoenix. 

The New Zealand Performance Academy in Upper Hutt will operate as a charter school for serious aspiring sportspeople. 

The academy will initially offer elite football training alongside the Wellington Phoenix Academy, as well as rugby training. 

New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa Board Member Brett O’Riely told Kerre Woodham that, “a lot of the momentum came from the students and parents.” 

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