Mr Philip Gifford, of Auckland, ONZM, for services to broadcasting and sports journalism
Philip Gifford started his career as a reporter for the New Zealand Herald and then the Auckland Star. He wrote a column under the pseudonym ‘Loosehead Len’, a rugby character, which ran for 36 years. He has since written columns for the Sunday Star-Times, North and South magazine and the New Zealand Herald. He attended and reported on one Olympic Games and four Commonwealth Games and has covered all Rugby World Cups and test matches played by the All Blacks since 1987. He hosted radio shows on Radio Hauraki, 91 ZM, More FM, Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport. He hosted and contributed to television shows including ‘Game of Two Halves’ and ‘That’s Fairly Interesting’. Mr Gifford has authored 27 books, including Dame Valerie Adams’ biography ‘Valerie’.