Gold key to the door for Silver Ferns

Champion Silver Ferns: From left, back row, Jessica Tuki, Casey Williams, Vilimaina Davu, Leana de Bruin, Irene van Dyk, Jodi Te Huna, Adine Wilson, Anna Scarlett, Maria Tutaia. Front four, Temepara George, Belinda Colling, Laura Langman, Anna Rowberry.

You needed to be a world champion or have a Commonwealth Games medal to get past the door at the New Zealand Academy of Sport gala dinner last night.

Seventy of New Zealand's elite sportspeople were at Auckland's SkyCity to be wined, dined and patted on the back in recognition of their sporting glory.

"The whole event is really for them, the champions," said Nick Hill, chief executive of Sport and Recreation NZ, which ran the dinner.

"The idea is for athletes to recognise each other and their success over the past two years, and for us to say: 'We think you're fantastic'."

The event also gave our champions the chance to hang up their trainers and tracksuits, and don red carpet-style gowns or suits.

"It's nice to get glammed up and have a night off," said Anna Rowberry of the gold medal-winning Silver Ferns.

Commonwealth Games swimmer Moss Burmester said the acknowledgement of his peers was "awesome".

"It's also about recognising the more minor sports - there's so much about rugby and cricket in New Zealand - and all those coaches and support people along the way."

New Zealand athletes collected 27 world championship titles, 70 world placings and 31 Commonwealth Games medals over the past two years. They range across several disciplines including athletics, rowing, surf life saving, skate sports - even shearing.

But not everyone could keep to the schedule; rowing champions Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell arrived in the middle of the first course, missing the pre-dinner cocktails.

"We've been training today. We don't get up to much else," Georgina said.