Boys are favouring football over rugby, a new survey shows.
More than 17,000 young people aged five to 18 took part in the Sport New Zealand's survey in September and October last year during the Rugby World Cup.
The research reveals that nine out of 10 young people took part in regular physical activity.
It also shows that 73.8% of boys between the age of five and 10 played football compared with the 65.6% playing rugby.
Sport New Zealand chief executive Peter Miskimmin says the survey's focus is on getting a clearer idea of what sports children like.
Mr Miskimmin says the survey shows swimming is the most popular sport for both boys and girls, closely followed by athletics and cross-country.
