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The country's top rowers and cyclists have scored a significant win over government agency High Performance Sport New Zealand in their bid for better treatment and fairer pay.
The Employment Relations Authority has ruled in favour of the Athletes' Cooperative, representing a group of 60 rowers and cyclists, saying they have the right to engage in good-faith collective bargaining with High Performance Sport.
Former rowing great Mahe Drysdale says their existing contracts treat athletes as second-class citizens.
He says they have little say over their programmes and the top athletes can only earn up to $70,000 a year.
New Zealand Athletes Federation boss Rob Nichol spoke to Corin Dann.