The work of the board in the non-profi t sporting context has received little attention from academics, yet is widely recognised as a central “management” issue for sport organisations (Henry & Lee, 2004; Hoye & Cuskelly, 2007). In particular, the strategic role of the board, while recognised as a key function, is a fuzzy concept for many. In their work in this area, van der Walt and Ingley (2003) found that “... little empirical or theoretical research has been conducted on the board’s role in strategic decisions and strategic outcomes” (p. 17). It is also widely argued in policy documents, practitioner literature and some scholarly writing, that boards should be active in strategy and strategic issues (Sport & Recreation New Zealand, 2006; Stiles, 2001) yet surprisingly, the volume and depth of scholarly debate does not refl ect this need. In order to learn more about this aspect of sport management, an eighteen-month qualitative study investigated how boards of national sport organisations (NSOs) in New Zealand could develop their strategic capability. The purpose of this paper is to discuss two elements from this study found to be important in the development of board strategic capability for NSOs. In particular, the paper explores board involvement in strategy formulation and stakeholder/owner relationships.