New Zealand at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
New Zealand at the 1978 Commonwealth Games was represented by a team of 102 competitors and 32 officials. Selection of the team for the Games in Edmonton, Canada, was the responsibility of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association. New Zealand's flagbearer at the opening ceremony was cyclist Neil Lyster. The New Zealand team finished fifth on the medal table, winning a total of 20 medals, five of which were gold.
New Zealand has competed in every games, starting with the British Empire Games in 1930 at Hamilton, Ontario.
Nigeria boycotted the 1978 Games in protest at New Zealand's sporting contacts with apartheid-era South Africa.
Medal tables
New Zealand was fifth on the medal table in 1978, with a total of 20 medals, including five gold.| Medal | Name | Sport | Event |
| Cycling | Men's individual pursuit | ||
| Shooting | Open skeet | ||
| Swimming | Men's 200 m backstroke | ||
| Swimming | Women's 200 m freestyle | ||
| Weightlifting | Men's bantamweight | ||
| Athletics | Men's javelin throw | ||
| Athletics | Women's 3000 m | ||
Anthony Cuff Neil Lyster Jack Swart | Cycling | Men's team pursuit | |
John Malcolm Morgan Moffat Phil Skoglund | Lawn bowls | Men's fours | |
| Swimming | Women's 100 m butterfly | ||
| Swimming | Women's 200 m individual medley | ||
| Boxing | Men's heavyweight | ||
Richard Purser | Badminton | Men's doubles | |
| Cycling | Men's road race | ||
Rowena Davis Kirsty Durward Deborah Hurst | Gymnastics | Women's team | |
| Swimming | Women's 400 m freestyle | ||
| Swimming | Women's 800 m freestyle | ||
| Weightlifting | Men's middle heavyweight | ||
| Weightlifting | Men's lightweight | ||
| Wrestling | Men's heavyweight |
Competitors
The following table lists the number of New Zealand competitors participating at the Games according to gender and sport.| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
| Athletics | 19 | 9 | 28 |
| Badminton | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Boxing | 6 | 6 | |
| Cycling | 12 | 12 | |
| Diving | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Gymnastics | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Lawn bowls | 7 | 7 | |
| Shooting | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Swimming | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Weightlifting | 6 | 6 | |
| Wrestling | 7 | 7 | |
| Total | 81 | 21 | 102 |
Athletics
Badminton
Boxing
Cycling
Road
;Men's road race| Athlete | Time | Rank |
| Garry Bell | 4:22:35.06 | |
| Stephen Cox | 4:23:47.91 | 18 |
| Vern Hanaray | 4:23:48.61 | 20 |
| Blair Stockwell | 4:35:08.10 | 30 |
Track
Diving
| Athlete | Event | Points | Rank |
| Ann Fargher | Women's 3 m springboard | 341.16 | 7 |
| Graeme Shaw | Men's 3 m springboard | 404.94 | 10 |