The Open Days are a chance to identify new talent ©PNZ

Paralympics New Zealand (PNZ) are set to hold an Open Day on the country's south island for the first time.

The event will be held at Christchurch's Cowles Stadium on February 18 and will be supported by five of the nation's Paralympians.

Supported by The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), the Open Days have been developed to increase interest and participation in Para-sport.

They also give PNZ the chance to identify potential new talent after the Rio 2016 Paralympics in September, where the Kiwis collected 21 medals.

Open days on the north island have been held in Auckland and Cambridge.

Supporting the Christchurch event will be Rio 2016 silver and bronze medallists Emma Foy and Laura Thompson, a tandem cycling pairing.

Laura Thompson, left, and Emma Foy will be among the Paralympic athletes present ©Getty Images
Laura Thompson, left, and Emma Foy will be among the Paralympic athletes present ©Getty Images

They will be joined by three-time Paralympic sailor Andrew May, double bronze medal winning sprinter William Stedman and Rio 2016 javelin thrower Caitlin Dore.

All are encouraged to attend the Open Day which is free.

Malcolm Humm, high performance director at Paralympics New Zealand, said: “We had an exceptional Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and are now looking forward to the Pyeongchang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and beyond that, to Tokyo 2020. 

"However, the kind of success we had in Rio does not happen overnight. 

"The ACC Paralympics New Zealand Open Days will have two objectives: firstly, to help disabled people discover the joy of local community sport, regardless of whether they have Paralympic ambitions. 

"Secondly, we will certainly be looking for those that display strong competitive potential."