Wrestling was one of the original six sports contested at the first Commonwealth Games at Hamilton 1930 and has been omitted only three times since - Auckland 1990, Kuala Lumpur 1998 and Melbourne 2006.
Canada has traditionally dominated the medal count, with 135 medals and 66 gold, with India (102 & 43) its nearest rival. New Zealand has scooped three gold and 29 medals, including a bronze to future All Blacks prop Gary Knight at Christchurch 1974.
Commonwealth Games wrestling consists of only freestyle, as opposed to Olympics, where Greco Roman is also contested. Women's wrestling was introduced to the programme at Delhi 2010.
Tayla Ford will lead Kiwis hopes at Birmingham, after winning a bronze medal last time the Games were held in the United Kingdom at Glasgow 2014.
NZ Team
Tayla Ford (U68kg), Michelle Montague (U75kg)
Cole Hawkins (U74kg), Matthew Oxenham (U68kg), Brahm Richards (U65kg), Suraj Singh (U57kg)
NZ Medals
Gold (3) - Doug Mudgway (bantamweight 1950), John Armitt (featherweight 1950), David Aspin (middleweight 1974)
Silver (9) - Vernon Thomas (lightweight 1938), Jim Dryden (heavyweight 1938), Eric Matthews (flyweight 1950), Arthur Sneddon (light-heavyweight 1950), Pat O'Connor (heavyweight 1950), Ken Reinsfield (welterweight 1978), Steve Reinsfield (bantamweight 1986)
Bronze (17) - Joe Genet (featherweight 1938), Jeremiah Podjursky (welterweight 1938), George Hobson (lightweight 1950), John Armitt (featherweight 1954), Warren Nisbet (flyweight 1962), Fred Thomas (middleweight 1958), Tony Greig (lightweight 1966), David Aspin (middleweight 1970), Gordon Mackay (welterweight 1970), Gordon Mackay (welterweight 1974), Gary Knight (super-heavyweight 1974), Murray Avery (heavyweight 1978), Chris Maddock (bantamweight 1978), Nigel Sargent (light-heavyweight 1978), Stephen Bell (featherweight 1986), Sam Belkin (97kg 2014), Tayla Ford (58kg 2014)
