Results found that there were no significant differences in levels of drinking, dependence symptoms or negative consequences between male and female university students who were involved in sports; total scores were measured by the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (WHO’s AUDIT). Although males were more likely to be binge drinkers, and frequent binge drinkers, the rates were high for both genders. Female university students involved in sports drink in a similar manner and suffered similar consequences to their male counterparts. However, the motives for drinking differ somewhat between genders. Both males’ and females’ rates of hazardous drinking in this study were extraordinarily high. Interventions to reduce drinking in university students involved in sports may benefit from a better understanding of the reasons for drinking in males and females. New Zealand university students involved in sports are one population where gender differences in drinking are not apparent and run counter to European population based research and research in U.S. student populations involved in sports. Gender role equality in the university systems, and endorsement of drinking in sporting culture, may account for the lack of gender differences in this New Zealand population involved in sports. Data were collected from 631 university students involved in sports; 331 were females. Tables and references