Structure

NZRU Board | NZRU Management and Staff

Patron and Officers

The NZRU Patron fills an honorary role as the figurehead for the organisation. The current Patron is former All Blacks captain Sir Wilson Whineray, who has held the title since 2003 and was last re-elected for a three-year term starting in 2007. Previously, the role was filled ex officio by the Governor-General of New Zealand.

The NZRU has two Officers, President and Vice President. These office-holders represent the NZRU and New Zealand at rugby and non-rugby functions and events, locally and overseas. Unlike the Patron, the President and Vice President are entitled to attend NZRU Board Meetings, although they are not considered Board Members and are not entitled to vote on Board matters.

The President and Vice President are elected for two years each. Former All Blacks manager John Sturgeon, NZRU President, and Bryan Willliams, NZRU Vice President, were elected in 2009.

NZRU Board

The NZRU Board is charged with setting strategy, direction and policy for the NZRU, and is ultimately responsible for the decisions and actions of NZRU management and staff. Many of the decisions concerning New Zealand’s national teams, domestic competitions, financial management and rugby traditions can only be made by a vote of the NZRU Board

The Board is comprised of nine Board Members: six zonal representatives, one Maori representative and two independent Board Members.

New Zealand’s 26 Provincial Unions are divided into three zones – North, Central and South – and two representatives from each zone are elected to the Board. These zonal representatives are nominated by a Provincial Union within their zone, go through an interview process with a sub-committee of the NZRU Board, and are elected by a vote of all 26 Unions at the Annual General Meeting.

The Maori representative may be nominated by any Provincial Union and is elected by a vote of all the Unions at the Annual General Meeting. The Maori representative is automatically appointed as NZRU representative on and Chairman of the New Zealand Maori Rugby Board.

The two independent Board Members must be independent of any Provincial Union and are not nominated for the role. Instead, independent Board Members must apply for the position and are selected on the basis of their professional qualifications and experience by a committee of the NZRU Board.

Currently, the Chairman of the NZRU Board is Jock Hobbs, who was first elected in 2002 as a representative of the Central Zone.

The NZRU President, Vice President and Chief Executive Officer may attend Board meetings but are not Board Members and cannot vote on Board matters.

Click here for profiles of the NZRU Board.

NZRU Management and Staff

The NZRU’s day-to-day business is carried out by around 80 management and staff, most of whom are based at the NZRU’s headquarters in Wellington.

The NZRU staff is headed by a senior management team that includes the Chief Executive Officer, General Manager Professional Rugby, General Manager Community and Provincial Union Rugby, General Manager Commercial and Finance, General Manager Corporate Services and All Blacks Manager.

The CEO is responsible with the Board for the establishment of the vision and strategy for the organisation, acts as the key link between the Board and the staff, and is ultimately responsible for the administrative and operational aspects of the NZRU.

The General Manager Professional Rugby oversees NZRU’s High Performance development, the Professional Players Collective Employment Agreement, Professional Player, Coach, Referee and other team management contracting, Other National Teams, Medical, Health and Safety, and Sports Science initiatives.

The General Manager Community and Provincial Rugby oversees the relationships between the NZRU and the Provincial Unions, including funding and performance issues, provides assistance, support and communication between the NZRU and the Provincial Unions and leads and manages the NZRU’s Community rugby strategy and initiatives.

The General Manager Commercial and Finance oversees a broad portfolio of interrelated business units, including commercial and marketing, finance, business planning and development, communications, broadcasting, and IT.

The General Manager Corporate Services oversees the support functions within the NZRU, including human resources, legal counsel, and office management.

The All Blacks Manager heads a small team of staff dedicated to managing the All Blacks team and other activities specific to New Zealand’s number one rugby team.

Click here for profiles of NZRU Senior Management