NZ Rugby has appointed Steve Lancaster as its permanent chief executive after a six-month stint in the role on an interim basis.
The former Crusaders lock has been part of the NZ Rugby executive team since 2020 and led community rugby as general manager since 2016.
NZ Rugby chairman David Kirk said the board had been “very deliberate” in recruiting for the critical role and praised Lancaster’s leadership during his interim tenure.
“[He] had demonstrated exceptional leadership and was highly trusted by the board,” Kirk said.
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During his time as interim CEO, Lancaster oversaw the appointment of a new All Blacks head coach and several key executives in the commercial, finance and high-performance sectors.
Kirk said Lancaster brought a strong vision and understood the need to “drive winning teams” while balancing the importance of community rugby.
Lancaster has over 20 years’ experience in sports administration, including high-performance roles at NZ Rugby,the Crusaders, Rugby Canada and Netball New Zealand. The 48-year-old has also served as a board director with Oceania Rugby.
“I fully understand the responsibility that comes with the role and it’s an honour to be offered the position,” Lancaster said.
“There’s so much good that’s good about rugby. It’s good for young people, it’s good for communities and it’s good for the country. We need to celebrate that as a game and as New Zealanders.
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“As an organisation, we’re focused on harnessing our unique point of difference in the world of rugby. We’re a small country, and we have deep rugby DNA and care for the game. If we can work together as a rugby system then anything is achievable, and that’s really special.”
Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
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