New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced that Chief Executive Officer Mark Robinson has resigned and will leave the organisation at the end of 2025.
NZR Chair David Kirk acknowledged Mark for his contribution over a six-year period.
“On behalf of the Board, I’d like to recognise Mark for his great service to NZR and the sport. He has led with a passion for rugby and we thank him for his commitment over the past six years.
"Mark has driven significant change, both in New Zealand and internationally, and the Board believes the organisation is well-placed to capitalise on this. Of note was his leadership through a global pandemic that saw the game deal with an unprecedented crisis.
“We also understand Mark’s desire to relocate to Australia where his family are now all living. He will go with our best wishes when he moves there at the end of this year. Mark will continue to lead for the remainder of the year as we conclude key projects, and the Board will now commence recruitment for the new role.”
Mark Robinson said it has been a privilege to serve as CEO of NZR, following on from his role on the NZR Board and, prior to that, wearing the All Blacks’ jersey during his playing career.
“My family have been based in Australia for the last few months with all three of my children studying there. My wife is already there supporting them and, ultimately, I will be joining them early next year.
"The past six years have been a period of rapid change, or unprecedented challenges through the pandemic, and significant evolution across commercial, competitions and structures. I will reflect on that as I get closer to stepping away, but I firmly believe the foundations of our organisation are extremely strong and the game is well-placed for the future.
"Our vision is to inspire and unify through rugby and that opportunity has been an easy motivator for me every single day, from the community game right through to the international level,” he said.
“I have had the privilege of leading an amazing group of people at NZR who have a huge amount of care for the game. There’s a deep hunger to get better every day no matter how well we think we are doing and that drive sits right across every person working for NZR, our competitions and our national teams.”
Mark Robinson acknowledged that there have been challenging times during his tenure, which brought with it significant scrutiny.
“That reflects the immense passion that so many Kiwis feel for our sport and the special place rugby has in our country. The fact people can come up to me, share their views and talk with incredible knowledge and depth of feeling is something we never want to take for granted.
"My focus now is on supporting the Board and leading the organisation through a pivotal year, including ensuring the Black Ferns have the support they need to defend the Rugby World Cup in England. We also remain focused on implementing a new financial model for the game in New Zealand and completing the remaining work on what will be an exciting future international calendar.”
Mark Robinson:
Mark Robinson took up the role of New Zealand Rugby CEO in January 2020. Prior to this he served on the NZR Board for seven years and was NZR's delegate to World Rugby, notably leading the bid for the 2021 Women’s Rugby World Cup alongside Dame Farah Palmer. During a rugby career that spanned the amateur and professional era, Mark played nine Tests for the All Blacks between 2000-2002 and also played in the United Kingdom and Japan. Mark was CEO of Taranaki Rugby from 2007-2012 and has worked in consultancy in the areas of education, environment, energy and agriculture. He holds degrees from the universities of Victoria (Wellington) and Cambridge.