All on board at the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union

New Hawke's Bay Rugby Union co-opted director John Sproat. Photo / Supplied

The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (HBRU) has finished putting together its board for the new year with the appointment of a new co-opted director and re-election of its long-standing chairman.

The new co-opted director is commercial lawyer John Sproat, replacing retiring member and Napier lawyer Steve Lunn, a former chairman more than 20 years ago who also served as a New Zealand Rugby Union board member.

A union statement says Sproat brings a wealth of legal, commercial and governance expertise to the HBRU board.

Board chairman Brendan Mahony, elected to the board in 2004 and chairman since 2011, said Sproat had enjoyed a very successful career over many years in many different capacities.

Sproat has spent 23 years as a partner at corporate law firm Chapman Tripp and has diverse governance roles, including being a member of the Provincial Growth Fund Independent Advisory Group, a director of New Zealand Post and of Kiwibank, and a member of the Reserve Bank Review panel. He also chairs the Rangitane Settlement Negotiations Trust, and acts as an advisor to central North Island Māori trusts.

Sproat played senior rugby in Christchurch and Wellington before retiring from playing and moving into club administration, including being a member of the New Zealand Universities Rugby Council from 1995 until 2015, being instrumental in redeveloping relationships with Japan rugby.

He and his wife settled in Napier in 2018.

As part of HBRU's ongoing commitment to build director capability and plan for succession within the board, legal firm partner Kirsty Kupa, of Otane, has been appointed as aspiring director.

The 2021-2022 board of directors is: Brendan Mahony (chairman), Peter Davis, Danny Gough, Emma Jensen, Mavis Mullins, Craig Riddiford, Mark Sowman, John Sproat.