Trust Tairāwhiti chief executive Doug Jones had been appointed to the new board of New Zealand Rugby, which takes over from the existing board on February 1. Photo / Paul Rickard
Trust Tairāwhiti chief executive Doug Jones had been appointed to the new board of New Zealand Rugby, which takes over from the existing board on February 1. Photo / Paul Rickard
Two Tairāwhiti men are on the new board of New Zealand Rugby (NZR).
Trust Tairāwhiti chief executive Doug Jones, and Greg Barclay, were among those ratified last month.
The newly formatted board structure comes after the New Zealand Rugby Governance Review, or Pilkington review, found NZR’s constitution and governance wasnot fit for purpose.
Barclay, born and bred in Gisborne and educated at Gisborne Boys’ High School, is a lawyer and governance professional with experience across commercial, legal and sports sectors.
He completed two terms as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in November.
Barclay is chairman of several organisations, including Smartpay, Pacific Forest Products and Boffa Miskell.
Gisborne Boys' High old boy Greg Barclay, until recently chairman of the International Cricket Council, has been appointed to the new board of New Zealand Rugby.
As founder of Capital Events (now The Experience Group), he collaborated with NZR partners for over two decades, delivering hospitality, travel and sponsorship services for events like the Rugby World Cup and Lions tours.
He has also acted as a legal adviser to the Blues franchise and New Zealand Rugby Foundation.
Jones is deputy chairman of the New Zealand Māori Rugby Board (NZMRB), where he has contributed to major initiatives, including involvement in Silver Lake’s investment in NZR and shaping NZR’s governance strategy.
He also leads the NZMRB cultural committee, which provides guidance on Māori branding, design and player welfare.
In his governance career, Jones has held directorships across a range of commercial, iwi, and community organisations. Notable roles include director of Wharerata Forest Ltd and the Iwi Collective Partnership, which manages a $170 million Māori fisheries portfolio.
He has also served as chief executive of Tāmanuhiri Tutu Poroporo Trust, delivering housing solutions and improved financial outcomes for iwi members.
Jones has coached at junior, club and representative levels, supported grassroots initiatives like the Poverty Bay nursery grade Wekas, and held leadership roles with Tūranganui-a-Kiwa Māori Rugby.
He was assistant coach of the 2023 Poverty Bay Heartland squad and has a World Rugby Level 2 coaching qualification.
New Zealand’s 26 provincial unions and the NZMRB ratified eight of nine board candidates selected by NZR’s appointments and remuneration panel from around 130 applicants.
The sole candidate rejected was former Otago Rugby Football Union chairwoman Rowena Davenport.
The new NZR chairman is 1987 Rugby World Cup-winning All Blacks captain and prominent businessman David Kirk, who, as chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association, led the battle against NZR’s original private equity proposal with US fund manager Silver Lake.
The new board takes over on February 1, with one vacancy remaining for the rejected Davenport.
