Donna Grant first woman on Warriors board

Well-known Te Arawa woman Donna Grant has become the first woman to be appointed to the board of the Warriors rugby league club.

Mrs Grant told The Daily Post she was chuffed, very proud and very humbled after being invited to become a board member.

She said the Warriors board, including owners Eric Watson and Owen Glenn, had talked about the need to get a more balanced gender perspective on the board and she decided it was an opportunity "you would have to be silly to refuse".

Vodafone Warriors chairman Bill Wavish welcomed the appointment of the Rotorua academic and community leader, saying her background in the tertiary sector and her community roles would be invaluable to the club.

"Donna has an outstanding reputation through the work she does in a multitude of roles.

"With her knowledge of Maori and Pacific people she is ideally suited to fulfil the aims we have of widening the role the Vodafone Warriors play in the community. Our club has a fine record in this area and Donna has the passion and expertise to take our involvement to another level.

"She will prove a wonderful asset to the board and to the club as a whole," Mr Wavish said.

Mrs Grant said she was no stranger to the boardroom, or to rugby league.

"My interest in rugby league has stemmed from being a supportive wife of my husband, who has played rugby league for Central and Tigers, and my boys who played for Hamilton City Tigers and the Waicoa Stallions."

Last year her sons, Anaru and Hiwaroa Grant, made the New Zealand Maori Residents side and her husband Anaru Grant has just recently resigned as the president of Waikato Rugby League.

A daughter of the late Sir Howard Morrison, Mrs Grant has wide experience in educational and cultural fields, having taught in the primary and intermediate school sector for almost 20 years and served in the tertiary sector for 13 years.

She is the executive director of Rotorua's Manaakitanga Aotearoa Charitable Trust and is also head of performing arts at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi.

She has led a number of delegations in the Pacific and serves on several boards including the Glenn Family Foundation, Te Matatini National Kapa Haka and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority Nga Kaituhono Advisory Board.

Asked whether she thought the Warriors would win the title this year Mrs Grant declined to make any predictions.

"I don't think my expertise goes as far as making any astute predictions about whether the Warriors could win or not."

She said it was more important to ensure the club culture was sound and robust and it was transmitted to the community.

"We need to ensure we have great sustainable relationships with all our stakeholders and if we do that then the people will come - win, lose or draw."