It’s with great pride that we share that one of our members has made history for women’s sport: Dame Patsy Reddy has been elected as the first woman chair of New Zealand Rugby.
Not only that, fellow Global Women Member and Current NZ Rugby directors Professor Dr Farah Palmer (Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto) will become Dame Patsy’s joint deputy chair, along with Bailey Mackey (Ngāti Porou, Tūhoe, Rongowhakaata).
“It is an absolute honour to be elected to the position of chair at such a pivotal and exciting moment for rugby in Aotearoa,” Dame Patsy shares with Stuff.co.nz.
The election took place on the final board meeting for 2022, and Dame Patsy will take the reins on January 31.
This comes after Dame Patsy’s appointment to the New Zealand Rugby Board in May earlier this year, where she reflected on the power of gender diversity: I’ll be conscious of the fact I’ll be there to listen and learn for a bit. I’m delighted there will be three female board members but it’s three out of nine. Diversity comes in many forms, gender is just one, so I guess there’s quite a way to go.”
Considering the great triumphs achieved in the sporting arena in 2022 — with the Black Ferns’ success and spotlighting of women’s sporting excellence coming to mind — it’s safe to say that Dame Patsy is joining at an exciting and pivotal time. We cannot wait to see what this move has in store for all wāhine in the rugby and sporting world, and of course, our member Dame Patsy Reddy.