Reddy ready to meet diversity target

Incoming New Zealand Rugby chair Dame Patsy Reddy says she is ‘‘hopeful’’ the organisation will meet its diversity target when departing director Stewart Mitchell is replaced at next year’s annual meeting.

Currently, NZ Rugby falls short of fulfilling the government-mandated minimum of 40% women on the boards of national sporting organisations, and has taken a $280,000 hit in Sport NZ community funding as a result. That figure could rise to $600,000 next year if non-compliance continues, though the penalty will be returned if criteria are met. At present NZ Rugby, which will announce another financial loss for 2022, has three women on its ninestrong board, Reddy, ex-Black Fern Dr Farah Palmer and former Otago Rugby chair Rowena Davenport. But with Mitchell exiting as both chair and a board member on January 31 next year, a replacement director will be elected at the annual meeting in lateApril 2023.

NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson confirmed at a press conference in Auckland yesterday alongside Reddy that Mitchell would not be replaced before the annual meeting because of the ‘‘short window’’ between his exit and the AGM when new directors are rubber-stamped.

Asked by Stuff if the reshaping of the board would allow them to meet diversity criteria, Reddy said: ‘‘We hope so. New elections are coming up at the AGM, and it’s certainly my hope we meet our targets. ‘‘We’ve actually got a pretty diverse board. We’ve got a lot of diversity of experience and thought. I’ve been on a number of boards in my time, and I’ve never been on a board with as many women. So we are getting there. We recognise the 40% target and I would be very hopeful we’ll get there [next] year.’’

Robinson, meanwhile, confirmed NZ Rugby would be reporting another financial loss for the year as the cost of the pandemic continued to bite across the sporting sphere.