Tasman Rugby suspends chief executive after review

Tasman Rugby Union has suspended its chief executive Steve Mitchell while it works through the findings of an independent review into the organisation’s operations.

Steve, who was appointed in April 2024 after previously serving as Southland Rugby Union’s chief executive and earlier as Tasman Rugby’s operations manager, was suspended on full pay on 19 December.

The board commissioned the review late last year. It was carried out by former Auckland Rugby board member Stuart Mather.

Steve says he was blindsided by the suspension.

“I don't agree with the stand down and have raised my concerns formally through the appropriate channels. I know the community is watching closely but because the matter is ongoing it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to comment publicly on the specifics.”

It is understood that Julie Bensemann, a respected administrator who previously worked at the Nelson Giants before joining Tasman Rugby as commercial and marketing manager, is acting as interim chief executive.

Former Tasman chief executive Tony Lewis has also been contracted by the board to implement the review’s findings.

Tasman Rugby Union chair Wayne Young commented, “following an independent review commissioned by the new board towards the end of last year, it was clear we had work to do better to support community rugby, our local high performance pathways and ensure our high performance teams remain competitive nationally.

“The board is in the process of implementing structural change within the organisation, with the support of an external contractor, based on the findings of the review. Our aim is simple – to set the union up for long-term success.

“We are working closely with our staff, who have been kept informed of the review’s findings.

“Although challenging for all involved, the collective view is, ‘let’s make Tasman Rugby great again’.”

Wayne added that specific employment matters relating to any individual staff were not for the board to comment on publicly.