New T20 vision for Canty Rowing stalwart retires
Canterbury Cricket’s new boss never lasted long in the sport after being struck on the wrist while batting when he was 12.
Englishman Jeremy ‘‘Jez’’ Curwin started in the job on Monday and was quick to point out administration is his area of expertise rather than facing fast bowling. His partner, Sarah, who is due to give birth to the couple’s second child in February, and son, Charlie (nearly three), packed up their lives and moved to the other side of the world for an opportunity they couldn’t say no to.
The 40-year-old spent the past five years as head of commercial operations for the Somerset County Cricket Club in the southwest of England and said Canterbury’s rich history of success and progressive approach was a powerful lure.
‘‘In terms of the market in New Zealand, I’d argue Canterbury is the most respected of the MAs (major associations) in terms of dynamism, achievements on the pitch and progression of players. In terms of the cricket world, Canterbury is very well known.’’
Curwin loves cricket, but admits rugby is his No.1 sporting passion. He was a wing at agegroup level in the mid-90s for the Wasps club, previously based in London, and played socially when a career in management beckoned.
Before working for Somerset, he was employed at Bath Rugby Club as their commercial manager and marketing and communications director. Curwin also had a stint at Red Bull straight out of university as a regional brand manager, then mainstream sports manager.
At Somerset, he was part of a high-achieving team, which took out three gongs at last year’s England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) business of cricket awards. The club bucked the decreasing national trend, achieving revenue and attendance records.
Somerset sold out 23 straight Twenty20 home matches over the past three seasons and Curwin said cricket’s shortest version had untapped potential, something he wants to realise at Canterbury.
Christchurch had a superb venue with Hagley Oval and it was about making sure spectators received a true entertainment experience and the event was promoted effectively.
‘‘In the market place we’re not competing with other sports, we’re actually competing with people going to the beach, people going to the cinema, whatever it might be. Someone has 20, 30 or 40 dollars and they’ll spend it on something. We just need to make sure we’re front of mind and they want to come to us.’’
With a population close to 400,000 in Christchurch, Curwin said there was no reason why Canterbury’s T20 side, the Kings, couldn’t pack out Hagley’s grass banks and get 2000 fans along. ‘‘Simple mathematics dictates the target market should make that figure attainable.’’
While it would be great to land a marquee international player to boost interest, he said it was unlikely given budget constraints and the Ashes and Australia’s lucrative Big Bash T20 competition were on.
That meant Canterbury had to think outside the box and create an atmosphere even non-cricket supporters wanted to experience.
‘‘It’s kind of self-perpetuating. Once you’ve got a sold out fixture and people realise they just can’t turn up on the day, then ticket sales are in advance and it makes it kind of flow through.’’
Hagley is the jewel in the crown for Canterbury Cricket. Curwin was determined to see the venue continue to be awarded major Black Caps’ international fixtures and retain its place among the country’s premier test grounds.
He wasn’t in a position to comment about the potential for floodlights, but would be researching ‘‘the cans and can’ts and the politics around it’’ and speak to the relevant people.
Curwin replaces former Canterbury and New Zealand captain and wicketkeeper Lee Germon in the chief executive’s chair, who was with the organisation for nine years and instrumental in Hagley’s redevelopment.
Replacing Germon, who is general manager at Australian Big Bash side, the Sydney Thunder, is daunting but the Brighton native will be his own man.
‘‘I’ve inherited an amazing organisation that Lee has set up. I can’t sing his praises high enough.
‘‘We’ve got a fantastic director of cricket in Steady [Gary Stead]. One thing I’m not going to try and do is influence cricket. I’ll be there as a sounding board if Gary needs me to offer advice. My strengths are in the administration side of things.’’
Curwin will spend the first few weeks meeting Canterbury Cricket’s various stakeholders and familiarising himself with his fresh surroundings.
Next weekend, he’s in Westport for the Buller Cricket Association’s 150th anniversary and declares will interact with the grassroots and be approachable.
‘‘I’m not going to hide behind a desk and a closed door. It’s not how I work.’’ Canterbury rowing stalwart John Wylie has called it a day after 62 years of service.
The 77-year-old, who started rowing in 1955 and has been involved in the sport ever since, has retired as Canterbury Rowing Association (CRA) manager.
Wylie could not be reached for comment, which came as no surprise to former CRA president Allan Bain, who said his long-time friend wouldn’t want to blow his own trumpet.
‘‘He never ever has,’’ Bain said. ‘‘But he’s got to be put on top of the hill, he really has. Rowing in Canterbury would not be where it is, and rowing in New Zealand may not be where it is. Because he’s on the fundraising group for New Zealand Rowing and suddenly that has leapt ahead leaps and bounds since John has got himself involved in that.’’
Fundraising was Wylie’s strength. He raised more than $5 million in sponsorship between 2003-2011 alone, and was instrumental in getting Canterbury rowing back on its feet after the 2010 Christchurch earthquake ravaged facilities at Kerrs Reach.
‘‘John looked over his shoulder, we looked at each other and he said, ‘that’s all right, watch this’. Blow me down, within a very short period of time he’d managed to [raise] half a million dollars and suddenly we’ve got sheds going up and all sorts of things like this,’’ Bain said. ‘‘Now, that wouldn’t have happened, there’s no way that would have happened without John being there.’’
In recent years, when South Island Rowing was told by the Mackenzie District Council they needed to install a sewer pipeline from the Lake Ruataniwha rowing complex to the main sewer system, Wylie got to work.
South Island Rowing needed to raise almost $1 million to get the job done. Wylie made it happen in ‘‘a very short period of time’’, Bain said.
Bain, a life member of CRA who stays involved in the sport through umpiring, said Wylie would be sorely missed, particularly by young rowers rising through the ranks. In the past, it was Wylie who helped offset their costs by raising money in various ways, including dinners and applications through charities.
Wylie’s work has long been recognised. He was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to rowing in 2010, the same year he became a Rowing New Zealand life member.
Wylie became a delegate to the CRA in 1958 and was on the New Zealand Rowing council between
1978-1995, before he became a commissioner for seven years.
He qualified as an international umpire in 1978 and went on to umpire at the 1990, 1994, 1997 and
1999 world championships, and the
2004 Athens Olympic Games. He took over as CRA’s manager in 2003, and oversaw the growth of school rowing in the area from less than a dozen schools competing, to more than 20 schools and 1000 active rowers. In 2011, Wylie was also responsible for establishing a coaching cadet scheme to encourage and train prospective coaches into the sport. CRA recently appointed Logan Keys to replace Wylie.