Canterbury name new CEO
New Canterbury Rugby Football Union chief executive Tony Smail believes his grassroots rugby experience will help him make a success of a challenging role.
Smail, 53, was confirmed yesterday as outgoing CEO Nathan Godfrey’s replacement, after six years as the union’s chief financial officer.
The former Southlander said he had ‘‘a great working relationship with Nathan’’, and hoped his own 40-year background as a rugby player would help him step up in the top job.
‘‘I bring a strength in club rugby. I understand the background, I’ve been part of it, and that holds me in good stead.
‘‘I’m one of those typical New Zealand blokes – my dad is a life member of his club in Invercargill. I played every Saturday from the time I was five to 43, when, eventually, my calf muscles and my hamstrings gave out.’’
Smail, whose mother was a Southland netball and softball representative, played senior rugby in Southland and Canterbury, where he turned out as a centre for the Belfast club, before ending his career with the Prebbleton Golden Oldies.
He was chairman of Sport Southland in 2001-02, was Halswell cricket junior president for five years, and served on the Canterbury Junior Cricket Association, as well as assisting squash and rugby clubs.
‘‘I joined my first sports committee when I was a 15. Outside work, I’m a committed volunteer.’’
Smail believed he was a ‘‘great listener’’ and ‘‘good at forming long-term relationships’’.
‘‘I have a real affinity with club and school rugby, and I look forward to working with clubs, schools, affiliates and our subassociations to ensure we continue to have the strongest competitions in the country, and we continue to grow all aspects of the game within our region’’
‘‘The strategic goal, developed by Nathan, the executive and the board, is to unify and serve our community.
‘‘I won’t say we are perfect. ‘‘We’ve got work to do, as most unions around the country know they have.
‘‘The clubs and schools are the lifeblood of where rugby comes from in our country.
‘‘If you don’t have that as a focus, as the CEO, then you are missing the point.’’
Smail, whose three children have represented Canterbury in junior sports, said the CRFU’s challenges included growing the volunteer base and keeping ‘‘kids engaged in the sport’’.
Dwindling attendances at professional rugby games was also a concern. ‘‘Any provincial union CEO would say the same thing.
‘‘It’s a constant challenge to keep the paying public along to watch your sport. We can’t shy away from that, it’s evident that we’ve got to address it, and that’s either the product we are putting up for them, or finding the mechanism as to why people aren’t coming.’’
But Smail said Canterbury was fortunate to have successful senior representative teams and ‘‘great role model in the men’s and women’s games’’ for younger players to aspire to.
He said he was ‘‘definitely up’’ for the challenges.
‘‘Canterbury rugby has got such a proud history and we’ve got 15,000 young kids who want to find a pathway through rugby, and I’ve got a passion for being involved.
‘‘It didn’t take too long to marry it up together and say, ‘I’d absolutely love to have a crack’.’’
CRFU chairman Peter Winchester said Smail had been ‘‘a proven leader’’ since joining the union in 2012 after a long career in the business sector.
‘‘As acting CEO over the past three months I have seen Tony’s vision and leadership qualities first hand, and alongside the CRFU Board, we know he is the right person to take Canterbury Rugby into the future’’.