Cricket boss to join district council
Jason Domigan’s five-year stint at the helm of the Southland Cricket Association is coming to an end.
The association’s general manager handed in his notice at a board meeting on Monday night after accepting a job at the Southland District Council as its corporate performance lead.
He previously worked for Environment Southland as a planner.
Domigan said he has loved the cricket job and he wouldn’t have minded filling the role for life.
However, he felt after five years it was time to hand over the baton and give someone else a chance to bring in a fresh approach.
He also acknowledged it had been an absorbing job.
‘‘It’s what you sign up for. It’s a passion for me so it is hard to switch off; you are always thinking about it.’’
Domigan pointed to March 2018, when Southland brought the Hawke Cup back to the province for the first time in 26 years, as one of the highlights during his tenure.
The growth of primary school playing numbers was another success, as was the fact two association development officers – Sam Ward and James Carr – picked up NZ Cricket awards for their work.
However, Domigan doesn’t hide away from the fact cricket has its challenges.
‘‘Like many sports, there are challenges with the drop-off in secondary school playing numbers. That also affects the club’s playing numbers because there are not the players coming through. It leads to an ageing player base,’’ he said.
While Domigan will finish as association general manager next month, his involvement with cricket won’t end there.
He has an added appreciation for the role volunteers play in sport and he wants to help cricket in that capacity.
Association chairman Gerry Ward said Domigan had brought solidarity to Southland cricket in recent years.
Ward said the association was now financially stable and had good playing programmes put in place. He felt Southland Cricket had provided an opportunity for people to progress their working careers and Domigan was an example of that.
He pointed to former groundsman Mike Davies, and development officers Sam Ward and James Carr, as others who have used Southland Cricket as a successful stepping stone in their careers.
The association had not yet set a timeframe around finding a replacement for Domigan.
It’s what you sign up for. It’s a passion for me so it is hard to switch off; you are always thinking about it. Jason Domigan on his cricket role