‘Boys club’ culture hurts Cycling NZ
Cycling New Zealand (CNZ) high performance director Martin Barras says its ‘blokey’ culture has held cycling back, but there is some way to go in curbing it
An independent review of cycling found incidents of bullying, gender imbalances and an inappropriate relationship between high performance sprint coach Anthony Peden and a female cyclist.
The lack of women in high performance roles is a weakness that has been identified, Barras says.
Alexandra Greenfield is the only woman on the coaching panel in high performance at CNZ – she shares the women’s endurance coaching duties with a male coach.
Peden resigned in May after athlete interviews detailing personal information from riders were leaked to the media.
The documents were sent to Peden by High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ) staff member, Hamish Carter, who resigned on Thursday.
Barras had no comment to make on the resignations.
Since being appointed high performance director last year, he has been aware of the lack of female influence at Cycling NZ.
Barras oversees the high performance programme, which includes hiring coaching staff.
‘‘I don’t think there is any doubt that we have had a bit of that [boys’ club] and it is something I was conscious of when I first stepped into the organisation. The high performance side was and still is male dominated and it is far from ideal.’’
However, Barras is not driving female recruitment.
‘‘I don’t have an agenda on that front, but I kind of know after nine years of working in women’s cycling, so I am probably a little more sensitive than other people to it.
‘‘Hopefully the proof will be in the pudding and over time you will see more and more women getting in to high performance. Female coaches are not getting a look in at the moment, I don’t think we can deny that.
‘‘That is a problem with cycling, sport at large and society at large, to be perfectly honest.’’
Former high performance cyclist Stephanie McKenzie this month spoke to Stuff about the ‘‘boys club’’ environment she witnessed while on the high performance programme.
She had concerns over CNZ culture, saying Peden’s behaviour was at times ‘‘embarrassing’’, and not one of a role model.
Peden drank freely in front of the team and often encouraged others to join in, McKenzie says.
This made her and many of the other cyclists uncomfortable.
Barras said there was not and never was a drinking culture at Cycling New Zealand, and said the HPSNZ review proved this.
Since Peden’s resignation, there had been no reported incidents of bullying, drinking or sexism, he said.
‘‘I don’t know. All I can say really is I’ve got this degree of confidence in the group that we have here.’’