
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson resigns
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) chief executive Mark Robinson has resigned and will officially leave his post at the end of 2025, the organisation has announced.
NZR chairman David Kirk thanked Robinson for his 'great service' to the organisation and the sport over six years.
'On behalf of the Board, I'd like to recognise Mark for his great service to NZR and the sport,' he said in a statement.
'He has led with a passion for rugby and we thank him for his commitment over the past six years.
Our vision is to inspire and unify through rugby and that opportunity has been an easy motivator for me every single day, from the community game right through to the international level
'Mark has driven significant change, both in New Zealand and internationally, and the Board believes the organisation is well-placed to capitalise on this. Of note was his leadership through a global pandemic that saw the game deal with an unprecedented crisis.'
He added: 'Mark will continue to lead for the remainder of the year as we conclude key projects, and the Board will now commence recruitment for the new role.'
In a statement, Robinson said he was leaving the role to join his wife and children, who have relocated to Australia.
'My family have been based in Australia for the last few months with all three of my children studying there,' he said.
'My wife is already there supporting them and, ultimately, I will be joining them early next year.
'The past six years have been a period of rapid change, or unprecedented challenges through the pandemic, and significant evolution across commercial, competitions and structures. I will reflect on that as I get closer to stepping away, but I firmly believe the foundations of our organisation are extremely strong and the game is well-placed for the future.
'Our vision is to inspire and unify through rugby and that opportunity has been an easy motivator for me every single day, from the community game right through to the international level.'
The 51-year-old called his tenure a 'privilege' and said his focus was on 'supporting the Board and leading the organisation through a pivotal year, including ensuring the Black Ferns have the support they need to defend the Rugby World Cup in England'.
He added: 'We also remain focused on implementing a new financial model for the game in New Zealand and completing the remaining work on what will be an exciting future international calendar.'
Robinson took up the role in January 2020, having previously served on the organisation's board for seven years.
His playing career included nine Tests for the All Blacks between 2000 and 2002 and appearances for the Bristol Bears and Japanese side Kobelco Steelers.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Edel McMahon: 'We want to be heading to London' at RWC
Ireland co-captain Edel McMahon says the finals weekend is their target, as their preparations begin for the Rugby World Cup later this year. The Ireland squad are in their second week of pre-season training ahead of the World Cup, with their Pool C opener against Japan in just over 10 weeks, on Sunday 24 August, and the first of two warm-up games on 2 August against Scotland. Ireland face Japan, Spain and defending champions New Zealand in the pool, and should they progress, they'll take on one of France, Italy, South Africa or Brazil in the quarter-finals. Northampton and Brighton will be the venues for Ireland in the pool stage, with Bristol and Exeter the two potential locations in the quarters and semis. But with Twickenham set to host both the final and third-place play-off, McMahon says making it to the final weekend of the tournament is their North Star. "We want to be on the road to Twickenham. We want to be heading to London," she told the RTE Rugby podcast. "I think every team that goes to a World Cup wants to try and achieve that and I definitely think that squad is certainly capable of that. "We've said openly as a squad that we want to be heading to Twickenham." Having finished with third in the Guinness Women's Six Nations earlier this year, Ireland's World Cup preparations hit a bump with the surprise departure of defence coach Hugh Hogan. The former Leinster and Scarlets assistant has been in place since last summer, and has been replaced in the group by former England U20 and Coventry coach James Scaysbrook, a former team-mate of head coach Scott Bemand at Bath. "Obviously, we have a lot of respect for Hugh and wish him well," McMahon added. "As a squad, we really valued the input he gave to us. "With James coming in, it's trying to get that continuity. We had a very good sit-down with James to talk about what his principles are, and what he's looking to bring in, to bring his stamp in on the squad, but also keep some principles the same, and where he thinks he can develop and push our defence even further. "He's got a couple of cool ideas that I think the squad are looking forward to doing. "It's been a work in progress, getting to know him. He actually shares a very similar pattern in many ways to the way we're playing as a squad. "He's done a lot of work over the breakdown with the back rows and centres today, so I'm really looking forward to seeing his passion filter through the squad." Ireland had been on track for their best Six Nations since 2020 before their final round defeat to Scotland at The Hive, losing 26-19 following a Francesca McGhie try with the final play of the game. Comprehensive wins against Italy and Wales ensured Ireland still finished in the top half of the table, while they also put in encouraging performances in defeat to France and England. Back row Brittany Hogan joined McMahon on the RTÉ Rugby podcast, and believes that game is a cautionary take for them as they turn towards the World Cup. "I don't know if it was complacency within the squad, Scotland were just really up to that game, and full credit to them. They performed exceptionally on the day," Hogan (below) said. "It was just one of those days you can learn from, but we're still pretty confident after it." Having shocked the world last September with a famous win against New Zealand in WXV, Hogan says this Irish team are no longer being treated like minnows. "We have been considered underdogs in the past and people wouldn't respect us or wouldn't know exactly the style we play in defence or attack, our tactics. "Even at the start, when Scott came in, people didn't realise how good our team was. Once we started believing in each other, once we developed a good culture off the field that wanted to work hard for each other on the field, our tactics married up and it got some performances on the pitch that we were very proud of. "That takes away the element of surprise and I suppose in the Six Nations, we did come away disappointed afterwards. Because we were so successful in WXV and the way we were growing, and the trajectory we were going on, our goal was to achieve that one place higher, to beat Scotland at the end. "We can't fault what we did, the glimpses of excellence that we had, we were so close to beating France, who we might meat in the World Cup, which is really important for us, to know we could beat them. "That just gives us that confidence. Yes, OK, they beat us, but we're still confident that if we met them in the World Cup, we would be able to do a job. "The first 50 minutes against England, if that doesn't give you confidence, I don't know what would. We really held it up too those two teams."


RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
RTÉ Rugby podcast: Leinster's siege mentality and inside the Irish RWC camp
Neil Treacy is joined by Bernard Jackman and Johne Murphy as we preview Leinster's BKT United Rugby Championship final against the Bulls on Saturday. We also react to Finlay Bealham's call-up to the Lions squad, as well as the Irish squad named for the summer Tests in Georgia and Portugal. Later (55:20), Neil speaks to Ireland co-captain Edel McMahon, and back row Brittany Hogan, to find out how things are going in the early stages of Ireland's Rugby World Cup training camp.


Agriland
8 hours ago
- Agriland
Watch: First Asian Chef's Irish Beef Club launched in Japan
Bord Bia launched its first-ever Chefs' Irish Beef Club (CIBC) in Asia today (Wednesday, June 11), marking a significant milestone in the promotion of premium Irish beef on the global stage. The prestigious club, which has elevated the profile of Irish grass-fed beef across Europe and the Middle East, now extends its reach to Japan, welcoming three renowned Japanese chefs as its inaugural members in Asia. The Chefs' Irish Beef Club is an exclusive international forum which brings together some of the leading international chefs who collectively endorse the sustainability credentials and taste of Irish beef. The official launch took place at The Momentum by Porsche restaurant in Tokyo, as part of the Irish government's trade mission to Japan led by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon. Three new chefs – Yuji Hayashi (The Momentum by Porsche), Yuki Inoue (Ristorante La Bisboccia), and Kenzo Nishizawa (Trattoria Da Kenzo) – were formally inducted into the international club. Minister Heydon said: 'Irish beef is growing in strength in Japan and launching the Chefs' Irish Beef Club here in Tokyo is testament to how well premium Irish beef is received on the global stage. 'The voluntary endorsement of Irish beef by three prestigious Japanese chefs underscores the exceptional quality of meat from Ireland.' He went on to say that Ireland's Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) for Irish beef has officially been sent to Japanese authorities for registration, with the hope that it will be authorised in the coming months. Chef Yuji Hayashi, who has worked for the last four years as the executive chef at Momentum, the world's first Porsche-approved restaurant in Tokyo, said: 'It's an honour to be part of the CIBC. 'I'm delighted to host Ireland's Minister of Agriculture today, and serve him and the group some beautiful Irish beef here in Tokyo. 'When I visited Ireland I realised how good the animal welfare was. It was amazing to see cattle living a stress-free life on the greenest grass.' Bord Bia CEO Jim O'Toole said taste profiles are changing in Japan and that Irish grass-fed beef is now highly desired by consumers in Japan. 'Last year Bord Bia hosted trade buyers to Ireland along with chefs and a key Japanese importer of chilled premium beef,' he said. 'Historically, Japanese consumers have a preference for grain-fed beef over grass-fed, due to the reputation of their own grain-fed Wagyu beef, but Bord Bia's market insights show that this is changing. 'There is increasing evidence that Japanese consumers enjoy the taste, flavour, and smell of Irish grass-fed beef,' he said. 'The fact that some of Japan's most prestigious chefs are now cooking with Irish beef is a strong endorsement of the quality and reputation of Irish beef from farm to fork, and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the promotion of Irish beef in Japan.' Chef Yuki Inoue, head chef at Ristorante La Bisboccia in Tokyo said: 'I've been using Irish beef at La Bisboccia for six years. We have served beef from all over the world, but Irish grass-fed beef stands up as the best, and our customers love it.' Beef to Japan In 2024, Ireland exported over 3,300t of beef and beef offal to Japan, valued at almost €25 million, up from €19.8 million in 2023. Total Irish food and drink exports to Japan were €161 million last year. Japan has been a prized market for beef offals such as tongue and more recently has become a destination for prime beef. Since the Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement was implemented in 2019, tariffs on imported beef from Europe have been decreasing. To date, Irish beef tongue has proven a popular export choice, with Japan's Negishi chain of restaurants selling Irish beef tongue at its 49-or-so restaurants around the Kanto region of Japan, which includes Tokyo. Irish beef tongue is the main feature of the menu at restaurant chain Negishi in Tokyo Negishi specialises in various kinds of grilled beef tongue – regarded as a delicacy in Japan. A new Negishi restaurant in Osaka is due to open later this year. The Chefs' Irish Beef Club, established in 2004, is an exclusive international network of award-winning chefs who share a passion for Irish beef. Bord Bia has said that the club's members, who work in top restaurants and culinary institutions worldwide, play a pivotal role in promoting Irish beef as a premium product.