26th November, 2025
- Lead the performance strategy at NZ's most successful provincial rugby union
- Drive sustainable success across NPC and FPC programmes
- Shape pathways, recruit top talent, and build high-performing environments
ABOUT AUCKLAND RUGBY Auckland Rugby Union is 142 years proud and is New Zealand's largest and most successful provincial union. We support 21,000+ registered players, partner with schools and clubs to deliver over 10,000 games of rugby annually and have produced over 200 All Blacks and 100 Black Ferns. Our home is Eden Park, the country's premier rugby fortress and host to regular NPC, FPC, Super Rugby and international fixtures. Our why is to create "A better Auckland, built by rugby."
We focus on - Innovating to grow the community game / Winning in Rugby Performance and growing support / Building the strongest rugby whānau in New Zealand / Ensuring long-term organisational sustainability
ROLE SUMMARY: As Head of Rugby Performance, you will lead Auckland Rugby's rugby-performance strategy, systems, and people across all Rugby Performance programmes, including NPC and FPC.
At the core of the role is delivering our "Developing to Win" framework, ensuring athletes and coaches are supported, prepared, and developed to achieve consistent on-field success while delivering pathways that produce the next generation of talent for FPC, NPC, the Blues, Super Rugby, the Black Ferns, and the All Blacks.
You will shape and execute the mid and long-term performance strategies that create winning teams, high-performing environments, and enduring performance systems. This includes leading talent identification, recruitment, player contracting, development pathway alignment, and the integration of best practice across coaching, S&C, medical, analysis, leadership and development disciplines.
Success in this role hinges on strong relationships with NZR, The Blues, Northland, North Harbour, and key stakeholders across Auckland's club, school, and community rugby landscape.
ABOUT YOU: We are looking for an experienced performance leader with a deep understanding of rugby and the New Zealand rugby landscape. You bring a track record of building and leading performance programmes, teams, and pathways that consistently deliver results.
You will bring: - Proven success in rugby-performance environments as a leader, manager, or coach.
- A high-performance mindset with consistently professional standards.
- Exceptional communication and relationship-building capability.
- Excellent planning, organisational skills, and attention to detail.
- Demonstrated experience designing, delivering, and reviewing Rugby Performance.
Experience in performance planning, budgeting, and optimising resources. - Ability to lead teams, drive alignment, and build a strong performance culture.
- Experience in player contracting and Talent ID (advantageous but not essential)
- Strong networks across community rugby, pathways through to the elite level.
- A genuine connection to Auckland Rugby's purpose, values, and community impact
This is a rare opportunity to influence the future of rugby performance in New Zealand's largest and most competitive rugby region. APPLICATIONS CLOSE - Friday 12th December 2025
Apply For Job