Posted on Oct 11, 2010 in Rugby News
Rugby Southland CEO Roger Clark has been appointed General Manager of the Highlanders’ Super Rugby franchise.
Clark has for the last four months been the Highlanders’ Project Manager on a secondment funded by the New Zealand Rugby Union, and has played an important role in both the on and off field re-structuring of the Highlanders’ franchise to date.
Clark’s employment is the first of a number of direct appointments intended to be made by the Highlanders before the start of the 2011 Investec Super Rugby season. In announcing the appointment, Highlanders’ Chairman Ross Laidlaw said:
"Roger was the standout applicant for this new position. He has 12 years’ experience as a rugby administrator and is highly respected as such both within the franchise region and beyond. One of Roger’s many tasks will be to build and lead an off field Highlanders’ management group – handling the franchise’s commercial, marketing, high performance and team management functions – which will work closely alongside Coach Jamie Joseph and his boys on the paddock."
Laidlaw also acknowledged the assistance and support of both the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Highlanders’ three regional provincial unions in relation the management re-structuring.
Meanwhile, Clark is looking forward to, but does not under estimate, the challenges of his new role:
"My principal task is to establish and maintain the Highlanders’ franchise as a commercially viable organisation. A continuation of significant operating deficits is not acceptable. There are many other important things to do. To build and maintain relationships with all our stakeholders; to assist Jamie Joseph in establishing a Highlander identity and culture, which will hopefully encourage the community to engage with the Highlanders; and to work with our provincial unions, particularly in the areas of player identification, development, recruitment and retention."
Rugby Southland Chairman Owen Shaw, acknowledged Clark’s contribution as CEO of the Stags:
"Roger has been instrumental in leading a resurgence of rugby in Southland as our CEO for the last 12 years. Whilst we are naturally disappointed to lose him, we are 100 per cent behind the new Highlanders’ leadership and wish Roger every success in his new role. We recognise how important it is for rugby in our region that the Highlanders is a successful franchise.”
Clark’s appointment takes effect immediately, but he will remain available to Rugby Southland to ensure a smooth transition to his successor.
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