New Zealand Rugby farewell another long-serving executive

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) General Manager Professional Rugby and Performance Chris Lendrum is moving on from the governing body after more than 20 years at the organisation.

The role Lendrum vacates in May will cease to exist following his exit, with NZR opting to “evolve” its structure by introducing two new positions in its place: High Performance Director and Chief Rugby Officer.

Lendrum’s role involved player retention, investment in the women’s game, overseeing high-performance programs and helping NZR navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. Lendrum will serve as a consultant for the remainder of 2026

“I have known Chris for almost his entire professional career, having first hired him into the professional rugby team at NZR 20 years ago,” said Interim CEO Steve Lancaster.

“Over that period, he has grown into an internationally respected sporting leader and has made an enormous contribution to rugby in New Zealand.

“Chris has led with integrity and a deep care for the game and our people. He leaves with our sincere thanks and best wishes. He has been involved in the discussions to evolve our High Performance leadership structure, and we know he will continue to contribute to rugby in the future.”

Lendrum highlighted the Black Ferns’ 2022 Rugby World Cup win as a particularly proud moment during his NZR career.

“It’s been a huge privilege to be involved in New Zealand Rugby and our national teams for this long, and work alongside some incredible people across the game.

“Together, we’ve seen plenty of success, although sometimes we haven’t achieved goals that we and the country all wanted so dearly.

“There are too many highlights, but I’m particularly proud of leading the organisation through the Black Ferns culture and environment review in 2021, which set the foundation for the incredible Rugby World Cup win a year later.

“As international rugby becomes increasingly competitive and complex, NZR now requires a singular focus on driving the success of our Teams in Black. I’m excited for their future.”

Expanding on the new roles NZR is establishing, Lancaster explained that the new High Performance Director will focus on New Zealand’s national teams, while the Chief Rugby Officer will oversee much of the professional rugby operations below the international level, right down to the community game, while also managing key stakeholder relationships and agreements.

Lancaster himself will step into the role of Chief Rugby Officer once the search for a new CEO concludes.

“Our refreshed strategy has a clear focus on our national teams consistently winning, supported by strong performance pathways for players and coaches. As an organisation, we need to ensure we are set up to deliver this,” Lancaster said.