Chair and Management’s Report The year has been Executive Summary We supported VIPs1 one of both progress and reflection for the New Zealand Rugby Foundation (NZRF). Throughout the year, we continued to stand alongside rugby’s seriously injured players and their whānau, providing tailored support, advocacy, and connection at moments when it matters most. facing complex health challenges, received two new players into the Foundation’s lifelong support programme, and assisted 65 players through our Near Miss support service. Our advocacy work with ACC delivered positive outcomes for injured players, while collaboration across the rugby and health systems strengthened our ability to influence prevention, care, and long-term wellbeing. At the same time, the Board-led Strategic Review completed in 2024 is now being embedded into dayto-day delivery. This work intensifies our focus on those areas where the Foundation can have the greatest impact and ensures our support remains sustainable for future generations of injured players. For almost four decades, the NZRF has stood alongside players whose lives have been changed by serious rugby injury. That commitment – to stand beside them for life – remains at the heart of everything we do. While closely connected to the game we serve, we operate independently, ensuring injured players and their whānau always have a trusted champion standing beside them. REFLECTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT During the reporting year, we experienced both progress and loss. We acknowledge with deep respect the passing of members of our community whose contributions and presence will be long remembered. These losses are felt deeply across our organisation and among the players, whānau, carers, and supporters we serve, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to all families and loved ones affected. Long-standing NZRF Director Dr John Mayhew passed away on 9 April. We also lost East Coast Bays club player Dan Arakawa, who died during training and passed away on 15 June, leaving his newlywed partner Erina and their daughter Arahia. In August, we tragically farewelled former Tasman, Highlanders, and Māori All Blacks player Shane Christie. VIP #23, Davey Wear, passed away peacefully on 8 October 2025. Injured in 1983 while playing for Canterbury, Davey lived for more than four decades with tetraplegia following a C5/6 dislocation. He remained a dearly loved father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and colleague. These moments remind us of the seriousness of our mission and the responsibility we carry in standing alongside rugby’s seriously injured players and their whānau. CHAIR’S PERSPECTIVE – STEWARDSHIP AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION During the year, the Board remained focused on ensuring the NZRF continues to deliver on its purpose of standing alongside rugby’s seriously injured players and their whānau. 1 VIP_ Very Injured Players/Very Important People NEW ZEALAND RUGBY FOUNDATION INC. CC42547 7 Following the Strategic Review completed in 2024, the Board’s priority has been guiding the embedding of this strategy across governance, partnerships, funding priorities, and organisational structure. The review confirmed where the Foundation can deliver the greatest impact and reinforced the importance of sustaining lifelong support for injured players and their families. The Board will always oversee the organisation’s financial sustainability and resilience. In a challenging economic environment, maintaining strong stewardship of resources, diversified funding, and prudent investment management remains essential to ensuring the NZRF can continue its work for generations to come. As we approach our 40th year of service in 2026, we do so with pride in the organisation’s history cont’d overleaf ...
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