After having the same leader for over 20 years, it was time for a change and this week Central Districts Cricket Association welcomed in their new leader in the form of Hugh Henderson.
Henderson, who has spent the last few years with the New Zealand Rugby Union in a range of roles, including Marketing Manager and most recently Commercial Operations Manager, brings a fresh set of eyes to CD.
Sport, especially cricket and rugby, is something Henderson is rather passionate about, so to be able to lead a sporting association such as CD is almost a dream come true. “I wanted to represent cricket and rugby at the highest level during my playing days,” he said. “But by aged 20 I knew that was never going to happen so I decided I wanted to work in the industry of sport.”
Regarding the Central Districts Cricket Association, he made some enquiries within the industry and heard some good things. “I did my homework on CD and spoke to people who knew about it. They encouraged me to apply for the CEO role,” he said.
Henderson, who is in his late 30s, brings a fresh look to CD, however he said he’s just not going to jump in and change everything. He knows he’s got big boots to fill, however he’s glad he’s got a supportive group of people in his team. “A lot of people would want to change a lot quickly, but the reality is that would be a flawed approach,” Henderson said. “I think Blair Furlong has set this up from his kitchen table over 20 years ago to where it is today, which is a professional sporting entity. It’s come a long way over 20 years and has been done in a manner which is fiscally sound.”
Thankfully there is no cricket being played in New Zealand at the moment which gives time for Henderson to ease into the leadership role. “I’ve set myself six to nine months to get a good understanding of the landscape of what works and what hasn’t. From that I’ll look to use the knowledge and the skills I’ve gathered in a commercial and sporting environment to see how we can do it better and continue to ensure CD becomes a leading sporting organisation in New Zealand and the world of cricket.”
The team at the CD head office at McLean Park in Napier has welcomed Henderson warmly, and Henderson said it’s great to be involved with an open minded group of people. “I admit it’s only been a few days without Blair! We’ve stumbled a bit but we’ll get there,” he said. “But one of the benefits is it’s a tight knit group.”
Henderson isn’t resting on his laurels because he has some big decisions to make over the next few weeks. The first priority is to find a coach for the Central Stags and then turn the attention to the preparation to the Champions League which is being held in South Africa in September. “We’ve short listed applicants and will name someone next week,” he said. “There’s only 14 weeks till we go to South Africa. I think the appointment of the new coach is critical. Obviously the nucleus of the team is very sound with a number of senior cricketers as well as younger guys who show enormous potential. We need a coach and management team around them to manage that dynamic.”
Henderson fact file
- Went to Otago University and completed a degree in marketing
- He started his career working for DB Breweries
- He started at the NZRU as a product manager taking care of Super 12 and the All Blacks
- He then moved onto commercial manager and was at the NZRU for nine years
- He is married with two children, aged seven and nine, who love cricket and rugby. “The kids are extremely excited about coming to visit dad at work because he’s got a park at his office!”
- He’s spent the last few years living in Whitby, just north of Wellington but has moved to Napier for the new role.
- He describes himself as “serious but fun”.
- His secret talent is cooking Mongolian BBQ
- His message to those involved with CD cricket: “I look forward to meeting you and working with you to achieve our common goals”.
- His message to Stags supporters: “It’s an exciting start to a new chapter in the history of the Stags. I can’t promise we’ll win everything all of the time, but we will work bloody hard to give it our best shot”.
