The New Zealand Rugby (NZR) governing body has today confirmed Steve Lancaster as the organisation’s permanent chief executive.
Lancaster has already been serving in the role on an interim basis for the past six months, after the previous CEO, Mark Robinson, stepped down at the end of 2025.
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Before taking temporary charge, he had led the community game in New Zealand as the general manager of community rugby since 2016.
NZR chair David Kirk said: “The board has been very deliberate in the recruitment of the CEO. It is a critical leadership role for rugby, and we have taken our time to make the right appointment.
“Steve has demonstrated exceptional leadership and is highly trusted by the board. He brings strong experience at all levels of the game and understands the complex nature of the rugby system in New Zealand.”
Kirk added that Lancaster’s performance in the interim role was a key contributor to his appointment.
During Lancaster’s time as interim CEO, NZR has appointed several key commercial, finance, and high-performance executives.
In February, for example, the national body hired Chris Kinraid as chief financial officer and Chris Brown as chief commercial officer.
Kirk added: “Steve has shown he has the capability and credibility to lead NZR through complexity and change. He has a strong vision for the game and understands our need to drive winning teams, while balancing the importance of the community game.
“As a board, we believe that Steve’s appointment and leadership of a highly-capable executive team sets the organisation up for long-term success and will have strong support across the domestic and global rugby landscape.”
A former professional rugby player with the Crusaders franchise, Lancaster has both domestic and international experience across various sports and has been on the NZR executive board since 2020.
On his permanent appointment, he said: “It’s been a privilege for the six months I’ve had this opportunity. I fully understand the responsibility that comes with the role, and it’s an honour to be offered the position.
“As an organisation, we’re focused on harnessing our unique point of difference in the world of rugby. We’re a small country, and we have deep rugby DNA and care for the game. If we can work together as a rugby system then anything is achievable, and that’s really special.”
In terms of other recent NZR developments, the organization struck a new multi-year collective bargaining agreement with the country’s players association (RPA) labor union in February, laying out revenue-sharing terms for the 2026-28 period.
Effective from January 1, and running through December 31, 2028, NZR contracted athletes will receive 36.56% of all player-generated revenue across the period, a continuation from the previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
This period covers the men’s 2027 Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted in nearby Australia (and for which New Zealand will, as ever, be one of the favorites), as well as various annual friendlies and international tests, the annual SANZAAR Rugby Championship, and the first two editions (2026 and 2028) of the new intercontinental Nations Championship format.
In addition, stakeholders in the deal – which includes NZR, the RPA, provincial unions, and sides from the Super Rugby competition – will consult on the terms of their investment into the New Zealand Rugby Commercial (NZRC) subsidiary.
