Junior and Youth Participation Lead
Date: 15 Apr 2026
Location: Auckland, NZ, 1010 Wellington, NZ, 6011
Company: New Zealand Rugby Union Incorporated
About the Role
New Zealand Rugby has an exciting opportunity for a Junior & Youth Participation Lead to help maintain and grow a thriving community game.
This national leadership role supports the development of junior and youth rugby across New Zealand, strengthening system connectivity and creating engaging, safe and inclusive experiences for young players. You will collaboratively design, deliver and evaluate participation and development programmes, provide system‑wide leadership to Provincial Unions, and champion NZR’s Junior Rugby Guidelines and Balance is Better philosophy across participation, game development, injury prevention and wellbeing. The role reports to the Participation and Development Manager and contributes to national priorities including Women and Girls Rugby and a Safer Game.
About You
You will bring proven experience in junior and/or youth sport development, strong change‑management capability, sound knowledge of sport development systems and research, and the ability to influence through high‑quality communication, facilitation and relationship leadership. Relevant rugby development experience and a tertiary qualification in sport, education or management are preferred.
About Us
At NZR we love what we do, we work hard and have fun! You’ll be joining a team of awesome people who are passionate about the game and each other, and you’ll be backed with support to thrive in your role. We know that life isn’t all about work, so we are open to flexible working options.
We value diversity and inclusion and are committed to improving our cultural responsiveness. We embrace and respect each other’s values and we are so proud to be Rainbow Tick certified. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and walks of life.
Apply Now
If you are looking to join a fantastic group of people and think you have what it takes, then don’t delay, submit your CV and cover letter now! Don’t wait until the closing date to apply as we will be reviewing applications as we go.
Applications close at 5pm, Tuesday 28 April 2026. For a copy of the Position Description, click here.
To be considered for this position you must be legally entitled to work in Aotearoa New Zealand and obtain a clear MOJ check.
Studies have shown that people from under-represented backgrounds, including women, are less likely to apply for roles where they don't match the job description criteria exactly. If you're excited about this role and think you have what it takes, but your experience doesn't align 100%, we still want to hear from you and would encourage you to apply.
Our recruitment process is fair and inclusive and we encourage our applicants to let us know if we can make it more user-friendly for them. We value diverse perspectives and the contribution every one of our people makes to our culture. Put simply - you can be yourself here.