The Manawatū Rugby Union held it’s 2024 Annual General Meeting on 26 March, with three new appointments to the union’s Board of Directors.

Mike Botherway (three years), Danelle Whakatihi (one year), and Maryann Pratt (one year) were appointed to the Manawatū Rugby Union Board.

Botherway is the General Manager of Higgins Concrete and a Director for Concreations. He has held senior roles at Humes Pipeline Systems, Carters Building Supplies, and Wilkinson Building and Construction.

Pratt is the Managing Director of Professional Investment Services, a role she has held since 2001. She is a Certified Financial Planner.

Whakatihi is the Chief People and Performance Officer for the Palmerston North City Council. She has held senior leadership positions with ACC, Oranga Tamariki, the New Zealand Defence Force, Fire and Emergency NZ, and the Ministry of Education.

Existing board members Dan Lewis and Bexx Brown were reappointed for three years and two years respectively.

Bertus Mulder will be the Acting Chair until the position is formally appointed at the first Board of Directors meeting.  

The union presented it’s 2023 Financial Report, which saw it post a deficit of $41,016.

Former Manawatū representative player Gary Nesdale was re-elected as MRU President for another two-year term.

Karl Severinson and Brenda Baker were appointed to the Club Rugby Executive on the recommendation of the Appointments Committee. Duncan Mitchell, Tim Franklin, and Andy Aitkin were elected to the Executive by AGM attendees.

The meeting ratified Life Memberships for author and historian Clive Akers and former Manawatū Turbos Manager and MRU Chief Executive John Knowles. These Life Memberships will be awarded later in the year at the Manawatū Rugby Awards dinner.

The meeting also acknowledged the former Manawatū players and administrators who had passed away since the last AGM: Michael Gerald Cross (High School Old Boys), Ronald Wilfred Eglinton (High School Old Boys), James Graeme ‘Jamie’ Francis (University), Gordon Ralph Gray (College Old Boys), Duncan Alister Hales (High School Old Boys), Noel Charles Kitchen (Feilding Old Boys), John Kelman Loveday (High School Old Boys), Kenneth Hugh Macmillan (University), Philip Francis Murphy (Marist), Clifford Simpson (Feilding Old Boys), Peter James Northcott (Feilding Old Boys), Paul Tuiala Schmidt-Uili (Marist), Bernard Oliver (Marist).

Article added: Wednesday 27 March 2024