Raelene Castle was the first woman Chief Executive of the Australian rugby league club the Canterbury Bulldogs and the first woman CEO of Rugby Australia. Both jobs were a baptism of fire, with multiple high profile and controversial issues thrown at her. Most notably the sacking of Wallabies star Israel Folau, with a settlement speculated to be in the millions, over social media posts Rugby Australia deemed offensive to the LGBTQI community.
Now she is back in New Zealand as the first female Chief Executive of Sport New Zealand . It, and its subsidiary High Performance Sport New Zealand, have faced growing criticism and tension over athlete welfare in several sporting codes. Raelene talks with Kathryn about her varied career and what motivates her to take on her latest role.
New Sport New Zealand chief executive Raelene Castle. Photo: Photosport
