My life in sport: Hilary Poole

Hilary Poole. Photo / Dean Purcell

Pitched into the role as chief executive at Hockey New Zealand, Hilary Poole joined a select group of ambitious women heading national sporting organisations.

Since being plucked from the long list of applicants keen to take over from one of the country's longest-serving administrators, Ramesh Patel, she has had little time with her feet under her desk.

It has been a hectic introduction for Poole, who also finds time to chair the board at Diocesan School for Girls and sit as a director on a Hamilton-based company.

She has been caught up in the whirl of World Cup qualifying, spent many hours out and about, meeting and greeting, and was at last weekend's AGM in Wellington where a deficit of around $17,000 was revealed.

She is now in the throes of a restructure which will see the association's financial year end on December 31 rather than June 30.

Busy, busy, times yes, but Poole gives the impression she is equipped to meet such challenges head on and take the sport forward in these critical post-Patel times.

What are your aims for the next 12 months?

On the field, to win consistently [at the highest level]. I know that to be really world class is a huge challenge but that has to be our aim. I feel there has been a mindset of top six being good enough. Not for me. Off the field we are looking, in the next six months, to establish a national base ... That is a real challenge for me.

You have been in your new role for barely a month. What have you learned in that time?

The hockey community is incredibly passionate and supportive of their game. The rest don't seem to care too much about hockey, unlike rugby and netball. We have a strong base of 43,000 players in the winter and 10,000 in the summer. It is a sport played all year round by both genders. We have to come up with a whole-of-sport plan to accommodate them.

You have already had chats with key media people around the country. What have you learned from them?

We can do a number of small things better to get greater exposure and generate interest locally. I have also spent time with chief executives from other sports and have quickly realised we are a lean/resource-restrained sport. And, I have a lot to learn.

How hard is it to make change when the person you replaced is sitting in the office next door?

I'm getting a lot of encouragement and support from Ramesh [Patel]. He is now able, in his new role as hockey director, to focus on the passion he had when he started here.

How much of your time is spent wondering where the next much-needed dollar is coming from?

I have a revenue model going forward. We are lucky to have a partnership with Sparc but we need a plan. I spend a lot of time thinking about that. One thing we are looking at is establishing a Bledisloe Cup-type competition with Australia. At present we don't have a sustainable commercial base which leaves us living hand-to-mouth.

The Black Sticks [women] surprised many by beating Australia and winning through to next year's World Cup. That must have been a tremendous fillip for you so soon after coming into your role?

It was fantastic to feel part of that on and off the field. There are no cliques in the team, just a positive environment which [coach] Mark Hager has created. It was a gritty performance and an incredible boost for them, and us.

What inspired you to embark on a career in sport?

When I left school [Diocesan] I did a PE degree at Otago where I also did a commerce degree. I then spent 20 years in the commercial world and have now gone full circle and look forward to applying those skills in sport.

When you were 13 years old, what sport did you fancy yourself as a future star in?

I was doing two things - playing hockey and riding horses as a member of the Papatoetoe Pony Club.

Describe your job?

Leading the sport and not just the team here. Providing the strategy and planning for the sport as whole. Provide leadership and help the associations who, as I saw at the annual meeting, bring varying degrees of skills and expertise. But they are all enthusiastic.

Hockey NZ has done away with their marketing/sponsorship role. Do you plan to re-establish it?

I was employed because I have those skills. That was not Ramesh's forte.

Given the top roles in the NZOG and Sparc are filled by former hockey internationals, do you expect any favours from them?

It is fantastic to have people who understand our sport in such positions. However, they must follow their own formal processes to ensure there is no conflict of interest.

Some key players will be missing when the NHL hits off tomorrow. Do you see a need to look at the timing of your showpiece domestic competition to ensure the best players are on show?

At the end of the NHL there will be a review. Interestingly, the Australian League will be played in May next year and if we are serious about establishing a truly international calendar we have to look at the timing of such competitions. The high performance review said we have to lift the standard of our game domestically.

Name the one career ambition that you want to realise before you retire?

I guess what I'm doing now - leading an organisation successfully with a clear goal and vision, strengthen it and leave it in great shape - I'm thinking at least five years.

Who was your childhood hero?

Yvette Corlett [Williams]. She was my PE teacher at school.

Give us three short term goals - on and off the field?

I want a whole-of-sport plan for hockey - it has to be dynamic. Come up with a strong, national programme to attract young players but to grow we need more than the 63 artificial turfs we have at present. Look at the international competition structure and establish regular international competition outside FIH tournaments and reinstitute the Manning Cup for transtasman competition (men and women). And on it?
See the men qualify for the World Cup. Watch the women do well at the Champions Challenge and hope we can get the Japanese here for four tests prior to the men's World Cup qualifiers in Invercargill in November.