This victory signalsa return to democracy for Tauranga, a city without a mayor for four years. The newly elected council will replace the four-person commission, led by Anne Tolley with Bill Wasley, Stephen Selwood, and Shadrach Rolleston, which had governed since February 2021.
Drysdale’s candidacy announcement was met with surprise and curiosity. Yet, Wall, who represented New Zealand as a Silver Fern from 1989 to 1992 and a Black Fern from 1995 to 2001 before serving as a Labour Party MP from 2008 to 2022, believes he is well-equipped for the role.
“Mahé wouldn’t have put his name forward if he wasn’t committed to the role,” she told the Herald. “What it speaks to is the influence sportspeople have as recognised New Zealanders and the faith others place in them because they’ve seen them perform on a grand stage.”
With two Olympic gold medals under his belt, Drysdale is no stranger to high-pressure situations. However, navigating Tauranga’s political landscape presents a different set of challenges, filled with the currents of public expectation and municipal complexities.
Former dual international athlete and politician Louisa Wall thinks Drysdale needs a strong network around him. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Former Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta ousted the council elected in 2019 due to poor behaviour, infighting, leaks of confidential information, and an inability to set realistic rates. The 2024 election was fiercely contested, with 75 candidates vying for 10 council seats. The councillors will serve a four-year term, a first for New Zealand. Despite being a political rookie and only two of the nine councillors having previously served, Drysdale isn’t concerned about the lack of experience.
“I just want successful people around the table that know how to get stuff done,” he told Local Democracy Reporting. “That’s much more important to me than having experience. We are a team, and it’s about using everyone’s skills to deliver. I’m one of 10 votes around the table, and we’ve got to do that together.”
Wall loves Drysdale’s comments about building a team but emphasises that he will need to adapt and pivot, much like he did as an athlete.
“The most interesting thing, I think, is when you think that he was an individual athlete. His success was largely down to himself in the boat whereas now he’s leading a waka with other people.
“It’s easy as an athlete because you’re just aiming for the next World Cup or Olympics, but in politics, that can change daily. What you thought were the priorities may change, and keeping people united when tough decisions are made will be another challenge.”
Reflecting on her political journey, Wall advises Drysdale to surround himself with mentors who can keep him “grounded” and help “process expectations”. The challenge will be balancing the community’s high hopes with the pragmatic realities of governance.
“People will think he can get in there and fix everything because of what he did as a rower - got in his boat and won - but it’s more complex than that.
“I think the most important thing is a support system that you trust, that cares about you, and he needs to engage right across the spectrum in the community and display how he’s listening to the feedback they give him.
“The hardest issue within this new role is with all the expectations and how he performed as an athlete - he will be expected to perform like that in his role, but from what I’ve seen, he’s approaching it very well. He’s got the public’s confidence, but now he must show that same dedication [he showed as a rower] in his new role.”
Drysdale’s mayoral journey has just begun, and while he may not be racing down a 2000m stretch, the road ahead will require the same endurance, strategy, and teamwork that made him an Olympic champion.
Luke Kirkness is the Sports Planning Editor for the NZ Herald. He’s an award-winning journalist who also covered consumer affairs for the Herald and served as an assistant news director.
