KEY POINTS:
Manawatu Rugby Union (MRU) chief executive Haydn Smith has resigned and will leave the province next month at the end of the Air NZ Cup season.
Smith, who has held the role since 2005, will take up the role as CEO of LandSAR (formally Land Search and Rescue) based in Wellington.
MRU chairman Tony Murphy said Smith had been invaluable through a crucial period for the province.
"Hadyn has lead this union through perhaps the greatest change that Manawatu Rugby has seen in the modern game and achieved everything that has been asked of him," Murphy said.
"Our acceptance into the Air New Zealand Cup in 2005 and our subsequent survival of every review since is a measure of his tenacity in some pretty intense circumstances."
Smith said he enjoyed the challenge at Manawatu and was pleased that he was part of the creation of what can now be called a professional structure for the region.
"When I arrived virtually everything needed to be reviewed and re-worked and I would have to say that I have enjoyed the opportunity to have a hand in some of the achievements more than I would have ever dreamed," he said.
"I'm very proud of my time in the green corner and I certainly believe the Manawatu has the foundations in place that local rugby people should be very proud of."
- NZPA
