Sport Northland Chief Executive Brent Eastwood announced this week that he is stepping down from the role he has held since 1998.

Brent has accepted a new position as the Regional Sports Trusts (RST) Network Director, a role that will entail working on behalf of 13 RSTs across the country.

Sport Northland Co-Chairs Kath Wharton and Libby Jones said that the resignation is received with mixed emotions. “This is an exciting opportunity for Brent, and a great next step for him. He has been very involved in the development of the RST Network, and he will be a fantastic asset to that group, and to sport and recreation across all of Aotearoa New Zealand. He will be sorely missed at Sport Northland, not just for his many years of dedication to the organisation, but for his ongoing commitment to the bicultural partnership, his dedication to getting Northlanders active and moving more, his strong relationships, his integrity in all he does and for being such an amazing leader.”

Kath and Libby note that Brent leaves with Sport Northland in a strong position. “The organisation has passionate and high performing staff, reliable and varied income sources, strong relationships with stakeholders and with the recent development of Kauri Mana, our new strategy through until 2027 which Brent had a key leadership role in, we are in a strong position to move forward.”

RST Network Chair Jason Shoebridge said “The development of the RST Network, which is being funded by Sport New Zealand, is an exciting opportunity to leverage the collective strength of the Regional Sports Trusts in Aotearoa New Zealand. We are delighted to be able to appoint Brent to the position of Network Director. His experience of successfully leading Sport Northland for many years and his deep understanding of regional sports trusts and the wider play, active recreation and sport sector make him the ideal person to establish and lead the RST Network.”

Brent says he is excited to be taking on a new challenge, while at the same time keeping him involved with Regional Sports Trusts. “It will be a challenging role to work collaboratively across all the RSTs, but there is enormous potential in all of us working together to better tell our collective story and advocate nationally for what we do and the impact we make.”

He has been with Sport Northland since 1991, the year the Trust (as it is now) was formed, upon the amalgamation of the Northland Recreation and Sports Trust with the Northland Sports Foundation. He was manager of Kensington Fitness prior to taking on a role as Facilities/Community Fitness and Leisure Manager, and then onto the Chief Executive role in late 1998.

“Staying with an organisation for that many years is a bit of a rarity these days, but it was always my dream job in the region that I was born and raised in, so to say I had purpose in what I did week in and week out for that long, would be an understatement."

Given his facility background and experience, Brent oversaw many of the large sports facility projects in Northland during the early years of his tenure, and yet it has been the development of Sport Northland, the people inside the organisation, and the wider sector in Northland, that he is most proud of. “It has always been about tangata for me – I have had the privilege and pleasure of working with some amazing people, both within Sport Northland and in the sector, which has been such an incredible experience. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari kē he toa takitini – my success should not be bestowed onto me alone, it was not individual success but the success of a collective.”

Brent will work through until the end of November, before stepping into the RST Network role in December.

The Board will soon be advising stakeholders and staff of the process and timeline for the recruitment of a new Chief Executive.

Key Highlights of Brent Eastwood’s Career at Sport Northland.

• A unique and historic sport and recreation facility approach, not only in owning and managing/overseeing many key Northland facilities, but also overseeing many facility developments in Northland – $7m re-development of McKay Stadium in 2002; $11m re-development of Whangarei Aquatic Centre in 2008; $3m development of the CDL Group Northland Sports House in 2010; $6m development of Trigg Sports Arena in 2012; $3m development of Sportsville Dargaville in 2018; and recently advising on key priority facility developments such as Te Hiku Sports Hub, Lindvart Park, Kaikohe and Pohe Island Bike Park

• The success of NRC’s Regional Sporting Recreation Rate in seed-funding many major sports facility developments from 2018-23 • The organisation’s bi-cultural approach and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga, including incorporation of an equitable bi-cultural partnership at governance level (equal Māori/non-Māori board composition and a co-chair model)

• The first RST to achieve Governance Mark for the second time

• The development and early implementation of Kōkiri ai te Waka Hourua, the regional play, active recreation and sport strategy for Te Tai Tokerau • Development of Kauri Mana, Sport Northland’s Statement of Strategic Intent

• The success of the Northland Sports Coalition and the Northland Sports Governance Forum as collaborative regional forums that are being genuinely community-led

• Sport Northland’s own community-led approach, not only in targeted communities throughout Northland, but which also features in all of the organisation’s initiatives and activities

• The successful $2.3m upgrade of Sport Northland’s Kensington Fitness, the region’s largest fitness centre, which was completed this year

• The success of the long-standing Northland run/walk series of mass participation events

• The large family of long-serving sponsors, including major sponsors Top Energy (1997- present) and Pacific Motor Group (1992-present) and ASB (1992-2022)

• Recipient of the 2016 CK Doig Leadership Award at Sport NZ’s Sport and Recreation Awards • Recipient of the 2016 Mark Mitchell Award at the Recreation Aotearoa’s Annual Awards