NZRL Zones

Upper Central

General Manager
Marcus Reynolds
07 578 0016
marcus@nzrl.co.nz

After completing two degrees in Law & Business Management and spending 8 years working in Business Development and International Trade, Marcus started as the General Manager of the Upper Central Zone in May 2010.

He has always been heavily involved in sport, having played a variety of sports at a high level and working as the Commercial Manager at Sport Bay of Plenty for three and a half years before moving into Rugby League. Marcus is looking forward to strengthening the game in the Upper Central Zone and providing opportunities for the abundance of junior talent that exists in New Zealand.

National Competition team

Upper Central Zone Board
Including Bay of Plenty, Coastline, Gisborne and Waikato Districts

Upper Central Zone Board - Director Biographies

Earl Rattray - Chairman
Earl grew up on a family dairy farm at Otorohanga and currently resides in Chartwell, Hamilton. Employment and self employment has co-incided with his hobbies and interests as he is motivated by economic development and progress, social justice and making a positive difference. Earl is an Accredited Member of the Institute of Directors (AMInstD) and Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management (FNZIMP). Earl is experienced across the broad spectrum of governance principles, practices and capabilities and is committed to business integrity, independent thinking with collective Board responsibility.

He has a proven record in financial literacy and economic comprehension. He is sound in business judgment, strategic perspective and effective in written and oral communication. Earl is currently Company Director of several privately held Farming Companies. He is also a Private Agricultural Investment Advisor where he provides investment proposal evaluation, including strategy, finance, commercial due diligence, governance structures and capability assessment. Earl is the Monetary Policy Advisor for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand where he provides external advice to assist the RBNZ to achieve its Policy Targets and agreements. Earl has a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics (Massey University) and a Certificate in Company Direction (IOD). Earl is married to Joanne, a language teacher, and they have four children.

Ken Eruera
Ken is currently an On-Air Announcer with Radio NgatiPorou in Ruatoria on the East Coast where he resides. He is responsible for a very high quality sports show called Game On currently run on the radio station, his show is listened to by people around the country and in Australia, he also takes part in Rugby commentaries for the radio station where the NgatiPorou East Coast Heartlands Rugby Team is concerned. He has been a School Administrator at Hatea-A-Rangi, the Sports Manager of junior Rugby League, Netball, Rugby, Softball and Kio Rahi in both Tokomaru Bay & Tolaga Bay. From 1988-2000 Ken was heavily involved as an on air presenter for Atiawa Toa FM in Lower Hutt, In 2000 he moved back to the East Coast to take up the challenge of Managing Radio Ngatiporou.
He has received numerous awards for his involvement in radio and has been significantly acknowledged for his efforts and media presentation of Rugby League, Netball, Softball & Rugby for Saturn Television. Over the years Ken has been involved in his community as a senior and junior softball coach in the Hutt Valley and on the East Coast, he has also been involved in coaching junior sport, he was a successful Coach for the Gisborne Tairawhiti under 15s rugby league team at Central Districts Rugby League Tournaments. He was a CEO of Te Awakairangi Maori Rugby League and CEO for Ngatiporou Maori Rugby League Ki Te Upoko O Te Ika. Ken was also a member and consultant on the Heretaunga College Board of Trustees concerning Maori students and was a past Chairman of the Rimutaka branch for the Labour Party.

Kevin Forgeson
Kevin currently resides in Te Kuiti and has a huge passion for rugby league. Kevin is married to Dianne and has two teenage daughters. He is a qualified Barrister and Solicitor and has practiced in the areas of conveyance, trusts and commercial work for the past 23 years. Kevin and his wife own and operate their own practice and now have two branches and nine staff.

He is heavily involved in the community including 17 years as a Rotarian, 18 years as a Trustee of the Community House Trust and the last 8 years as Chairperson of the local High School Board of Trustees. Kevin has vast experience in public speaking and has been MC at a number of differing speaking engagements including the National Party Electorate functions. Kevin has always been very passionate about, and a strong supporter of, rugby league. He played from the age of 6 years until his study and work commitments did not allow him to continue in the game. Kevin is also a solicitor for the Te Kuiti Citizens Advice Bureau and has an affinity for working with and helping a wide range of people. He also has an interest in motorcycling.

Te Arahi Maipi
First and foremost Te Arahi is a passionate rugby league fan and is recognized as one of the top rugby league presenters in the country. He is currently a Producer/Presenter for Maori Television and has been in this role for five years. He is proficient in Te Reo and Tikanga Maori and is involved in kapahaka.

Te Arahi is engaged and has two children. He has attended the University of Waikato and Te Wananga o Aotearoa where he is completing his BMS and Diploma in Ambassadorship. He has won three Maori Radio Awards for rugby league commentary and was selected in the Maori Television Future Leaders programme. He was nominated as Personality of the Year at the 2005 New Zealand Rugby League awards and previously served as a Trustee on the Te Ahurei a Rangatahi Board.

Steve Thackray
Steve is the Principal at Waipa Primary School in Ngaruawahia and resides in Pirongia. He has been teaching since 1981 and became the Deputy Principal of Pirongia School in 1994. Steve is happily married to Pamela and has three sons, Isaac, Michael and Travis. He attended Hamilton Teachers College and has a Trained Teachers Diploma. He has had a long association with sport in a variety of capacities, but predominantly in the role of coach for some 20 years, with ten of those years at a senior level.

The majority of his coaching was in the sport of rugby which was generally dictated by where he lived. Steve has huge passion for rugby league and was instrumental in resurrecting a struggling league club in the early 90's where he was recently presented with a life membership. Steve is inspired by the opportunity to be part of a team that is instrumental in bringing about positive change and enhancing the sport of rugby league for its players and communities. He sees his vocation provides him with the skills to be a leader, an organizer, a motivator to initiate positive change and most importantly to relate to people of all ages and from all walks of life. Other interests include music, house renovations and building, journalism, photography and golf.