Several Tasman rugby clubs and life members have expressed their extreme disappointment at the nature of comments critical of former TRU chief executive Steve Mitchell prior to his sacking earlier this year.
His dispute with the TRU board was discussed by the clubs’ Council of Delegates (COD) at a Nelson Bays Sub Union online meeting on Monday night.
Despite club dissatisfaction, the COD wouldn’t comment publicly, saying it was a TRU staffing issue, and it wasn’t involved with anything outside of community rugby delivery.
Steve had taken a personal grievance claim to the Employment Relations Authority earlier this year, claiming his dismissal was unjustifiable and predetermined by the TRU board.
Under the Privacy Act, his legal counsel sought access to internal email and text messages between board members.
One of them referred to Steve as a “skant” and a “67 which means nothing” while another suggested he had cognitive issues from boxing. Steve was a former Boxing New Zealand president.
He was also described as having “gone missing” in his leadership role with Tasman after taking up the chief executive job in 2024.
In a 33-page interim determination, ERA member Aintoinette Baker ruled Steve had a serious case for unjustified dismissal and should be reinstated on the TRU payroll, backdated to March, ahead of a hearing in Nelson in October.
She said the board communications showed members had formed personalised views about Steve’s integrity, competence and honesty.
He won’t be returning to work at the union offices though, with former Tasman chief executive Tony Lewis carrying on in his role as transitional manager, after leading the restructuring process which followed an independent review into TRU operations which was critical of Steve.
The review was carried out by former Auckland Rugby Union chairman Stu Mather, who was on the board of NZ Rugby at the same time as Wayne Young before he returned to chair the TRU board.
Wayne and board member Tony Healey, who were both made life members, had previously signalled their intention to step down at the end of this year.
Wayne didn’t respond to interview requests.
Speaking from his Upper Moutere property, Steve says he is grateful for the support he and family has received.
That included a call from his predecessor Lyndon Bray whose employment was terminated abruptly by the board in 2023. He was paid out by the TRU.
Steve insists he is still passionate about the union, evidenced by his attending last month’s Tasman Trophy final.
