Rugby Cup appointment

Press, 27 January 1986, Page 3

Rugby Cup appointment

A well known Christchurch sports administrator, Mr Allan Barrett, has been appointed assistant executive director for the first World Rugby Cup in New Zealand and Australia in May and June, ■ 1987.

Mr Barrett will assist the executive director for the World Cup, Sir Desmond Sullivan.

At present he is commuting to Wellington for two days a week and by March next year he expects that he will be working in Wellington full time.

Mr Barrett believes that he was approached because of his experience in organising the 1981 New Zealand Summer Games which were held at a number of venues around New Zealand.

The offer of the position with the World Cup organisation came at an opportune time for Mr Barrett. On Friday he will end a nine year association with the New Zealand Hockey Association as its general secretary.

Mr Barrett has vast experience in sports administration. It started when he was 15. He was secretary of the Wharenul Swimming Club in his last year at high school. The honorarium at the time was two guineas h'e said last evening.

Later he became general secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association in Christchurch and resigned to become the executive secretary of the 1974 Commonwealth Games organising committee. He was executive director of the 1975 New Zealand Summer Games, and for a time was also secretary of the New Zealand Basketball and Gymnastics associations. Last year he was appointed as a part time secretary to the Wharenui Swimming Club.

Mr Barrett said last evening that he was looking forward to working in his new job. “It is something totally different I have not been involved with rugby administration before.”

His only connection with the sport was playing at school, and he has been a member of the Canterbury Rugby Supporters’ Club since it started.