Board members
PROFESSOR NICK DRAPER (CHAIR)
University of Canterbury
Nick is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Canterbury, where he specialises in exercise physiology. His research interests include work related to the sports of rugby, rock climbing and judo as well as in the area of physical activity. Nick has previously worked in elite sport as performance planner for British Judo which included responsibility for grant writing, sport science testing, training programme development and team selection. In 2000 Nick was Team Manager for Judo at the Sydney Olympic Games and wrote training programmes for the several of the team members competing.
Associate Professor Toby Mundel
Massey University
PROFESSOR RICH MASTERS
University of Waikato
Prior to taking up his current position at the University of Waikato in 2014, Rich was Director of the Institute of Human Performance at the University of Hong Kong. Before that, he lectured in the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Birmingham, England. Rich holds a BSc (Hons) and an MA (in Psychology) from the University of Otago and a D.Phil (Experimental Psychology) from the University of York, England. He sits on the Health Panel for the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) 2018 Quality Evaluation. Rich is interested in the psychology of human performance and is well known for his work in implicit (unconscious) motor learning.
PROFESSOR ANDREW KILDING
Auckland University of Technology
Andrew is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Physiology at AUT’s Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand. Andrew teaches under- and post-graduate students in a range of sport science papers as well as supervising several Masters and PhD students. He has a wide range of research interests but the majority of his research focusses on strategies to enhance aerobic responses, adaptations and performance in endurance sport. Andrew has published almost 100 scientific articles and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. From an applied practitioner perspective he has provided physiology support to a range of athletes and is currently Head of Performance Physiology at HPSNZ. Andrew has served on the executive board at SESNZ previously and returned in 2018 to contribute further to the ongoing growth and development of the organisation.
MARK DRURY
University of Canterbury
Mark is lecturer at the University of Canterbury and also currently leads the Strength and Conditioning Accreditation for Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand. Mark has accumulated over 15 years strength and conditioning experience working in professional rugby, including Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Crusaders Super Rugby team, and for the Edinburgh Rugby Pro 12 team. In 2015 he received the Hadlee Sports Award for outstanding achievements in Sport Science. He has a Masters in Strength and Conditioning from the University of Edinburgh, and a Bachelor of Physical Education from Otago University.
Associate Professor MEL BUSSEY
University of Otago
Dr. Bussey is a researcher in Clinical Biomechanics, Chair of Graduate Research in the School of Physical Education Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of Otago and an Adjunct Professor to the School of Physical Therapy in the University of Saskatchewan. She is originally from Canada where she studied Athletic Therapy and Sport Science before coming to NZ to complete her PhD in Biomechanics. Her specific research expertise is neuromuscular mechanisms for disturbed postural stability related to pain and recurrent injury. She is the co-author of the textbook “Sports Biomechanics: Reducing injury and improving performance” Routledge, 2013.
STACEY PINE
Oamaru
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ANDY FOSKETT
Massey University
Associate Professor Andy Foskett is the founding Head of the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition at Massey University. Andy has a keen interest in high performance sport from physiological, nutritional and S&C perspectives and has worked with multiple high performance athletes across a diverse range of sports. In addition to his role with SESNZ Dr Foskett has held various Governance roles within sport and exercise and is currently President of the Tertiary Council of Physical Activity and Sport Science (TCPASE); Chair of the Massey University Blues Committee; and a member of NZ Football’s High Performance and Player Welfare Committee.
Proffessor (Adj) Dr STAFFORD MURRAY
Since October 2020 Stafford has been General Manager of Performance Support at HPSNZ, prior to that heading up Head of Innovation and Research Team. Stafford is an Adjunct Professor in Sports Technology and Analysis at AUT.
Prior to moving to NZ in 2017 he was the Head of Performance Analysis, Biomechanics and Skill Acquisition at the English Institute of Sport from 2002. Stafford took the disciplines from 0 to 40+ staff members over that time; overseeing the provision and development of interventions to all key Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Sports. As a practitioner, Stafford delivered Performance Analysis services to numerous High Performance sports over a 20-year period (Including South African Cricket, Welsh Rugby and Football, England Squash, McLaren F1 racing and numerous Olympic and Paralympic Sports) at some 23 World Championships, 5 Commonwealth Games and 3 Olympic Games. He has also consulted to Qatar Aspire, ECB, Shell Oil and Cisco Communications (not exhaustive).
During that tenure, Stafford was also seconded as Team Leader for the England Squash Team in Delhi CWG’s 2010, Head of the Team GB analysis service at London 2012 Games, one of the team leaders in the Lion’s Den for Team England at the Glasgow 2014 Games, Head of Team GB Analysis at Rio 2016 and held the role of Performance Lead to 5 Olympic and Paralympic Sports (quality assuring and managing all sports science service provision to these sports).
Stafford has published extensively in the area of Coaching Science, Technology and Analysis of Sport (30+ peer reviewed papers, 21 book chapters, 2 books and multiple sports science / coaching magazine features), mainly in the areas of analytical profiling in elite sport, feedback science, technology in sport and the search for individual differences amongst elite sporting performers.
Jessica Allan
Operations Manager, SESNZ
Jessica is a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury after recently finishing her masters in Sport Science. She has worked in Australia for several years as an accredited exercise physiologist in workers compensation - musculoskeletal and chronic conditions rehabilitation. Jessica developed the University of Canterbury Exercise Physiology Clinic and is pursuing research in exercise and cancer.
Vanessa Groome
National Manager, SESNZ
Vanessa takes pride in her role as National Manager and ensures that all needs of SESNZ members are met. Her strengths are organising, listening and planning so the highlight of her year is the Annual Conference. This also allows her to interact with SESNZ members and really get a feel for the direction of the organisation. Vanessa is very excited about the future of SESNZ and the memorandums of understanding with seven International Sport and Exercise Science bodies and she looks forward to what this will bring. She’d love to hear from you, so please get in touch.
Sub-Committees
Sport Science Sub-committee
Accredited Exercise Physiology Sub-committee
Strength and Conditioning sub-committee
Nicolai Morris
Bennett Jones
Amanda Murphy
Richard Deuchrass
Mat Blair
Darryl Cochrane
Dave Edgar
Student sub-committee
Chair: Shaun Owen
Committee Reps:
Michaela Townshend – University of Canterbury (MSc)
Ed Maunder – Auckland University of Technology (PhD Candidate)
Katie Schofield – University of Waikato (PhD Candidate)
Stephen Fenemor – University of Waikato (PhD Candidate)
LIFETIME MEMBERS
Life Membership may be granted at the AGM, on the recommendation of the Board, to a member who has given significant sustained service to SESNZ. There are currently two life members: