Celebrating Female Leadership in Sport and Business
Staged in partnership by:
Posted 3 July 2020. Updated 6 August 2020. Updated 25 August 2020.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: 25 August 2020

Make sure you join us at the second annual Captains Lunch – celebrating female leadership in sport and business!
Women in Sport Aotearoa (WISPA) and Trans – Tasman Business Circle SportsConnect (TTBC) will be bringing you the previously postponed 2020 Captains Lunch as soon as gathering rules in Auckland allow. We are delighted to advise that Eden Park remains our venue sponsor.
Following a sell-out success in 2019, the Captains Lunch will return for its second year, bigger and better than ever! Over 300 sport and business leaders are expected with 250 tickets already sold.
As partners, WISPA and TTBC firmly believe that the Captains Lunch is an important dialogue, celebrating women with the focus on bringing sport and business communities together in one room, to meet and connect in person. With COVID-19 playing havoc with sport and disproportionately affecting women’s sport globally, it’s also a place to celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s leadership into the recovery phase.
This year the Captains Lunch will celebrate the journey toward and beyond the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Taking place in from 5-8 May 2022, the 8th IWG World Conference is one of the “big four” women’s sports events coming to Aotearoa New Zealand, with the Cricket, Rugby and Football World Cups all on their way from 2021-2023. It is the largest gathering in the world dedicated to gender equity in sport and physical activity, with 2,000 expected in-person and virtually.
Uniquely, the Captains Lunch will be supported by over 30 “Captains” (table hosts), including female athletes, coaches, leaders and male allies for positive change. The “Captains” confirmed as attending are listed below. Each will host a table of guests, consisting of a mix of senior sport and business leaders.
Women in Sport Aotearoa is a charity that exists to transform society through leadership, advocacy and research, ensuring that all women and girls gain equity of opportunity to participate, compete and build careers in play, active recreation and sport in Aotearoa New Zealand. Funds raised from the event will be used by Women in Sport Aotearoa to support its key programmes including delivery of the 8th IWG World Conference on Women & Sport.
Read about the 2019 Captains Lunch here.
Meet the Captains:
Find out more about the “Captains” here!
The following Athletes, Coaches, Leaders & Allies have agreed to “Captain” tables in 2020:
Sophie Devine (White Ferns), Beatrice Faumuina ONZM (Sport NZ), Sarah Walker (Olympian),
Megan Gifford nee Signal (weightlifter), Sarah Gibbs (NZ Football)
Peter Miskimmin (Sport NZ), Jennah Wootten (Sport NZ), Michael Scott (High Performance Sport NZ),
Kereyn Smith MNZM (NZ Olympic Committee), Andrea Nelson (2021 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup)
David White (NZ Cricket), Michelle Hooper (2021 Rugby World Cup – women), Mark Robinson (NZ Rugby),
Andrew Bowater (NZ Football), Jennie Wyllie (Netball NZ)
Claire Beard (Triathlon NZ), Nick Sautner (Eden Park), Shelley McMeeken (Halberg),
Lynette Grace (Paralympics NZ), Simon Kent (Olympic Weightlifting NZ).
Find out more about the “Captains” here!
Thanks to generous sponsorship from Eden Park Trust, we are delighted to be moving the event to Eden Park this year –
Date: tbc
Time: 1.00pm – 3.00pm (arrive at 12.45 for networking)
Venue:
Eden Park, South Level 4 Lounge, South Stand, Gate G
Reimers Avenue, Kingsland, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
(free parking in P5; security will assist with parking. Enter building at Gate G, take lift to level 4)
Tickets: ** sales currently on-hold **
Trans – Tasman Business Circle members can purchase a table of 10 (9 places + 1x seat for a “Captain”) at the member price of $1,500 + gst + booking fee.
Corporate organisations and non-members can purchase a table of 10 (9 places + 1x seat for a “Captain”) for $2,500 + gst + booking fee.
Single tickets are also available for those attending alone or in small groups:
- $150 pp + GST + booking fee for members of TTBC
- $250 pp + GST + booking fee for non-members of TTBC
Students can access tickets for $100 pp + gst + booking fee.
We are committed to making the Captains Lunch as accessible as possible for those in the Aotearoa New Zealand sport and recreation system.
Prior to lockdown, we sold-out our max 150 tickets for sports organisations, athletes and individuals at the special rate of $100 pp + gst + booking fee each.
We are pleased to announce that we can offer more tickets to sport and recreation with another special offer: the Member price of $150 pp + gst + booking fee.
For any questions about the special offer please contact tracy.jennings@buscircle.com.
Media:
To register your attendance as media, please contact: dora.beara@buscircle.com or +64 21 658 431.
Meet your Hosts:
The Captains Lunch is a special event, designed together in partnership by Women in Sport Aotearoa and Trans – Tasman Business Circle SportsConnect.
On the day of the event, you will be welcomed by:
Rachel Froggatt, Chief Executive, Women in Sport Aotearoa and Secretary General of the International Working Group (IWG) on Women & Sport
WISPA exists to transform society through leadership, advocacy and research, ensuring that all women and girls gain equity of opportunity to participate, compete and build careers in play, active recreation and sport in Aotearoa New Zealand. A not-for-profit, it delivers programmes nationally and is currently global delivery agent for the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport Secretariat & Conference 2018-2022. Read more about Rachel.
Rachel will be joined by members of the Women in Sport Aotearoa Board, along with Co-Chair of the IWG, Raewyn Lovett ONZM:
Julie Paterson, Sarah Leberman MNZM, Louisa Wall MP, Martin Snedden CNZM, Nicki Nicol, Pauline Harrison, James Gibson and Raewyn Lovett ONZM.
You will also be hosted by:
Sharron Lloyd, General Manager, New Zealand, Trans – Tasman Business Circle
Trans-Tasman Business Circle is a strategic growth partner for the region’s leading organisations in the public and private sector, providing opportunities to grow relationships, profile, insights and business knowledge. Its extensive and influential network in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore has assisted its clients to achieve their objectives by building strategic relationships, deepening business insights and increasing profile. Read more about Sharron.