Scott Kahle
Chairman
Scott has player senior club rugby in several regions throughout the country and is involved in coaching at premier womens club level.

Scott brings strong expertise to the board with a background in finance, he also has an established background in business growth and the formation of strategic partnerships.

He is currently Head of Alliances and Strategic Partnerships with FMG and is a strong supporter of the BOPRU.
Outside of this role Scott is active in the local community with governance roles within a local charity and the education sector, together with being busy with kids sports most weekends.

Whetu Rangi

Independent Board Member

Whetu (Tūhoe) is a proud Bay of Plenty native, hailing from Te Waimana in the Eastern Bay, growing up around Rotorua and now residing in Tauranga Moana. 

He played age grade rugby throughout Central Bay from Tai Mitchell, BOP age grade, to club before finishing his schooling at Rotorua Boys’. After returning to the Bay in 2019 his involvement with BOP rugby is both as a player and administrator in the Western and Eastern Bay.  

With a background in commercial banking, Whetu is currently the Head of Māori Business Growth at BNZ and is tasked with enabling the prosperity of Māori businesses by growing its people and communities. 

Whetu brings his knowledge of rugby at the community level, with a deep understanding of Te Ao Māori, whilst knowing the commercial challenges of organisations like the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union.

Phil Barnett

​​​​​​​Rugby Director

Phil has a long involvement in rugby through playing at a senior level in Canterbury and Wellington before embarking on a 32 year long stint with the referee's whistle. With 300 premier games (in Wellington and Bay of Plenty) under his belt. Phil retired from refereeing at the end of the 2015 season, his passion for the game crossing over into 2-year terms as Vice President and then President of BOP Rugby Union.

As a Rugby Director, Phil brings to the Board both administrative experience and a strong commitment and enthusiasm for the game at all levels – from weekly Club visits as a member of the President’s Group, through to passionate blue and gold support in all aspects of our High-Performance programme.

Phil has had a long career in banking and finance, most of which has been associated with area and regional people leadership roles within BNZ and then NZ Post/Kiwibank before his retirement.

Sam Fellows

​​​​​​​Independent Board Member

Sam was born and bred in Tauranga, returning in 2016 after study and working elsewhere in New Zealand and overseas. 

He is a current Bay of Plenty premier referee and has refereed in Unions across New Zealand and overseas.

A lawyer by training specialising in litigation, Sam provided advice to a number of International, National and Regional sporting organisations as well as athletes and sponsors.

Sam is currently a manager at Tauranga City Council and sits on the boards of community, charity and educational organisations. 

Rob Smith

Independent Board Member

Rob has worked in the sport and entertainment sector for 20+ years, initially as a lawyer for IMG before moving to Rugby Australia to lead player contracting and collective agreement administration. More recently Rob has performed in a range of roles and responsibilities (talent management, commercial rights sales, strategy and planning, account management, legal affairs and leadership) in a variety of business’ in the sport and entertainment sector, including Sports & Entertainment Limited, GroupM and Wasserman (then CSM) where he was the Managing Director Australia, and sports-tech accelerator and investor XV Capital. Rob has also been a director of Surfing NSW and Sport NSW.

Since returning to Tauranga in early 2020 Rob has conducted an independent review of the funding and delivery of community sport in Auckland, project managed the delivery of two Manu Samoa rugby tests, assisted New Zealand’s five Super Rugby Clubs to develop a collaboration arrangement. He performed the role of COO of Natural Resource Sector Advisor and Impact Investment Project Director for EnviroStrat. 

Rob is now General Manager Corporate Development of Kiwi white-label ticketing platform Flicket.

An average rugby player (his words), Rob was privileged to play a lot of sport as a kid, he transitioned to play a little and be a fan of most sports and now busies himself outside of work supporting his primary school-aged kids’ ambitions in and out of the classroom.

Mel Manley

Independent Board Member

Mel started her passion as a rugby supporter after growing up in the mighty Waikato, moving to the Bay of Plenty in 2021 after a long stint overseas in the UK and Australia. With a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management and a Bachelor of Arts (Japanese/Politics), Mel has worked in a variety of senior People & Culture roles prior to branching out into broader executive roles.

Mel is currently the Corporate Services Manager for Quayside Holdings (the investment arm of the BOP Regional Council), owner and Director of HR Unplugged and the Events Manager for Beach Rugby Australia and NZ. With a rugby-mad family, Mel has been involved in and around rugby clubs for a long time as either a Club Secretary, Committee Member, supporter or parent, enabling her to see rugby through the lens of various stakeholders.

Mel has a strong leaning towards people and leadership, marcomms, commercialisation and stakeholder engagement. With a keen interest in the environment and the outdoors, Mel and her family love the beach, mountain biking and travelling.

Chad Tuoro​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Independent Board Member

Chad’s connection to the Bay of Plenty region and its proud rugby heritage runs deep. With whakapapa to Te Whakatohea and Te Arawa, Chad was raised in Rotorua and Ōpōtiki, where his early passion for rugby was nurtured through junior club rugby, Tai Mitchell tournaments, and ultimately selection for the Bay of Plenty U13 representative side.

After attending boarding school in Auckland, Chad pursued his passion for sport and education by completing a Sports Degree and a Secondary School Teaching Diploma. His rugby journey continued at the professional level, representing the Counties Manukau Steelers (2007/2008), the Bay of Plenty Steamers (2010), and earning national honours with the All Blacks Sevens (2008/2009). At club level, he enjoyed great success with Ponsonby Rugby Club, winning three Gallagher Shields, before finishing his club playing days with Te Puna Rugby Club.

Chad brings extensive experience in High Performance Rugby, having worked as the Academy Manager for Bay of Plenty Rugby and later moving into a national role with New Zealand Rugby. There, he played a pivotal part in shaping the future of the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens as the Talent Identification and Development Manager, helping to identify and nurture the next generation of elite rugby talent.

In recent years, Chad has broadened his impact beyond the field, working in the Culture and Capability space. His focus has been on leadership and team development across sectors, including the New Zealand Department of Corrections, Te Whatu Ora Bay of Plenty, and Lakes DHB. His deep understanding of people, performance, and place continues to guide his contributions to Bay of Plenty Rugby.

Eleanor Tait

Aspiring Director

Eleanor Tait is an Associate Director of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, bringing a strong background in governance, business leadership, and athlete wellbeing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Exercise Science and Physiology; and a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy.

Eleanor has governance experience across health and sport organisations, with a focus on building effective systems, supporting clear decision-making, and achieving meaningful outcomes for the community. She co-owns a local physiotherapy clinic, where she leads operational management, team development, and strategic growth initiatives.

As a former international athlete, Eleanor understands first-hand the needs of players at every level, from grassroots to high performance. She believes that communities thrive when sport is accessible to all. Eleanor combines this perspective with her clinical and governance expertise to help create environments where athletes, staff, and volunteers can thrive, ensuring rugby remains strong and sustainable in the Bay of Plenty.