We are excited to welcome Andrew Currie to the Sport Canterbury whānau as our Strategic Communications Manager (SCM) - Andrew has joined the team for a twelve-month period to cover Sian Carter, who is on maternity leave.

A senior role, the SCM is responsible for seeking out opportunities to use communications and storytelling as a way of influencing local and national systems that impact the health and wellbeing of Aotearoa. In addition to this, there are the day-to-day operational responsibilities such as website and social media management, design, reporting, and actively contributing to the Healthy Families NZ Communications Community of Practice alongside ten other SCMs across the motu.

Andrew comes to the Sport Canterbury team with an extensive, twenty year-long career in television news, current affairs and international sports broadcasting. From there, he moved into the world of Sport Communications and Marketing – firstly as the South Island Communications Manager for Fish & Game NZ, before moving into the Communications & Marketing Manager role for Mainland Football.

Andrew currently works as a freelance video editor and live replay operator, covering a wide range of sports competitions including the A League, Super Rugby, ANZ Netball Premiership, as well as undertaking contacts for World Rugby and FIFA.

Nikki Wortelboer, General Manager - Systems and Priority Populations for Sport Canterbury is excited for Andrew to join the team. “We are thrilled to have Andrew on board, with his extensive relationships and knowledge of the sector along with positive character and work horse mentality, we know he will hit the ground running.”

Andrew is equally as excited to join the crew – over the last few years he has been able to work alongside several staff on projects, so when the opportunity came up to be a part of the team he jumped at it, and says his strengths are relationship building and visual communication.

Outside of mahi, Andrew is a keen hunter and angler - in his downtime, he loves getting out on the river or up in the North Canterbury Hill, and has has also rediscovered his love of mountain biking and is currently enjoying exploring some new tracks - and getting some downhill confidence back.

Born and raised into a sports-mad family in South Canterbury, Andrew’s mum encouraged him to play every sport going as a child – he does say that his enthusiasm far outweighed his ability at any of them, however! He now lives with his wife Jendy on the north side of the Waimakariri River – their three children have flown the coop with two of them living off-shore. The sports bug was passed down to their daughter Blair, who is on an athletic scholarship in the USA pursuing her dream of playing professional football.

Andrew does have one confession, however: “I’m a rabid Highlanders and Otago rugby fan…it’s the only sport where you won’t find me cheering on the red and black! Hope I have a job after the boss reads this!”. We hope so, too!

Andrew’s time will be split between Sport Canterbury and Healthy Families Ōtautahi’s mahi – keep an eye out for his work on our websites and social media channels soon!

Article added: Thursday 13 April 2023