My work examines gender equity, belonging, and organisational culture in community and high-performance sport, and how organisations turn that understanding into change.
I combine qualitative and quantitative research training with close to twenty years inside national and regional sport organisations. Historical and theoretical training helps explain why things are the way they are; practical experience means the solutions are ones organisations can actually use.
Research interests
- Gender equity and belonging in sport
- Women’s and girls’ health, wellbeing and participation
- Organisational culture and change
- The history of women’s sport in Aotearoa
- The experience of rainbow communities in sport, in particular transgender inclusion
- Research translation, public engagement and impact
Te Poukapa
My doctoral research produced Te Poukapa: The Belonging and Equity Matrix, a framework organisations use to build a gender equity and belonging action plan. It is now applied across community and national sport.
Current research
- National gender equity measurement tool for New Zealand’s National Sports Organisations. Developing the Dashboard and Scorecard for Women in Sport Aotearoa: all 45 NSOs, scored on public data against a Te Poukapa based framework, with Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations treated as a first-class domain. Due early 2027.
- Gendered governance in Aotearoa New Zealand football, 1975 to 1999. A journal article for a special issue of the International Journal of the History of Sport on women’s football in a global era.
- The Te Poukapa framework. A thesis-derived article, targeting Sport Management Review.
Doctorate
Shifting the focus from gender diversity and inclusion to belonging and gender equity in Aotearoa New Zealand community football organisations: How did we get here and where are we going? Massey University, conferred 2023.
A multi-disciplinary thesis across sport management and history. It used a historical analysis of key events, then a study of attitudes to diversity, women’s experiences, and feelings of belonging in community clubs and organisations. Supervised by Professor Sarah Leberman, Professor Dame Farah Palmer and Associate Professor Geoffrey Watson.
Research methods
- Qualitative: Semi-structured interviews, document and archival analysis, thematic analysis, framework development, analysis of secondary documents.
- Quantitative: Survey design, analysis and interpretation; translating statistical findings for non-technical audiences.
- Mixed and applied: Action research; post structural feminism; case study; insider research, autoethnography, historical analysis; human-centred design thinking.
Advisory and applied research
Selected organisations I have done research and advisory work for:
- Women in Sport Aotearoa: The national gender equity assessment tool, and the NSO Dashboard.
- NZ Cricket: A workshop and presentation to the Major Associations on belonging and equity.
- High Performance Sport NZ: Analysis of a national survey of women coaching in high-performance sport.
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage: The Te Ara football entry and the NZHistory women’s football timeline.
- Sport Manawatū: Diversity and inclusion scoping, and an LGBTIQ+ inclusion guide for community sport.
Full list of publications and reports →
Affiliations
- The Australian Gender Sport Collective (2020 to present)
- Hine Manawa Rau, the Women in Sport Aotearoa community of practice (2024 to present)
- Women in Sport Aotearoa Research Consortium (2019 to 2022)
Work with me
I take on a small number of research and advisory projects. If you are working on gender equity in sport and think I can help, get in touch.