Tomlinson said her love for rugby started on the sidelines, cheering on her little brother and the All Blacks.

“I have seen firsthand that rugby can bring a sense of community and togetherness at its most grassroots level, and as a born and bred Northlander, this is so important to me.”

Also important to her is the responsibility that comes with her new position, which she said she will use to drive Northland Rugby to be the best it can be.

“Our vision for Northland Rugby focuses on supporting our community, driving participation, and ensuring the success of our high-performance teams and events. We aim to provide development opportunities for players and coaches while maintaining financial stability.

“Building long-term strategic partnerships and understanding our stakeholders are key. We strive for continuous innovation and improvement, embedding our values and creating clear pathways for Northlanders.”

“Our strategic objective as a provincial union is to be the best. This means we need to continue the good mahi that has come before us and continue to build on the foundations we have in place. It means striving towards absolute excellence, innovation and sustainability.”

She said she would take forth lessons like respect for legacy, and trusting your voice and abilities, from outgoing chairperson Andrew Golightly.

In signing out, Golightly said, in a statement, that it was an honour to have served Northland Rugby and wished the new members well.

“I value her skills in business, finance, strategy, and rugby passion, and this sees her well-placed to be the NRU chair in 2024 and beyond. She has my full support in taking up this important role, and I know she will do an outstanding job. I step back knowing Northland Rugby is in safe hands with Nikita as chair, our quality board, and our great staff.”

Rugby hall of famer, Canadian-born Kelly McCallum will serve as deputy and said she was honoured to be on the board and privileged to be able to support Tomlinson.

“My rugby experience spans across tamariki, rangatahi, community, high performance, and professional levels. Having lived in Northland for more than 26 years, I have a solid understanding of the areas in our game that require attention.” McCallum captained and played for her birth country, Canada, in two rugby World Cups and was recently inducted into the Canadian Rugby Hall of Fame. She has also coached internationally for Japan’s sevens.

She said she hoped to make sustainable, equitable change in her position.

“I have strong knowledge in governance processes, DEI initiatives and understanding the rugby culture … Collective leadership is essential for effective governance moving forward and most importantly it is about the people.”