Team Management

04 Nov 2010

  • Bryce Anderson - Team Manager

    Bryce Anderson steps into his second year as Blues Team Manager in 2013.

    He brings over 30 years experience with rugby and over 20 years managing businesses and various sporting events.

    A self confessed ‘sports nut’, BA is able to combine his love for rugby and his passion for the Blues with his skills in project and event management.

  • Stephen Kara - Doctor

    Team doctor Stephen Kara enters his sixth season with the Blues in 2013, having joined the franchise in 2008.

    A registered medical practitioner, Stephen graduated from Auckland Medical School in 1989, specialising as a Sports Team Doctor (Diploma in Sports Medicine) and in General Practice (Fellowship from NZ Royal College of General Practitioners).

    Stephen has a wealth of experience in team medicine which includes holding positions with the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rugby team (1997), Medical Officer to NZ Hockey (1995-99), Counties-Manukau and Auckland NPC doctor as well as the team doctor for the NZ Maori Rugby team in their Centenary tour against Ireland and England in 2010.

    Stephen is a member of Sports Medicine NZ and an Associate Member of the Australasian College of Sports Physicians. He is currently completing a Masters of Philosophy at AUT in rugby injuries.

  • Mark Plummer - Physiotherapist

    Physiotherapist Mark Plummer has been looking after the Blues players’ wellbeing for the last five years. A co-owner of Physio Rehab Group clinics, Mark has also been on board with the Auckland ITM Cup side for the last decade.

    He has held previous positions with Counties-Manukau, New Zealand Sevens, New Zealand Under 19s and New Zealand Under 21s as well as the Black Caps cricket team.

    An outstanding cricketer as well as a rugby aficionado, Mark captained the Auckland and New Zealand Under-19 cricket sides and was also the captain of Papatoetoe Premier team from 1982 to 1990.

  • Ashley Draper - Assistant Physiotherapist

    Originally from North Devon in England, Assistant physiotherapist Ashley Draper graduated from the University of Southampton in 2000 and initially worked with the NHS and Southampton Football Club before moving to New Zealand in 2004.

    He took up the role of head physiotherapist with the Northland Rugby Union before joining North Harbour for the 2011 ITM Cup.

    He also worked with the New Zealand Maori team for their Centenary domestic tour in 2010.

    A keen surfer and long distance runner, 2013 will be Ashley’s fifth campaign with the Blues as assistant physiotherapist.

  • Troy Webber - Video Analyst

    Troy Webber is the technical expert providing the Blues coaches and players with video footage and analysis of their and their opposition’s game performances.

    Spending countless hours breaking the game down into numerous aspects to identify any advantages or weaknesses and give the Blues the edge over their opponents, Troy enters his fourth season as head video analyst alongside assistant Grant Aickin.

    Holding a Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Information Technology at Bond University, Troy has previously been a video analyst for the Auckland Storm, Counties-Manukau Air New Zealand Cup team and is currently the Auckland ITM Cup video analyst.

  • Grant Aickin - Assistant Video Analyst

    It would not be an understatement to say that Grant Aickin has pioneered the way video analysis of rugby is performed in New Zealand.

    Joining Auckland Rugby in 1991 on a part time contract as a filing clerk, Grant became Club Rugby Liasion Officer where, from 1995-1998, he also provided Graham Henry (Auckland and Blues coach at the time) with video breakdown of the teams’ performances to help him with his game analysis.

    In 1999 he became Video Analyst for both the Auckland and Blues rugby teams which saw the advent of computerised game analysis in New Zealand Rugby.

    Grant resigned from his role as fulltime analyst in 2009 but in 2010 rejoined the Blues as assistant video analyst to Troy Webber.

  • Nick Sheppard - High Performance Manager

    Nick has wide experience in the education, business and sport sectors for over 20 years and now leads the player development, talent identification and player recruitment strategies for the Blues Franchise.

    Nick’s previous rugby roles include Chief Executive Officer of Counties Manukau Rugby from 2003 to 2007, the NZRU Provincial Union Support Manager in 2008 before he joined the Blues Franchise in 2009.

  • Ben Meyer - Professional Development Manager

    A former Blues halfback, Ben Meyer rejoined his old franchise as Professional Development Manager in 2009 after a distinguished playing career which included overseas stints in Italy and Scotland.

    Ben also had the privilege of playing for all of the Blues’ provincial unions – Auckland, North Harbour and Northland, as well as captaining Counties-Manukau.

    Interestingly, the 1.80m halfback was also capped as a number 8 for the Blues v Sharks match in 2002.

    Ben has a Masters in Management from Massey University and spent 10 years working for Mainfreight Ltd before commencing in his current role with the Blues.

    Working across all levels of the environment from the Auckland High Performance Academy, Auckland ITM Cup side, Wider Training Group and the Blues, Ben loves the ability to work with people who are achievement-focussed.