Not Just A Phase - Lisa's Rugby Rehab

LISA KINGI-BON (55), FROM AUCKLAND, IS CEO OF THE NEW ZEALAND RUGBY FOUNDATION

- Ciara Pratt

“I was brought up in a very sporting family. Mum and Dad used to drag us off to rugby games and cricket matches. I was born in Johannesburg but grew up in Durban, which is where my rugby journey really began in the early 1990s.

My first role in rugby as a marketing and public relations manager saw me focus on attracting women and families to the game. In those days, matches were only on about once a month, but when they were held, it was the biggest party in Durban.

We worked really hard on serving healthy food, boosting security and making sure the bathrooms were kept very clean. And, of course, the matches were held in the afternoon.

Everyone would park on the eight rugby fields surrounding the stadium, put little marquees up and barbecue out of their car boots. It was just so much fun!

However, politically it was very chaotic in the early ‘90s in South Africa. I can't begin to explain what it was like living through that. But sport played a positive role, and then came the election in 1994. I'll never forget voting that day, the first day that every South African could vote. You can't imagine the joy!