Michael Heron - Chair
Appointed to the Board in 2004 and chair in 2011. Michael is a partner at Russell McVeagh. Michael specialises in trial advocacy, regulatory proceedings, public law, health law and criminal proceedings. He played 1st XI cricket and 1st XV rugby, age-grade representative cricket and rugby for Wellington and played senior rugby for Victoria University for 3 years. In 1991 he completed a Masters in Law at Cambridge University with 1st class honours – playing rugby, cricket and rowing. After working in London & Tokyo, Michael returned to NZ in 1995. Over the years, Michael has combined his practice with a number of community roles including as, a Board Member for DFSNZ, Current Panel Counsel for the Crown, Serious Fraud Office, Auckland District Law Society and the SPCA.
Dr Lesley Rumball - Board Member
Appointed to the Board in 2007, Lesley Rumball represented New Zealand at netball for 12 years, including the 2003 World Champion side, and is a former Silver Ferns captain. She is also the Athletes' representative on the Commonwealth Games Federation Board, a member of the New Zealand Athletes' Commission, and a member of the Games Committee for the International Federation of Netball Associations. She is presently completing her Australasian College of Sports Physicians training and is a registrar at Sports Med Canterbury.
Mr Stewart Walsh - Board Member
Mr Stewart Walsh is a highly renowned orthopaedic surgeon who has treated many of New Zealand’s best athletes. He is a founding partner of Adidas Sports Medicine Clinic and his clinical practice is in Paediatric Orthopaedics (Starship Childrens Hospital) and Sports Orthopaedics. He is also a lecturer in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Auckland. His knowledge of both the sport and medical environments provides a valuable perspective to the work of Drug Free Sport NZ.
Stephen Cottrell - Board Member
Appointed to the Board in 2011, Stephen Cottrell is a former General Counsel of the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU). He continues to provide strategic advice to the NZRU as well as heading the sports law practice of national law firm Minter Ellison Rudd Watts. Stephen is a former Wellington and Otago rugby representative. He was also captain of the Cambridge University Rugby team while completing masters’ degrees in law and criminology with 1st class honours. Stephen is a trustee of Project Litefoot, a charitable trust seeking to inspire action for a more sustainable New Zealand
Sarah Ulmer - Board Member
Appointed to the Board in 2011 Sarah is an Olympic gold medallist (2004) and former world record holder in cycling's individual pursuit event. She has many other international titles to her credit and retired in 2007. Sarah has been a long time advocate for clean sport, she participated in a number of DFSNZ programmes during her time as an athlete and has served on the WADA Athletes Committee as well as the NZOC Athletes Commission. Sarah was awarded the NZ Order of Merit in 2005. She has two young girls and lives in Cambridge.
