Our Team
Steve Hollander
Steve Hollander is the founder of the NZ Rural Games Trust and a key figure in promoting New Zealand’s rural sports and community. In 2013, his pioneering vision led to the creation of the Trust, which successfully launched flagship events including the NZ Rural Games, the Rural Sports Awards, Agri Futures, and Clash of The Colleges.
His entrepreneurial drive extends beyond events. He is also involved with Future Post, an innovative company that recycles plastic waste into durable fence posts. A Christchurch-born sports enthusiast with a degree in Physical Education from the University of Otago, Steve has played multiple sports at a premier club level and still enjoys cricket and a hit of golf on a Wednesday afternoon. His favourite rural sport is wood chopping.
After extensive international travel, he returned to New Zealand, where his experience in the travel industry evolved into a specialisation in event travel management for major sporting events. Along with his wife Karen, he is passionate about harness racing and has been breeding, owning and amateur driving horses for many years out of their lifestyle property north of Auckland.
Karen Hollander
Karen was born and raised in Hawke’s Bay before relocating to Auckland in the early 1980s. She built a successful career in the travel industry, specialising in commercial and incentive group travel, coordinating and escorting groups to destinations all around the world. Her role required meticulous planning, strong relationships, and a calm approach to managing complex logistics—skills that continue to serve her well today.
A lifelong passion for horses has seen Karen involved in equestrian sport across many disciplines. She later expanded her expertise into training harness racehorses, gaining her amateur driver’s licence and competing at a high level. Her dedication and talent were rewarded when she won the New Zealand Championship and went on to represent New Zealand at the World Championships in Austria—an achievement she remains extremely proud of.
In her role as Administration Manager, Karen is very much the engine room behind the scenes. She works closely with sponsors and competitors, manages travel arrangements, oversees accounting, and ensures all operational details are handled efficiently so events and activities run seamlessly.
Outside of work, Karen is a keen golfer and an enthusiastic sports follower with a broad range of interests. From the fast-paced world of Formula 1 to traditional rural pursuits, her sporting passions are diverse. Her favourite rural sports include speed fencing and the Highland Games, reflecting her appreciation for both athleticism and heritage-based competition.
His entrepreneurial drive extends beyond events. He is also involved with Future Post, an innovative company that recycles plastic waste into durable fence posts. A Christchurch-born sports enthusiast with a degree in Physical Education from the University of Otago, Steve has played multiple sports at a premier club level and still enjoys cricket and a hit of golf on a Wednesday afternoon. His favourite rural sport is wood chopping.
After extensive international travel, he returned to New Zealand, where his experience in the travel industry evolved into a specialisation in event travel management for major sporting events. Along with his wife Karen, he is passionate about harness racing and has been breeding, owning and amateur driving horses for many years out of their lifestyle property north of Auckland.
Kris Taylor
Kris is an experienced events professional with nearly three decades of delivering top-tier experiences at New Zealand’s leading sporting and corporate occasions.
Since 1996, she has led event operations, starting her career with the Warriors. She then progressed to other high-profile assignments, including Super Rugby, the America’s Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Rugby World Cup on home soil. Her expertise covers every aspect of event delivery. This includes meticulous logistics coordination, stakeholder management, and operational execution.
Kris’s attention to detail and commitment to excellence ensure memorable experiences for participants and guests alike. Her favourite rural sports event is watching the Highland Heavies athletes showcasing remarkable power and versatility across multiple disciplines.
Her practice covers conference management, incentive programs, and bespoke special events. She has a proven track record with complex, multi-faceted events. She brings strategic planning, operational precision, and creative problem-solving to each engagement.
Kris’ deep understanding of event infrastructure, vendor coordination, and guest experience management, combined with her extensive network across New Zealand’s sporting and corporate sectors- makes her a trusted partner for organisations seeking flawless event delivery.
Daniel O'Regan
Daniel is a communications and events professional dedicated to promoting New Zealand’s rural sector. For the past seven years, he has been instrumental in managing marketing, communications, and sponsorship for prominent national events, including the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games and the Ford NZ Rural Sports Awards.
As the General Manager of Agri Futures, he oversees its flagship “Clash of the Colleges” events held nationwide – inspiring the next generation into the food & fibre sector. His expertise extends to previous work promoting major agricultural showcases like the South Island Farmer of the Year and South Island Agricultural Field Days.
Daniel’s commitment to community was nationally recognised in 2012 when he won the PRINZ Supreme Award for his public relations work with the Student Volunteer Army following the Christchurch earthquakes. He applies this same strategic and community-focused approach to his current role.
His favourite rural sport is Coal Shovelling as he grew up on the West Coast of the South Island where coal is king! His forebears have mined coal for a few hundred years! Daniel lives on a smallholding north of Whanganui, where he enjoys the rural lifestyle that underpins the events and communities he supports.
After extensive international travel, he returned to New Zealand, where his experience in the travel industry evolved into a specialisation in event travel management for major sporting events. Along with his wife Karen, he is passionate about harness racing and has been breeding, owning and amateur driving horses for many years out of their lifestyle property north of Auckland.
Beckie Leigh
Beckie’s journey from growing up on a farm, to rowing for New Zealand at age group levels, studying and rowing at Stanford University, and now rowing for New Zealand at an elite level has taught her a lot.
Her childhood on the farm developed her love for the rural lifestyle and for nature. Rowing not only provided the space to be active, to be a part of a team, and provided a good excuse to get out on the lake but also taught the importance of hard work and discipline. Her many years in the sport has provided an array of experiences and opportunities to develop as an athlete and a person. Competing on the world stage at age group levels opened up her eyes to what the world has to offer and the pride that comes from competing for something bigger than yourself, in her case, for New Zealand.
Rowing also opened the doors to studying overseas. More specifically at Stanford University, one of the top rowing and academic universities. Studying Product Design taught Beckie that no problem is too big or small to solve. With effective communication, an open mindset, and by actually understanding the user, you can find the right solution to any problem.
She is currently rowing for New Zealand as an elite athlete, following her love for the sport and dream to compete at the Olympics.
