‘As an All Blacks fan, it’s a privilege to play my part’

As head of public affairs at New Zealand Rugby, one of Ian Long’s main priorities at the moment is preparing for the DHL NZ Lions Series next year, an event that will see about 20,000 British and Irish supporters head to New Zealand for the once in 12-year event.

As the All Blacks play Ireland twice this year, the Irish man will be wrestling with mixed emotions. The first match will be this Saturday in Chicago.

Hailing from Dun Laoghaire, Long (41) moved to Australia in 2001 and to New Zealand the following year. There he met Clare woman Caroline (“specifically in the now closed Molly Malones”), who is now his wife, and they have two children, Siofra (7) and Dara (4).

What took you to New Zealand?

I moved from Ireland to Australia in 2001 and subsequently to New Zealand in 2002, where I have pretty much been since. My current role is head of public affairs at New Zealand Rugby, an organisation I have been with for the past five years.

How did you get into public affairs?

Having spent three years studying economics at University College Dublin from 1993 to 1996 I realised a career in numbers was not for me. College priorities were clearly outside the lecture halls with student entertainment and UCD radio ultimately leading to several years spinning records on Dublin's Phantom FM and a post-graduate diploma in public relations at the Fitzwilliam Institute.

Four years as a publicist at RTÉ promoting everything from The Den to The Sunday Game provided a wealth of experience, as well as the odd high-profile PR issue. But the sun and sand of Australia was calling and a Garuda flight (complete with a smoking section) eventually landed me in Sydney for a year working in the bars there and in Melbourne.

What took you to New Zealand?

With my Australian visa running out, the call of the Land of the Long White Cloud was stronger than the urge to return to Dublin. So I landed in Auckland with enough dollars to keep me in a backpacker hostel for a couple of weeks and a phonecard to call the brothers (in case I needed another family bailout).

While Auckland has a lot going for it, I always knew it would never be home – that was always going to be Wellington. Compact, affordable, on the water, with more than enough cafes and bars, and weather that wasn’t exactly tropical, but equally wasn’t Irish – I immediately connected with the capital.

How did you get work there?

Landing a job in public relations in a city with a population of about 400,000 without experience in the country wasn’t without its concerns, but the interview process was refreshing. It wasn’t about who you knew; it was about what you could do, a positive attitude and commitment.

A Skype interview with a boss who decided to take a chance on this Irish man led to five years in PR and communications at New Zealand Post, a postal service company and one of the country’s most high-profile organisations. The role was wide and varied: government relations, internal communications, crisis management, spokesperson. There was rarely a dull day.

But you came home for a while?

After six years in Wellington and newly married, the travel bug struck and six months later we returned to Dublin. We had a fun, carefree year but the roaring city presented real challenges. It was €800,000 for a three-bedroom semi-d, new cars were everywhere you looked and people took three holidays a year. It seemed unrealistic and unaffordable. And it was.

Ultimately the tough call to leave two families behind and return to New Zealand to establish a new home was made. Four months later the Irish tiger was found to be a dog and our decision to leave, despite being emotionally draining, made sense.

What did you do on your return to Auckland?

I worked in communications in state housing and then tourism until I got a job five years ago with one of the world’s leading sporting organisations, New Zealand Rugby, where I’m now head of public affairs. As a fan of the All Blacks since I knew what rugby was, it’s a privilege to play a small part in an organisation that’s part of Kiwi’s DNA.

How has your role developed over the years?

The role began with a focus on stakeholders, community rugby and social responsibility just before the Rugby World Cup 2011. It then grew in scope to cover the various elements that often sit within a public affairs role (often referred to as corporate affairs) such as media, government relations and internal communications. The breadth of the role ensures there's always enough going on.

Over the years I’ve been lucky to work with outstanding people committed to all elements of the games, from grassroots through to the All Blacks. From working on fan parades attended by hundreds of thousands of people following the All Blacks wins in 2011 and 2015, promoting various competitions including the 2013 Under 20 World Championship, supporting our charity partners to raise vital funds into research on life-threatening diseases, and assisting NZR’s talented communications team to promote all aspects of the game – not to mention manage the odd drama or two.

What are you working on now?

As public attention turns to the upcoming All Blacks end-of-year tour, including two games against Ireland, much of my focus is about preparing for next year’s DHL NZ Lions Series. The 10-game series over six weeks in June and July, which will be attended by more than 20,000 visiting fans from Ireland and the UK is a big deal – possibly the biggest sporting event New Zealand has hosted since the Rugby World Cup 2011. Ensuring the media get what they need and that communities are engaged and welcoming is a big part of my work over the next nine months – and something I’m really excited about.

When asked what's the most important thing about the role, it makes me think about the Maori phrase in New Zealand – "He tangata, he tangata, he tangata" which roughly translates as, "It is the people, the people, the people".

Despite all the success the organisation and its teams have had over the past 125 years, it continues to amaze me just how down-to-earth everyone connected with the organisation is: from current to former All Blacks, management and everyone else involved. There are no egos, which is a noticeable trait of most kiwis I’ve encountered.

I’ll be watching from the comfort of my armchair so no one will know!

Do you socialise with the Irish community in New Zealand?

Outside of work, I keep connected with the Irish community in Wellington through the local society, and generally do my best to keep on the positive side of the work/life balance divide. Wellington is a beautiful city that provides a healthy mix of outdoor pursuits, quality food, local beer and wine – and more cafes per capita than anywhere else in the world. Clearly the people at Lonely Planet guides knew it was special when they called it the coolest little capital in the world.

What’s next?

As for the future, who knows? The Kiwi lifestyle couldn’t be delivered in Ireland, but then again a long holiday is not out of the question at some stage; like most Irish people abroad I know, I never can say never.