Growing up in the Ida Valley, sports, including curling, was a big part of many people's lives. 

Over the years, I have enjoyed participating in many sports, leading me to take on various coaching, administration, and governance roles, including president of the CO Trotting Club, BoT Chairman, and Local Justice of the Peace.

In 1990, I became a curler for the Poolburn Curling Club. I am fortunate to have curled with and against some amazing people and clubs over the years. Without a doubt, being part of the 2012 winning Bonspiel Club has been a sporting highlight. The traditions and sportsmanship associated with the game are something I hold dear, having had this impressed on me as a younger curler. Despite John Sanders's best efforts, my curling exploits are all to do with crampet curling. 

However, in 2016, I was privileged to be Poolburn Curling Club's nominee to the NZCA. Serving a two-year term as NZCA President from 2020 - 2022 is a real privilege.  It allowed me to become more involved not just in the Outdoor Curling World but it gave me a chance to be involved with the Indoor Curling World in a significant way.

My role with NZCA is focused on Outdoor Curling and future-proofing it as best as possible.  However, I get absolute satisfaction from supporting the same goals for the indoor game in the hope of future international success.

Information to come. 

Since 2019, I have served on the NZCA Executive and am currently the Vice President. I have been the Convenor of Selectors for the past two years. 

As a semi-retired farmer, my experience includes administering and playing several sports over the years, namely tennis, rugby, squash, and bowls, along with being on the Central Otago Trotting Club for 40 years. Retiring from the Omakau lrrigation Company this year, after 30 years of service, four years as Chairman.  

Previously, I played sports at a representative level, such as Otago for rugby and New Zealand for the men's and senior curling teams.  My representative experience, along with curling outdoors for Alpine Curling Club, gives me knowledge in both modern and traditional games, as well as knowing what is required at grassroots and representative levels. 

These experiences and my skills support my hopes of bringing a practical way of governance to achieve the NZCA's goals.

Information to come

Initially from a farming background with a degree in Farm Management from Lincoln University.  I went into forestry for 18 years as a harvesting contractor and forest harvesting trainer.  This led to my involvement in establishing the NZ Forest Contractors Association, to which I served on its executive for several years and as President for a 2-year period.  Forestry also led to my involvement with the Rural Fire Service, which led to several deployments to Australian bushfires.  Ultimately, forestry led me to Naseby, where I was introduced to curling.

Although a late starter to the sport, I was fortunate enough to represent NZ at several Senior World Champs under the tutelage of Peter Becker. An opportunity led to a three-year Government funded position as Development Officer for the Indoor Curling Rink, allowing me to learn various aspects of rink operation, such as ice making.  I had the opportunity to train as an ice maker in Germany through a World Curling program and gained coaching qualifications there.  Although I still actively curl, albeit a little slower, I have concentrated on coaching these past few years with YOGs, Juniors Teams, and more recently, the Open Women's Team.

Currently, I'm an Irrigation and Cropping Manager for a corporate Diary Farm.  My skills enable me to understand curling from ice making, traditional curling and the International Game. 

My role on the NZCA Executive is in finance, seeking funds and organising fundraising initiatives to help alleviate the costs of running our organisation.

I was born in Ranfurly, Central Otago and currently live near Patearoa. Although I have travelled and lived in different areas throughout New Zealand and Overseas, I will always consider Maniototo my true home.

Growing up in a large sporting family, Curling was only one of the many sports we were encouraged to play; I started hack curling when I was 17, however, and only played a handful of crampet games before this age. 

Once I started curling at a competitive level, I found I loved the sport and the traditions New Zealand Curling still encourages.  Currently, I am a member of the Ranfurly Curling Club and frequently curl at Maniototo Curling International in Naseby.  Being part of the New Zealand Womens Curling team has provided me with the knowledge of what is required for top athletes at a competitive level.

After graduating from Otago University with a Bachelor of Physical Education with a post-grad in Secondary Teaching, I worked for several years with International students in Melbourne in various student support/administration roles.  I'm currently a Legal Assistant for Checketts McKay and hope to gain my Legal Executive qualification one day in the future. 

One of the reasons I wanted to become part of the New Zealand Curling Executive was to encourage and help put more strategies in place to encourage more female curlers into the Curling fraternity.  I hope to see female participation at social and national levels increase over the next few years.

Hello, my name is Sean Becker. 

I was born and raised in Maniototo, Central Otago and attended our local Area School, where I completed (Year 13) with University Entrance.  I travelled to Scotland and Canada for two years, gaining more curling experience.  While in Canada, I obtained the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) Level 1 and part of Level 2 coaching certificates.

My curling experience over the past 30 years has seen me play and compete for our local club, both indoor and outdoor curling while competing at National and International Levels.  The highlights were Olympic representation and a World Championship silver medal at the World Mixed Doubles Competition.

As a Farm Manager in a multi-million dollar agricultural business, I help with planning and implementing – finances, budgets, logistics and the day-to-day management of staff, stock and contractors.

I look forward to helping develop and guide the growth of the sport of curling in New Zealand at both domestic and international levels as a member of the New Zealand Curling Association Executive and as a long-standing member of the Maniototo Curling International board. 

Information to come

Information to come

Originating from the quaint Southland town of Mossburn,  curling was a foreign concept to me.  However, moving to Central Otago and marrying into the Becker Family transformed my perspective. I developed a deep love and respect for curling, and it's safe to say that this unique sport has become an integral part of our family's life. 

My educational journey, culminating in a Bachelor of Education and Diploma in Teaching from the Dunedin College of Education and the University of Otago, has spanned over two decades. During this time, I had the privilege of teaching at various schools in Otago and Southland. As a passionate educator, I enjoyed providing rural tamariki with enriching opportunities. Currently, I teach a Year 4 - 5 class at Strath Taieri School in Middlemarch three days a week. 

The Spirit of Curling is a value I hold dear, and my passion extends to secondary school and junior curling.   My journey for the Executive began as a Secretary, but it quickly evolved into a more substantial role.  As a teacher, I thrive on communication, organisation, and developing policies and processes.    The recent changes in the Incorporated Societies Act have presented an opportunity for me to contribute to NZ Curling by creating policies and guidelines that ensure NZCA's compliance.  

In 2022, I became the Naseby Curling Council and MCI Secretaries. While I am no longer in their roles,  they supported my administration role, giving me a better understanding and enabling better communication between NZCA, the Councils and Venues, especially when coordinating the Curling calendar.  I am committed to contributing to the growth of NZCA through my administrative role, which involves communications, system-building, and liaison with the Executive  and the wider curling fraternity. I aim to preserve this historical game's unique character while assisting in implementing processes and systems to propel it into the modern era, enhance our professionalism, and foster curling's growth.   

My role is challenging, rewarding and full of learning.  I hold the NZCA Executive in high regard, and working with the calibre of people on the Executive is a privilege. 

It's not unusual for families to have a tradition of curling through the generations.

Mine is a little different in that it was my kids who were the first to play our sport in the Auckland Secondary School league. So, my introduction to curling was watching them from the sidelines.

This progressed to managing the team for the school (I certainly wasn't qualified to coach), then getting involved in fundraising, and taking school and youth teams to tournaments at the other end of the country.

When my older son finished High School, he wanted to continue playing. So, I took my first steps onto the ice to join them in the Auckland Club league and played my first game the week I turned fifty. The jury is still out, though, on whether it is possible to teach old dogs new tricks with any real degree of success.

I joined the club's committee, and the first step toward my current role was when I was asked to help manage the website.

Since then, I've enjoyed giving back to a sport I love. And I’ve enjoyed the opportunities to get behind the scenes and meet a host of genuinely lovely people with shared values from New Zealand and worldwide curling communities.

I still pinch myself about the incredible opportunity and honour I’ve had, to proudly represent my country at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.  I’ve been curling most of my life; my NZ team played in many Pacific Champs, four World Champs, and then achieved my long-term goal of Curling in the Olympics.

Curling can be a sport that rewards ‘experience’, and I was the oldest Winter Olympian to hit the ‘field of play’ in 2006. Curling is not really ‘mainstream’ in NZ, but I believe it is the ultimate team sport, with all four teammates directly involved in the success of every single shot.

That life-changing experience was the catalyst for me to want to ‘give back’ and get involved in what was then known as the Olympians Club, which more recently became the NZOC Olympians Commission. The first Olympians project I was involved in was the presentation of uniquely numbered NZ Olympians Pins to what was then over 1000 New Zealanders who had competed at the Olympics from 1908 through 2008. That number has grown to over 1500 NZ Olympians now, with Beijing 2022 NZ Olympians recently added.

I have retired from a 35-year sales and marketing career in the Agricultural industry, helping NZ farmers do what they do best – producing food to export to the world. After being raised on a dairy farm in Canada (where I got my degree in Agriculture), my wife Carroll and I moved to New Zealand in 1992 "for 2 or 3 years". We soon took out NZ citizenship, and for over 30 years we’ve proudly called ourselves Kiwis.

I am still very involved in curling, as the NZCA Representative to the World Curling Federation for many years now. I have also competed with my NZ team at eight of the last nine World Senior Curling Champs (age 50+).

After being co-founder of the Auckland Curling Club in 1996, (renting ice on a skating rink), I now spend considerable time on a project to get the first ‘dedicated’ curling rink built in Auckland. The rink will be a true ‘quantum leap’ for Curling in NZ, providing world-class curling ice seven days a week in our largest city. A curling rink will provide an exciting new recreation option for Kiwis, at the same time as being a facility for future generations of NZ Olympic Curlers to develop and hone their skills!