Melodie rules
The first thing you notice about Melodie Robinson is her warmth. She’s a hugger, quick to laugh, sparkly eyed and always ready with a wry, self-deprecating joke.
Still, you don’t need to dig very deep to find the steel beneath that. This is a woman who, as a Black Fern, was known for her aggression and speed, who since her retirement from rugby has made a career from storming into a man’s world and doing her best to reshape it. Melodie is a lot of fun, but when something matters to her, she doesn’t mess about.
And sport matters to Melodie. It matters a lot. Today she has a top job as TVNZ’s general manager of sport and events, responsible for coverage of the Olympics, the America’s Cup and any other global sporting contest you care to mention. Sport has been a driving force since she was a kid. So why is it so important to her?
“Because it changes people’s lives,” explains Melodie. “It makes you understand goals, shows you what working as a team is, and
