Kiri Pope

Senior Consultant

Bachelor Of Arts, Canterbury University, Pg Dip. Sports Management, Massey University, Pg Dip. Teaching And Learning, Christchurch College Of Education. Recreation Aotearoa Accredited Recreation Professional.

Kiri is passionate about working to create positive community benefits through the parks, sport and recreation sector.

Prior to becoming a consultant Kiri held various management roles at Tauranga City Council between 2005 and 2015. During her time with Tauranga City, Kiri was the manager responsible for leading the community consultation and user group liaison for three major sport and recreation facility development projects, ASB Arena, Arataki Community Centre, and Mount Greens Sports Project.

These projects involved working with a wide range of internal colleagues, external professionals and sport and community groups. Through these projects Kiri demonstrated the ability to consider wide ranging perspectives, understand the needs and desires of a range of stakeholders, and to effectively communicate these with design and construction professionals.

A former chair of Recreation Aotearoa, Kiri also has experience in recreation and open space planning. Kiri is aware of the challenges of planning multiuse reserves and facilities and the need for a comprehensive and considered planning approach to ensure that current and future sport, recreation and community needs can be effectively catered to.

Football (Soccer) was Kiri’s number 1 sporting activity until she gave up in 2016 due to too many injuries. Now she enjoys swimming, walking and skiing. Which apart from the last one are easier on the body!

A Canadian-born Kiwi, Kiri and her partner own two classic VW's - a 1969 Beetle and a 1973 Westfalia Kombi Camper.

Our Values

  • We Take Time

    We take the time to get to know the project team and their operating environment.

  • We Partner

    We work alongside our clients and partners to maximise opportunities.

  • We're Pragmatic

    We provide pragmatic advice that translates to implementable solutions.

RSL is Proud to Support the Sector

At RSL, we take immense pride in championing the vitality and progress of the recreation, sport, and leisure sector. The team at RSL has been involved in various capacities in the Sport and Recreation sector for over 30 years. Here are just some of the ways RSL supports the sector:

Internships

RSL provides internship opportunities for students studying in the sector. Internships are customised as much as possible toward a student’s interests and future career aspirations.

Sponsorship

RSL supports industry groups through sponsorship opportunities. RSL sees the value in industry professional development and networking and therefore sponsors the Recreation Aotearoa National Conference. RSL has also supported other industry groups through contributions of time or financial support.

Mentoring / Peer Support

Individuals within the RSL team actively contribute to the career development of many young professionals through mentoring, both formally and informally. RSL team members also actively participate in sector peer reviews and are often invited to serve on industry panels.