Dame Farah Palmer: Leading from the Front Row

Dame Farah Palmer needs little introduction in New Zealand rugby circles. A two-time Rugby World Cup-winning Black Ferns captain (1998 and 2002), the first woman inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame (2014), and a recipient of a DCNZM in the 2023 New Year Honours, Farah brought warmth, humour and genuine insight to our speaker evening. What follows is a summary of her presentation.

About Dame Farah

Farah Palmer grew up in Piopio, having been born in Te Kūiti, and has spoken warmly about the grounding that upbringing gave her: resilience, resourcefulness and a sense of accountability that comes from growing up in a community where everyone knows you. Her father still farms the land she grew up on.

After a distinguished playing career, she pursued an academic path, completing a PhD and joining Massey University as a lecturer in sport management and sport sociology. She later taught leadership and teamwork, a transition that deepened her thinking about what leadership actually means. Today she remains active in rugby governance through the World Rugby Council, and serves on the board of Global Woman as well as EGC, a charitable trust focused on STEM education from early childhood through to university.

The Honour She Almost Declined

Farah's damehood was not a straightforward yes. She initially declined, feeling uncomfortable being singled out when so many others contribute equally. It was her parents who persuaded her to accept: "It's not about you, it's about us." Others pointed out that the honour also acknowledged all the women who had gone before her in rugby. She accepted on that basis.

The Process of Becoming

A central theme of Farah's talk was what she calls "the process of becoming." She sees life as a series of evolutions: she became a rugby player, then an academic, then a wife and mother, and continues to evolve. Rather than arriving at a fixed identity, she believes we should always be striving to learn, grow and better ourselves.

This philosophy also shaped her view of leadership. She is reluctant to claim the title of "leader," preferring simply to do her best in whatever role or context she finds herself in. Her focus is on encouraging others, and she sees competition as less important than collective elevation: if everyone gives 100%, the outcome looks after itself.

Rugby Analogies for Leadership

Farah uses rugby as a lens for leadership, and it is a lens that fits naturally. She described three modes of leadership that mirror moves in the game.

Taking the space (running with the ball)

Early in her leadership journey, Farah would step up and take charge directly. She described this as natural and energising, but over time she recognised its limitations.

Passing it back

She came to understand that stepping aside and letting others take the space is often more valuable. Helping people discover and develop their own potential became a greater source of satisfaction than leading from the front.

Kicking it forward (changing the system)

The most significant leadership, she argued, often involves changing the structure, the culture and the system itself. When you kick it forward, you make advances that benefit everyone, not just the people immediately around you.

She also spoke about the "rolling maul" as a metaphor for change: the ball is hidden, progress is mysterious, and no single person deserves all the credit. Change in organisations often works exactly that way.

Navigating by Your Values

Farah referenced the Maori concept of "wayfinding" (as explored in the film Moana) as a way of thinking about direction in life. You do not always know exactly where you are going, but you can navigate by your values, the things you know point you in the right direction. For her, those stars include giving back to community, raising up others and contributing to collective progress.

She also spoke about "turangawaewae," a Maori concept meaning a place where you have the right to stand. It can be the place you grew up, your profession, or the community you have contributed to. Palmerston North remains one of hers.

Changing Rugby from the Inside

Some of Farah's most compelling storytelling centred on her entry into rugby governance. She was the first woman on the New Zealand Rugby Board, and she was clear-eyed about what that meant at the time: there was no suit that fitted her, she was told where to sit as an afterthought, and the whole environment signalled that women were not expected to be there. Her response was characteristically pragmatic: she laughed it off and stayed.

Over the following years she shoulder-tapped women for board roles, helped establish a Women in Governance programme and encouraged provincial unions to pursue diversity from the ground up. By her seventh year on the board, four women held seats. The board now actively values diversity of gender and ethnicity as a matter of course.

She was also on the New Zealand Rugby Board during the Black Ferns' 2022 World Cup victory on home soil, a tournament she had worked hard to bring to New Zealand. Her husband was assistant coach of that team. She described the evening of the final as simply amazing.

BTB: Better Than Before

The theme of "BTB" (Better Than Before) ran through the Black Ferns' World Cup campaigns. It functioned as both a process goal and an outcome goal: the team aimed to improve continuously, not simply to win. The same philosophy guides Farah's approach to every role she takes on, and it is the measure she applies to herself, her students and the organisations she serves.

She spoke too about the importance of celebration: acknowledging achievements, giving recognition, and high-fiving the people around you. Progress that goes unrecognised is harder to sustain.

A Note on Leadership Theory

Farah referenced the work of Donna Ladkin, whose model frames leadership as a moment when the right people, the right context and the right purpose align. She finds this relational view of leadership persuasive: a great leader without followers who believe in them, or without a context that fits, will simply not be effective. Leadership is not a fixed trait but a dynamic that depends on those around you.

Closing Thoughts

Farah closed by reflecting on what still drives her: the process of becoming, the commitment to passing opportunity back to others, the value of collective movement over individual achievement, and the importance of long-term strategy over short-term wins. She acknowledged our club's voluntary service to the community with genuine warmth, saying she always feels humbled to be among people who give so freely of their time.

She is currently training for Hyrox in Stockholm. We wish her well.