Our Sports Chaplains

Ross Georgiou has served as a personal Chaplain to athletes from many sporting codes.  A part of his focus is to support athletes during times of greatest pressure, at major sports events.  At the 2012 Olympics Ross spent time listening to and praying with a key member who had lost his mother and could not return home for the funeral.  He provided prayer, guidance and a listening ear to athletes from all over the world.  He was also able to support coaching staff and athletes during the administrative crisis that nearly saw a handful of NZ athletes unable to compete.

At Rugby World Cup 2011, Ross was integral in ensuring Chaplains were on hand for each of the 20 teams, as well as for match officials.  This ministry under the banner of ‘Engage’ was heartily endorsed by RNZ2011 Ltd CEO Martin Snedden.

Enroy Talamahina serves as Chaplain to the First XV rugby team at Kelston Boys’ High School, a state school in West Auckland.  The team has been very successful and has produced a number of international players, including All Blacks.

As Chaplain, Enroy has attended games, preseason training and boot camps, midweek practice sessions, prematch preparations and after match functions, and even accompanied the team to the 2012 World Championship which they won!

Enroy meets with players, coaches, managers and parents, listening to their stories and, when invited, praying with them.

Jessica Wall is a former Canadian University Rugby International and figure skater who attended Sports Chaplaincy training in New Zealand.

“Over the last four years I have served as a player-chaplain on a local women’s rugby team in Auckland, provided Chaplaincy services to Canadian Olympians in London, and continue to offer Chaplaincy support to elite student athletes in Canada.  Underlying each of these different Chaplaincy roles is a desire to share God’s love in a tangible way that is authentic and relevant to the athlete.  For some this has meant simply doing life together, and for others this has meant offering a listening ear in the way of emotional support, or providing guidance and encouragement for the athlete’s spiritual life.”

A family man with five children, Ryan Griffith has been involved in rugby Chaplaincy for five years.  “I’m Chaplain for the Highlanders and the Otago ITM Cup team.  I’m aware that the team is a pressure cooker environment, and as a Chaplain I am here to offer a listening ear to the players, provide pastoral care and a ‘home away from home’.”

Ryan’s playing years and easy going nature make it easy for him to relate to coaching staff, support staff and players.

Grant Harris’ nine to five job isn’t really nine to five.  He is a pastor of New Zealand’s largest Baptist Church, yet he and the church’s leadership readily embrace Grant’s Chaplaincy role with the NZ Breakers.  Grant sees it this way: “A central part of my faith is caring for people.  There are so many different environments that we can do this in, and sportspeople need as much lovin’ as anyone else!  I enjoy the fact that what I speak about at church on a Sunday is what I’m personally trying hard to practise within the NZ Breakers organisation.  I love basketball and I love people – so being a Chaplain within sport is a perfect mix for me!  I know that I add something to the Breakers, but they also enrich my life through mutual friendship the longer we hang out together.”