Pauline-Jean Luyten is an impactful governance leader who brings nearly two decades of legal experience, Tongan and Dutch heritage and a deep commitment to amplifying diversity of thought to a range of board tables. She is a Director of Aoraki Legal, a female-led practice in South Canterbury, is a former ultra-runner and a mother of three. As one of 25 leaders across the globe recognised as a 2025 World Rugby Women’s Leadership Scholar, Pauline has been instrumental in the re-shaping of governance in rugby. She recently played a pivotal role in constitutional change in NZ Rugby, ensuring genuine Pasifika governance representation for the first time, with overwhelming support from provincial unions - a milestone in uniting diverse perspectives for shared success.
Additionally, Pauline holds multiple historic firsts as the first Tongan and Pacific woman appointed to a Heartland Provincial Union board in New Zealand, then to serve as an Emerging Director on the NZ Rugby Board and was a driving force in developing the NZR Pasifika Strategy - the first of its kind in rugby nationally and globally. Her governance roles include serving as a trustee on the Mid and South Canterbury Community Trust, Co-Chair of the NZ Rugby Pasifika Advisory Group and as a member of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee.