Kiwi coach joins ambassador ranks for World Masters Games

Wednesday 12 August, 2015

Olympic winning Kiwi coach joins ambassador ranks for World Masters Games 2017

One of New Zealand’s most successful sports coaches on the international stage has joined World Masters Games 2017 as its newest ambassador.

Dunedin-born, United States based volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon guided the United States men’s volleyball team to gold in Beijing 2008 and coached the USA women’s team to silver in London four years later. These achievements established McCutcheon as the only head coach of any US Olympic team sport to lead a men’s and women’s team to podium finishes, and saw him named USOC Coach of the Year in 2008 and, five years later, receive the USA Volleyball “All-time Great Coach” Award.

Chief Executive of World Masters Games 2017, Jennah Wootten, said it was a real privilege to have an international legend like McCutcheon on the ambassadors’ team. “Hugh is currently head coach of the NCAA Division 1 University of Minnesota’s women’s volleyball team and has already assisted us in promoting the World Masters Games at the US National Seniors Games in Minneapolis.”

“We are expecting World Masters Games 2017 competitors to come from 100 countries and as such we wanted to have ambassadors who are connected into the global sporting community. The North American market and the sport of volleyball are extremely important for us and Hugh’s reputation and networks within the United States and within volleyball internationally are second-to-none.”

Hugh McCutcheon said he was fortunate to have experienced what being involved in an international multi-sport event means. “I’m passionate about sports and about New Zealand so it was a very easy decision, indeed an honour, to accept the invitation to represent World Masters Games 2017.”

CEO of Volleyball New Zealand, Paul Cameron, said the sport of volleyball could have no better advocate locally and internationally than McCutcheon. “Volleyball is a massive global sport with around 250 million registered players in 220 countries. We know that Hugh’s involvement will provide a wonderful boost for us to showcase volleyball in New Zealand during the World Masters Games 2017.”

McCutcheon joins International Goodwill Ambassador, Lord Sebastian Coe, and former Olympic bronze medal swimmer, Anthony Mosse, as the internationally-based World Masters Games 2017 ambassadors.

A further 11 ambassadors are based in New Zealand– Hamish Carter, Jenny-May Coffin, Garth Barfoot, Susie Simcock, Bryan Williams, Allison Roe, Noah Hickey, Cory Hutchings, Anna Stanley, Nathan Twaddle and Mark Orams.

“We are extremely grateful for the work our ambassadors do on our behalf in a voluntary capacity. They provide a reach and depth of contacts and networks to help spread the World Masters Games 2017 story which is invaluable,” said Ms Wootten.

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