logo
NZ's Elite Athlete Breaking Point Research To Be Shared With Five Eyes Nations

NZ's Elite Athlete Breaking Point Research To Be Shared With Five Eyes Nations

Scoop22-06-2025
A world-first performance transformation framework developed in New Zealand from research into the psychological breaking point of elite athletes has caught the attention of police forces in North America and the United Kingdom, with a number of trials in discussion.
The move follows the inking of long-term contracts with global law enforcement advisory organisation World Policing in the UK, which provides governance and technical advice to thousands of police forces around the world, and a specialist consulting firm that supports Government security and law enforcement agencies throughout Europe and North America, including the FBI.
Vantaset, founded by performance expert Craig Steel, whose team includes a former All Blacks manager and two Olympians, has unveiled a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) model designed to optimise workplace performance using a scientifically engineered system to help athletes deliver personal bests on demand.
The global interest from global law enforcement and defence agencies in the company's platform, which took seven years and $7 million to develop, follows the success of an earlier iteration of the framework with the New Zealand Police under former commissioner Mike Bush.
The process, which was credited by Bush as helping him achieve what was described as one of the most successful Government sector transformations in history, not only lifted staff engagement and public trust in the organisation, it helped him reduce crime by over 20%.[1]
Steel says discussions are underway with a number of North American police chiefs and defence experts who have identified their process as a potential solution to address plummeting engagement and retention issues they are facing.
'They told us this was the most promising process they've seen to address what they describe as a leadership and engagement crisis affecting critical agencies globally, so piloting the process is the logical next step in demonstrating its effectiveness in this environment.'
Bernard Rix, chairman of World Policing says, 'Given the demonstrable impact Vantaset's technology had on New Zealand Police, we're confident it can be implemented in other law enforcement agencies around the world to help them improve the performance of their respective forces, which is why we've partnered with them.'
Steel's work began three decades ago as a study into 'athlete capitulation', the moment top athletes psychologically collapse under pressure. By reverse engineering the process he identified that caused it, Steel developed a repeatable framework that helped New Zealand athletes amass over 20 World Cup and World Championship equivalent titles.
Described as 'one of the single greatest breakthroughs in human performance,' the framework delivered unparalleled results, enabling athletes to achieve personal bests 87% of the time they competed in Tier 1 events compared to the international average of 8-10%.
'What began as a system for world-class athletes is now changing the way organisations develop and engage their workforce,' says Steel.
'We're focused on helping organisations, including the Police, improve the impact and effectiveness of their staff as their personal performance is vital to the nations they represent.
Kiwi Olympians Moss Burmester and advisor Anthony Moss are part of the team looking to take the same high-performance principles that helped them succeed on the world stage into boardrooms, government agencies and frontline services.
Steel says too many organisations default to a risk-averse mindset, building internal frameworks focused on controlling resources which stifles ingenuity.
'Our work began with high-performance sport. But when we were invited to trial it in business, the results were just as transformative.
Steel's system codifies elite performance enabling leaders to support every level of their organisation. 'It's about unlocking the potential that already exists in their business as opposed to just trying to mitigate its risks, which crushes innovation.
'In elite sport, the goal is never to avoid failure, it's to produce something exceptional. But in the business world, most performance management systems are built to manage issues when they occur rather than amplifying the organisation's capacity to perform,' he says.
Steel says Vantaset's platform 'flips the script' by embedding performance principles drawn from decades of helping top-tier athletes win on the world stage.
'What we've done is build a high-performance operating system that organisations can scale across their entire workforce so they can embed a proven way of working that brings out the best in everyone. The focus isn't on minimising mistakes, it's on helping people be the most effective versions of themselves, as that's what drives growth and improvement.'
Over 100 organisations and around 30,000 employees have benefited from Steel's process to date, although their new digital platform will enable Vantaset to scale globally. The firm has assisted both public and private sector clients across New Zealand and Australia for over a decade but plans to expand into other Five Eyes nations in the years ahead.
'We've chosen to focus on the Five Eyes nations because we recognise that when it comes to working with defence forces and critical government agencies, trust and national security considerations are paramount.
'If we were to work with non-aligned or competing jurisdictions, it could close doors to the agencies in the nations we're best positioned to support. This strategic alignment should ensure our eligibility to work with the most sensitive public sector environments, where human performance is most vital.'
Vantaset is also engaging with international consulting firms to act as distribution partners to accelerate its global expansion, given its applicability to Government agencies and the private sector.
[1] Internatonal consulting group McKinsey and Co's Centre for Government focuses on helping the public sector tackle complex challenges, modernise organisations and improve services. This group identified NZ Police's change process as "one of the most successful Government sector transformations in history".
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

World Cup-bound Black Fern Kelly Brazier thought she was getting the 'bad' phone call
World Cup-bound Black Fern Kelly Brazier thought she was getting the 'bad' phone call

RNZ News

time12 minutes ago

  • RNZ News

World Cup-bound Black Fern Kelly Brazier thought she was getting the 'bad' phone call

2017 Women's Rugby World Cup Final between England and New Zealand. Kelly Brazier fends off a tackle. Photo: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane When Kelly Brazier received a phone call from Allan Bunting, she thought he was delivering the same bad news he delivered to her four years ago. Instead, the Black Ferns coach told her she'd made the 32-strong squad that would be going the Women's Rugby World Cup in England next month. Brazier will be appearing at her fourth edition after playing in 2010, 2014 and 2017. She has earned a place as the back-up first five-eighths alongside co-captain Ruahei Demant. Bunting was part of the coaching group during the Black Ferns last World Cup campaign, when Sir Wayne Smith was head coach. "We were in camp and flew home on Sunday night and we had been told our position-specific coach would ring us, so for me that's Tony Christie and that Bunts [Bunting] would be making all the calls to the players that hadn't made it," Brazier said. "I was unpacking my bag and the next thing I see my phone going off and I see Bunt's name pop up and I was immediately 'oh man, not this again' because he had made the call four years prior. "I picked up the phone, I was like 'Hey Bunts', and then he was just straight away 'congratulations'. "I couldn't believe it to be honest, probably because I wasn't expecting the call from him but he's someone who I have spent a lot of time with over the years so it was special to get the call from him." The pair know each other well. Bunting was head coach of the Black Ferns sevens for five years until stepping away at the end of 2021. Bunting took over as Black Ferns director of rugby in 2023. Brazier has had a long successful career in both codes. The 35-year-old debuted for the Black Ferns in 2009, and became a full-time professional sevens player in 2014. The Black Ferns Rugby World Cup Team Announcement. Photo: Marty Melville She has won two World Cup titles in the fifteens game and two Olympic medals in sevens, a silver in Rio 2016 and gold at the 2020 Tokyo games. She was aiming for a third Olympics but an achilles injury early last year put a dent in her build-up and she missed out on Paris 2024. Brazier missed out on the 2021 World Cup triumph, hosted in New Zealand and her prospects of making this year's world cup didn't look great. Can Brazier, who has played 44 tests across a 16-year career, believe she's going to another world cup? "No, to be honest, it was a massive honour to go to one, let alone thinking I was going to my fourth. "Four years ago, when I missed out on the world cup in New Zealand, I definitely had doubts if I would come back and four years is a long time when you're my age so to be here now is special and something I'm very proud of." Brazier signed to play for Chiefs Manawa in Super Rugby Aupiki 2025. She earned a late lifeline against the Wallaroos earlier this month, which was her first test since 2021. She did enough to convince the selectors they needed her in the squad for her fourth World Cup bid. Kelly Brazier playing sevens for New Zealand. Photo: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix How did she control her nerves knowing so much was on the line in that game? "Pretty nervous I guess and this time of the year, the competition was hotly contested in my position. Knowing not just playing my first test in a while, but I had to perform to be in a position to make this team," she said. "There were nerves but I've sort of been around, played in some pinnacles, played a few Test matches so just tried to go back to my strategies and just treat it like any other game." In a career littered with highlights, Brazier said being named for the world cup was "up there". "… If not the most special and probably off the back of my past four years, after missing an Olympics that I really wanted to be a part of and then missing a home World Cup in New Zealand, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity," she said. "I guess to bounce back from that and be named to go to England where it's going to be the biggest world cup for women yet is very special and proud to be here." Brazier said everything about being a part of the team still excited her. "It never gets old and probably the last couple of years when I've been injured and missed selection, there's probably things in the past I've taken for granted," she said. "But that time away from the game, coming back in, I've enjoyed those little things, those small moments, whether it's just having dinner with girls from around the country, people I haven't met before so just making sure I enjoy every moment." The lead up to this world cup, compared to her first world cup in 2010 could not be more different. "Throughout the camp some of girls asked me what it was like. My first world cup we had no tests leading in, it was maybe a seven day camp and off on the plane," she said. "The lead in we've got, the support staff we have now, the coaches, the facilities are unreal and I think it just shows the growth of women's rugby." The Black Ferns are the defending champions after beating England 24-21 in front of a sold out Eden Park in 2022. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

How Black Ferns comebacks and versatility shaped the World Cup squad
How Black Ferns comebacks and versatility shaped the World Cup squad

NZ Herald

time2 hours ago

  • NZ Herald

How Black Ferns comebacks and versatility shaped the World Cup squad

Another to overcome injury is Kaipo Olsen-Baker. The fierce loosie was set to be a breakout star at the 2022 tournament, having debuted in that year's Pacific Four Series. However, tragedy struck when she broke her leg just two months out from the World Cup kick-off. Olsen-Baker has fought her way back into form, battling with stalwart Liana Mikaele-Tu'u for the starting 8 jersey. It'll be her pleasure and ours when she makes her World Cup debut. Redemption is also the name of the game for veteran Kelly Brazier. Selection into this squad must have felt a long way off after a disappointing omission from the Black Ferns Sevens Olympic team. However, Brazier was determined to hang up her boots on her own terms. The workhorse got back on the field where she started, playing her way up from the Farah Palmer Cup. From there Brazier secured a spot in the Chiefs Manawa and showed just enough to ensure selectors didn't write her off this time. A defining feature of Allan Bunting's time with the Black Ferns is the willingness to reward form. He has named 23 debutantes in this cycle and a good chunk of those players have made it through. Players like Kate Henwood, Chryss Viliko, Layla Sae and Katelyn Vahaakolo have become regular features of the last two seasons, while Atlanta Lolohea and Maia Joseph have more recently made key positions their own. Four players have rocketed up the ranks this season. Vici-Rose Green, Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu, Laura Bayfield and Braxton Sorensen-McGee all burst into our living rooms this year. Bayfield is the true bolter, with a debut in the last possible test ahead of the tournament. This may feel like a lot of new blood but Smith himself debuted 12 players in the last World Cup year, ultimately selecting six of them. The team, then, is a mix of experience, of transferred sevens stars and of emerging talent. Selection has walked the tightrope between specialist and versatility. Around 40% of this squad have a second position they can play in to a high standard. We are offered a lot of flexibility at lock and back row. We have first fives who can cover second five and fullback where needed. Half of those outside backs named can cover first five, centre, wing or fullback. A lack of versatility likely counted against certain players when it came to making the final call. We only had room for two specialist wingers, and Ayesha Leti-I'iga and Katelyn Vaahakolo had been the preferred starters since 2022. When Portia Woodman-Wickliffe came out of retirement, this heavily narrowed Ruby Tui's chances. She still gave her all but this time, came up short. That's the painful part of selections, but there's no doubt Tui will be cheering this team on. So we should follow her lead, just as we did after the World Cup's final whistle and tūtira mai ngā iwi, tātou tātou e! Black Ferns Rugby World Cup squad Props: Chryss Viliko, Awhina Tangen-Wainohu, Kate Henwood, Tanya Kalounivale, Amy Rule, Veisinia Mahutariki-Fakalelu. Hookers: Georgia Ponsonby, Atlanta Lolohea, Vici-Rose Green. Locks: Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Alana Bremner, Chelsea Bremner, Laura Bayfield. Loose forwards: Kennedy Tukuafu, Kaipo Olsen-Baker, Jorja Miller, Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, Layla Sae. Halfbacks: Risileaana Pouri-Lane, Maia Joseph, Iritana Hohaia. First-fives: Ruahei Demant, Kelly Brazier. Midfield: Logo-I-Pulotu Lemapu Atai'i Sylvia Brunt, Amy du Plessis, Stacey Waaka, Theresa Setefano. Outside backs: Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Ayesha Leti-I'iga, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Renee Holmes. Non-travelling reserve: Krystal Murray. Alice Soper is a sports columnist for the Herald on Sunday. A former provincial rugby player and current club coach, she has a particular interest in telling stories of the emerging world of women's sports.

All Blacks depth tracking OK for 2027
All Blacks depth tracking OK for 2027

Otago Daily Times

time5 hours ago

  • Otago Daily Times

All Blacks depth tracking OK for 2027

All Blacks depth ... Apparently they call it Project 4-4-4. Scott Robertson wants to have four test-quality players in each position by the time the All Blacks roll up to the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027. So the aim is to go four deep, all over the field, over four years in a bid to win a fourth World Cup. Let us, then, go forth (sorry) and see how that mission is unfolding. I include players who are injured. You cannot take 60 players to a World Cup, but for this exercise, I have named four different men in each spot. Loosehead prop: Tamaiti Williams, Ethan de Groot, Ollie Norris, George Bower. No issues at all. Xavier Numia another name. Tighthead prop: Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu'ungafasi. Two strong options but Tosi is still a project and Tu'ungafasi is not getting any younger. Hooker: Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Asafo Aumua, Brodie McAlister. Very decent quartet, and with George Bell, Bradley Slater and New Zealand under-20 hooker Manumaua Letiu in reserve. Lock (naming eight to cover both starting spots): Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i, Fabian Holland, Patrick Tuipolotu, Sam Darry, Naitoa Ah Kuoi, Josh Lord, Isaia Walker-Leawere. Very strong depth. Blindside flanker: Samipeni Finau, Ethan Blackadder, Simon Parker, TK Howden. Still major question marks here. Openside flanker: Ardie Savea, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Dalton Papali'i, Peter Lakai. Not the depth there used to be. No 8: Wallace Sititi, Christian Lio-Willie, Luke Jacobson, Hoskins Sotutu. Fine if Sititi stays healthy. Jacobson and Sititi also options at No6, obviously. Cullen Grace in the loose mix somewhere.... is not bad Halfback: Cam Roigard, Cortez Ratima, Noah Hotham, Finlay Christie. Strong, and with Folau Fakatava and Kyle Preston also around, though Roigard a very clear first-choice. First five: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Stephen Perofeta, Josh Jacomb. Not bad. But the reality is Richie Mo'unga may be the man come 2027. Second five: Jordie Barrett, Quinn Tupaea, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Dallas McLeod. Decent. Centre: Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor, Braydon Ennor, Bailyn Sullivan. Proctor needs to do more to put pressure on ALB. Left wing: Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Caleb Tangitau. Would not surprise to see the latter two be preferred by 2027. Right wing: Sevu Reece, Emoni Narawa, Chay Fihaki, Leroy Carter. Work in progress. Fullback: Will Jordan, Ruben Love, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Callum Harkin. Had to reach for the fourth spot with Shaun Stevenson taking off. Overall, I would say depth in most positions is tracking OK. Perhaps the question is how many truly world-class players the All Blacks will have in their best XV by the time the 2027 Rugby World Cup kicks off. Savea, Jordan, Jordie Barrett and Williams lead the way, and Roigard, Sititi and Holland are on track, but other positions are not so clear. Lions by plenty The Last Word a wee while ago: Yeah, nah, Wallabies are getting better and they will nick the first test. The Last Word today: Er, good to see this column's predictions are as on point as ever. Wallabies are average. Lions could afford to blow some opportunities and still win comfortably. They will complete a 3-0 test series sweep with ease. News of the week The jaw dropped when I heard Sky TV had bought TV3 for a single gold coin. That was immediately followed by the thought: what does this mean for sports fans in this country? An assumption is that Sky will use TV3 for a chunk — small, but still significant — of its major sporting content, especially rugby, and that could be cracking news for Kiwi sports fans. Free-to-air broadcasting remains an essential tool to get eyes on sports. Look at what the unexpected leap back to TVNZ did for cricket. Modern cricket etc Mitchell Owen is one of the new names to watch in world cricket. The 23-year-old tyro made his debut for Australia in a T20 against the West Indies this week and promptly smacked a match-winning 50 off 27 balls. But what I found most interesting was this paragraph on the Fox Sports website, highlighting the reality of modern cricket for players who pull on many different team shirts a year. Owen "became one of T20 cricket's most in-demand talents after smacking a 39-ball century during January's Big Bash League final against the Sydney Thunder, helping the Hobart Hurricanes win their maiden title. The right-hander has since made cameos in South Africa's SA20, the Pakistan Super League, the Indian Premier League and the United States' Major League Cricket." Basketball brouhaha Anyone interested in the fight for women's athletes to get better resourced should be watching the WNBA right now. The American basketball league is poised to explode with a US$2.2billion rights deal kicking in next year, and with Caitlin Clark — arguably the world's most marketable female athlete — attracting record crowds. Yet WNBA players share just 9% of the league's revenue, a rather shocking figure when you consider NBA men's players share 49% of their league's revenue. The WNBA players wore shirts with PAY US WHAT YOU OWE US on the front at their all-star game this week. This is going to be a fascinating story to watch. Huge, huge, huge It is not like Donald Trump to get involved in something that should not really concern his office. The US President has threatened to derail a deal to build a new football stadium in Washington, DC, unless the NFL team ditches the Commanders nickname and goes back to Redskins, Reuters reports. The Washington NFL dropped the Redskins name in 2020 after decades of criticism that it was a racial slur. The team moved from Washington to suburban Landover, Maryland, in 1997, but earlier this year reached an agreement with the local District of Columbia government to return to the city with a new stadium expected to open in 2030. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker 'Washington Commanders', Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "I won't make a deal for them to build a stadium in Washington." Made me think about the Crusaders cleverly avoiding that intense pressure to change their name six years ago. Birthday of the week Kees Junior Meeuws is 51 today. A top bloke, a pioneer as a new breed of mobile prop with Otago, the Highlanders and the All Blacks, a lover of art, a real estate agent, a commentator, a family man. And I hope Wikipedia is correct about the middle name.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store