Things Get Muddy for New Zealand

Things Get Muddy for New Zealand

New Zealanders will be getting muddy again this November after Australian based business, Sports Media and Entertainment 360, signed an exclusive licence agreement to manage Tough Mudder, ensuring its return to Hampton Downs Motorsport Park.

After a three-year hiatus of the event in New Zealand, the expanding business has agreed to a multiple year deal that will see the global event run again.

CEO of SME360 Martin Jolly, has said the announcement of the deal coincides nicely with the launch of the event.

“We have a great team delivering some great products and Tough Mudder is an exceptional global brand that we are excited to now have as part of the SME360 family” he said.

Founder and CEO of Tough Mudder, Will Dean has also expressed his delight in expanding the footprint of Tough Mudder.

“We are thrilled to be returning Tough Mudder to New Zealand as we know the support has been and will continue to be strong in this part of the world.”

“We are delighted to appoint SME360 as our partners in the region and we are extremely confident in the team led by newly appointed SME360 Commercial Manager Jeremy Kann to deliver an exceptional event in Auckland later this year” he said.

Kann (who was previously General Manager of Tough Mudder Australasia) has said he is excited to be involved in returning the event to New Zealand.

“I am delighted to once again be part of the Tough Mudder family, having been with the business when we were last in New Zealand in 2014. The event has great potential, the participants are always extremely passionate and I am confident numbers will continue to grow in New Zealand” said Kann.

Owner of Hampton Downs Tony Quinn, said he is looking forward to welcoming the event to the venue.

“Whilst Hampton Downs will always be home to great motorsport activity, it has enormous potential as a multi-purpose venue and we are thrilled to welcome Tough Mudder.”

Tough Mudder New Zealand has also announced an exciting charity partner in the iSPORT FOUNDATION. Richie McCaw, Ali Williams and Dan Carter created the Foundation in 2009. After seeing communities struggling to raise funds for sports projects - they wanted to help. They knew that sorting out these relatively small things could make a huge difference and help young people kick off their sporting dreams.

“We all had a moment in our teens when we made a decision to be the best we could be in our sport. Now, we want to inspire a new generation of young sporting stars to succeed and be the best they can be in their chosen sport – no matter their circumstances.”

The iSPORT FOUNDATION gives grants and provides a crowdfunding platform for young people and teams who need help getting in the game. Whether they’re being held back by a lack of equipment, training fees or other expenses, we love helping make their dreams a reality and get more kids participating in sport.

Alister Gates, CEO of iSPORT FOUNDATION said today, ‘We are delighted to be partnering with Tough Mudder in New Zealand, an iconic global brand with a fantastic philosophy of teamwork, camaraderie and accomplishment. It fits well with our brand and we look forward to working with Tough Mudder New Zealand in increasing awareness and fundraising to help more kids participate in sport. iSPORT will be involved both in the lead up to and at the event along with our Founders Richie, Dan and Ali. We now encourage people from all across New Zealand to come and be a part of Tough Mudder in November.’

Tough Mudder New Zealand has also announced an exciting charity partner in iSPORT FOUNDATION. iSPORT FOUNDATION was launched in 2009 by All Black trio of Ali Williams, Richie McCaw and Dan Carter with the view to assisting struggling New Zealand communities raise funds for relatively small projects. The projects may include fixing a playground, rebuilding a swimming pool, BMX track or basketball court. These projects are funded to encourage active participation and raise community spirit.

2017 will see over 50 Tough Mudder events across the globe from North America, China, Australia, UK, Ireland, Germany and now New Zealand.

The Tough Mudder NZ event will be held on the weekend of November 4th & 5th 2017 at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park .

Tough Mudder is an 18-20-kilometre mud obstacle course designed to drag you out of your comfort zone by testing physical strength, stamina and mental grit. With no podiums, winners, or clocks to race against, it’s not about how fast you can cross the finish line. Rather it’s a challenge that emphasises teamwork, camaraderie and accomplishing something almost as tough as you are.

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