Simone Barrett
Game Day and Events Manager, One New Zealand Warriors
Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in Management
She loves planning and executing all game days and events for the One New Zealand Warriors, says Simone Barrett who studied a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation in Management.
“I enjoy the buzz and adrenaline leading into a game day or event, including NRL home games, awards night and our newly established corporate network ‘Warriors in Business’ events. It’s long hours and hard work, but it’s all worth it when you see everything come together. Being able to put a smile on 25,000 fans’ faces every game day is my favourite part of the job and it never gets old.”
There have already been a few career achievements she is especially proud of.
“In 2023, I received the One New Zealand Warriors Club Person of the Year award for my work on elevating and enhancing the game day experience. In July 2024, I was selected for the inaugural NRL Women in League Executive Mentoring Programme. I had the privilege of travelling to Sydney to meet the other 19 extraordinary women chosen for this programme, and got paired with an elite mentor in the industry to guide me through the next steps of my career.”
A passion for sport
Simone says she has always been passionate about sport, so deciding to study it at university was easy.
“I chose to pursue a sport and recreation degree because of my passion for sport and my motivation to contribute at every level; from grassroots to professional. AUT stood out to me because of its strong emphasis on industry placements, enabling students to gain hands-on experience and direct involvement in the field they aspire to work in. When comparing my options, AUT was the only institution that offered the practical experience I was seeking.”
It's a decision she certainly hasn’t regretted and she had plenty of highlights throughout her time at AUT.
“Some of the highlights for me were the people I met in this degree and around campus, and getting the opportunity to work directly in the sports industry in my final year. I was placed in a fantastic organisation, with an even better industry supervisor who helped me get to where I am today. I also really enjoyed the Sport Entrepreneurship, and Events and Strategic Sport Management courses, which helped to solidify my pathway in the degree and my future work aspirations. I loved that many of the assessments were based on working through realistic problems in the sports industry.”
Advice for other students
Simone, who graduated from AUT in 2021, has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their university journey.
“Take every opportunity your course offers you and build relationships with your lectures. Their knowledge and experience are incredible and they’re truly the best at what they do, so make the most of this.”
Start building industry connections early, she adds.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to organisations you can see yourself working in, and intern and volunteer where you can because it looks great on your CV.”
