The South Australian Cricket Association is pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Insley to the role of General Manager, Cricket.
Simon is currently the High Performance Manager for the New Zealand Men’s cricket team, and will join SACA after completing his duties with the BLACKCAPS at the T20 World Cup in June.
Today’s announcement comes after an extensive recruitment process, conducted by SACA in conjunction with global sports recruitment specialists, Elevate Talent.
SACA President Will Rayner said the appointment was an exciting opportunity to refresh the cricket program across South Australia.
“Simon has a proven track record of success in high performing cricket programs,” Mr Rayner said.
“His blend of experience at the international level with the BLACKCAPS and New Zealand Cricket combined with his knowledge of the Australian cricketing landscape from his time at Cricket Tasmania and the Hobart Hurricanes made him a highly appealing candidate.”
Simon’s experience in high performance environments started as High Performance Manager for the Men’s and Women’s programs at Auckland Cricket during which he completed a secondment role with the BLACKCAPS at the 2019 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Following that tournament, he was named Cricket Tasmania’s GM of High Performance. His tenure with Tasmania featured the Tigers winning their first WNCL title. Since June 2022 he has held the role of BLACKCAPS Performance Manager, a period that has seen the team make the knockout stages of the T20 and ODI World Cups.
“Simon was a standout through the recruitment process, bringing innovative ideas, genuine passion and an inclusive and aspirational mindset that we are confident will provide lasting benefits to SACA and the South Australian cricket community,” Mr Rayner said.
Insley is currently with the New Zealand National Team for the ICC T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean and will relocate to South Australia to commence the role following that tournament.
“It’s been an honour to be part of the BLACKCAPS team. The international cricket landscape looks much different today than it did when I started and a highlight of my time with the team has been helping navigate the demands the evolving environment including the growth of franchise cricket and international schedules," Insley said.
“Working alongside head coach Gary Stead on player and support staff wellbeing on and off the field has been a particular highlight of the last two years.
“One of the products of the changing environment has been the number of players involved in the BLACKCAPS team and I am excited to see the team continue to grow in the future.
“Whilst my focus is currently on the tournament ahead with the BLACKCAPS, I am humbled by the opportunity to join an organisation with the history and standing of SACA and call the Adelaide Oval home. I am looking forward to moving to Adelaide and can’t wait to connect with the South Australian cricket community.”
Insley will commence his new role in August. SACA will now formally commence an exhaustive search for a Head Coach of the Men’s program.
