OUR DELEGATION
Thomas Schmider
Head of Delegation
Kia Ora all,
I’ve been president of Auckland Handball from 2019 to 2022 with the mission to support New Zealand grow the sport and help the club to reach its full potential. Establishing the foundation for a youth team in Auckland and seeing the players having fun playing handball inspired me to get more involved with the youth handball development in New Zealand. Prior to that I’m looking back at more than 26 years of experience as an active handball player.
I’ve played in several handball clubs worldwide and participated in championships in Germany, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Throughout those years I met great handball players and coaches that taught me a lot on and off the court.
My responsibility as the Head of Delegation is to enable the management team to make choices that create the future for the National Youth Handball Team. The goal is to establish an environment where the players feel well looked after, can train and perform like professionals and are inspired to connect with other players.Reach out if you want to talk handball or anything else of interest to you. I’m looking forward to connecting with you all.”
📍Auckland
Email: youth@handball.org.nz
Phone: 027 47 60 371
LinkedIn
Website
Olly Donaldson
Manager
“Kia Ora everyone!
I am a relative newcomer to the handball community, first playing for Otago University Handball Club in 2020. While I still play indoor for Otago, I was also part of the NZ Men’s Beach Handball team that competed in the World Championships and World Games earlier this year.
I am currently a student at the University of Otago, and will be graduating at the end of this year with a degree majoring in Sports Management and Psychology.
It is a great privilege to be involved with this group as part of the management team and to give back to a sport that I love.
I am looking forward to assisting the teams representing their country proudly both on and off the court, as well as gaining some valuable experience personally in a role I am looking to continue working in heading into my career!”
📍Dunedin
Email: youth@handball.org.nz
LinkedIn
Hayden Juranovich
Head Coach
“Lads, allow me to introduce myself
My names Hayden and I will be coaching the U18s this year.
I have played handball close to 10 years now in both indoor and beach. I have played in Canterbury for my whole time and have played for NZ in the U20s team as well as being involved in the national squad at some point.
Currently, I am coaching the Canterbury women's team which I have done for the last 2 years.
Looking forward to helping you guys grow as players and see where this sport can take you as many opportunities have opened up recently for our players.
See you soon”
📍 Christchurch
LinkedIn
Roland Nemes
Coaching Advisor
Introducing Roland Nemes, our newly appointed coaching and technical advisor for the national U19 team.
Roland Nemes has an impressive background in handball coaching, having worked with various teams at different levels of competition. His experience includes coaching national teams, leading top-tier club teams, and developing young players at the grassroots level.
As the new coaching and technical advisor for the national team, Roland brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. He is highly regarded in the handball community and is known for his innovative coaching methods, tactical insights, and ability to motivate players to perform at their best.
We believe that Roland's vast experience and expertise will be instrumental in our team's success, and we look forward to working with him closely to achieve our goals.
Izidor Cukovic
Physiotherapist
Izidor Cukovic is a highly skilled physiotherapist from Croatia. With 14 years of experience in the field, including 10 seasons as a physio in top handball clubs in Croatia and Slovenia's 1st divisions, Izidor has recently served as the Chief of Physiotherapy at Croatia's largest rehabilitation center, Varazdinske Toplice. We are honored to have Izidor's expertise on our side.