TVNZ's Sports and Events General Manager, Melodie played rugby union at an international level, winning two world cups with the Black Ferns. Playing blindside or openside flanker, she played in 18 tests with the Ferns from 1996 to 2002. While playing rugby , she gained a BA from the University of Otago, as well as studying Journalism in Wellington. Her first job was in radio – working at the press gallery in Wellington covering politics.

In 1998 Melodie became the online sports producer for MSN and produced innovative sports websites like All Blacks and Team New Zealand. She moved on to Sky Sports in 2002 where she became the world's first female rugby commentator and was a key member of Sky Sports’ commentary team. With this role, she was involved in covering major sports for many years, including Olympics and Commonwealth Games, rugby and netball World Cup tournaments, Super Rugby and Mitre 10 Cup rugby.



More recently, Melodie completed an MBA at Auckland University's Business School and is New Zealand's first Maori Barbie as part of Mattel’s role model line. In her current role at TVNZ, she is leading the sport and event strategy for TVNZ’s coverage of global sporting events. She was a castaway on the 2022 series of the New Zealand reality television show Celebrity Treasure Island.



Melodie and her husband Marcus have two sons, Jensen and Freddie.

TVNZ's Sports and Events General Manager, Melodie played rugby union at an international level, winning two world cups with the Black Ferns. Playing blindside or openside flanker, she played in 18 tests with the Ferns from 1996 to 2002. While playing rugby , she gained a BA from the University of Otago, as well as studying Journalism in Wellington. Her first job was in radio – working at the press gallery in Wellington covering politics.
In 1998 Melodie became the online sports producer for MSN and produced innovative sports websites like All Blacks and Team New Zealand. She moved on to Sky Sports in 2002 where she became the world's first female rugby commentator and was a key member of Sky Sports’ commentary team. With this role, she was involved in covering major sports for many years, including Olympics and Commonwealth Games, rugby and netball World Cup tournaments, Super Rugby and Mitre 10 Cup rugby.
 
More recently, Melodie completed an MBA at Auckland University's Business School and is New Zealand's first Maori Barbie as part of Mattel’s role model line. In her current role at TVNZ, she is leading the sport and event strategy for TVNZ’s coverage of global sporting events. She was a castaway on the 2022 series of the New Zealand reality television show Celebrity Treasure Island.
 
Melodie and her husband Marcus have two sons, Jensen and Freddie.

John Cowan hosts ‘Real Life’, a weekly nationwide chat show on Newstalk ZB featuring a different high-profile guest every week. John talks with them about their life, their upbringing, their passions and their view of the world.

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