AUT SPRINZ, NZSCA and SESNZ Strength and Conditioning/Sport Technology Conference
The Strength and Conditioning/Sport Technology Conference will be held on 9 and 10 November 2026 at the NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS), which is a world-class, multi-purpose facility in Upper Hutt, Wellington. The NZCIS has been designed to bring together sport, industry, and community in one integrated environment.
This innovative two-day conference will feature a series of practical, ~20-minute workshops that attendees will rotate through, delivering actionable, hands-on insights. The programme emphasises a “learn by doing” and practice-based evidence approach, with micro-dosed sessions covering key themes such as strength and conditioning, physiology, injury prevention, rehabilitation, nutrition and technology integration. Each day will be opened and closed by keynote speakers, complementing the workshop experience and providing broader perspective for the strength and conditioning/sport technology community.
A conference uniting science, data and human potential.
Ask. Answer. Share.
Details about the conference
Many delegates will be staying on the NZCIS Campus and arriving on Sunday. For those who are available, we will be heading to Brewtown on Sunday evening for an informal dinner (please note this is at your own expense).
Enjoy complimentary catered lunches on Monday and Tuesday along with a catered dinner on Monday evening.
Registration option is for 2 days only:
- Standard price: $180 (both days)
- Student price: $120 (both days)
Registration
You can register and pay through our portal (Xetta).
If you have any questions regarding the registration or the conference in general, please email Jane Hall
Angus Ross
Bringing the Physiology to Life for Sprint/Jump Athletes
Training to optimise contractile speed in power athletes provides the focus of this presentation. We will explore what we know and what we don't. Of particular interest are the implications of fibre type, sarcomeres in series (including ROM) and elastic power and how we train these elements.
Dr Angus Ross has been working in elite sport in both NZ (HPSNZ) and Australia (AIS & QAS) since 1998. Roles at Olympic level have included sport science support, coach, strength and conditioning & athlete (bobsleigh). He is currently working as HPSNZ technical lead in strength and conditioning, primarily with Athletics NZ in power physiology and strength and conditioning (alongside his full coaching role with NZ 60m and NZ resident 100m record holder sprinter Tiaan Whelpton) and carded athletes in other sports including rowing, squash, beach volleyball & kayak.
Glenn Kearney
Excellence by Accumulation: How 1000 Small Decisions Shape Elite Performance
Drawing on lessons from elite sport, nutrition, and research, Glenn challenges the notion that high performance is built on breakthroughs. Instead, he explores how excellence emerges through better questions, sound judgement, strong relationships and the accumulation of purposeful decisions over time.
Glenn Kearney is the Research Manager, Strategy & Innovation Team at High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ). Glenn is a proven leader in applied performance nutrition. He has deep and wide experience in elite sporting environments with high stakes - including working with the All Blacks, British Athletics, British Tennis, NZ Cycling and since 2015 former world number 1 and multiple Grand slam winner Andy Murray
Joseph Dolcetti
A Storyteller's Guide to Human Performance
Where I Started. Where We Are. Where the Future Is Going
40 years in high-performance sport, across 10 Olympic cycles, having innovated one of the most important technologies in human movement, add in 4 years in a maximum security prison and you get a pretty unique perspective of our field and the life around it. Join the journey, but let’s explore the future - together.
Joseph Dolcetti (Coach Joe), the CEO and Founder of LILA® and the inventor of EXOGEN wearable resistance is a 35-year veteran of high-performance training with a career that has spanned 10 Olympic cycles from Seoul 88 to Paris 24, with 1000’s of athletes across 5 continents. As the world leader in technical conditioning and movement problem solving with wearable resistance, Joseph is much sought after by elite athletes and coaches from around the world of sport including those from USAT&F, USA Olympic Program, Star Athletics, Team Canada, UKSPORT, Jamaica T&F, China Olympic Council, the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, EPL, New Zealand All Blacks, France Rugby, Paris St Germaine, Real Madrid, the UFCPI and many more.
- Ant Sharp - Performance Director, Canterbury Cricket
Topic: Performance Diagnostics in Applied Settings: Moving Beyond the Lab - Cris O’Brien – Owner Asphodel Fitness and Performance
Topic: Coaching Under Pressure: Using Constraints, Cueing and Velocity to Maintain Movement Quality - David Edgar (Maj) – New Zealand Defence Force
Topic: The load-carriage challenge with the New Zealand Army - David Sturrock - Head of Performance, Method Performance and Rehab
Topic: Repeated Sprint-Training; What it Improves and Why it Works - Esther George – Senior Physiotherapist, InForm Physiotherapy Limited
Topic: Use of Alter-G for Return to Running - Joe Dolcetti – CEO of Lila Human Performance
Topic: Hybrid Training – A Model for the Future - John Cronin- Professor Strength and Conditioning
Topic: New Perspectives in Hamstring Assessment and Training - Jordan Boriel – AUT PhD Student
Topic: Practical Applications of Blood Flow Restriction for Training and Recovery - Kameron Masoner - Masoner Human Performance
Topic: Tacit Intelligence: Use of AI Tools for Skill and Confidence - Matt Blair – Principle Lecturer, Otago Polytechnic
Topic: Ancient Breath Techniques That Can Enhance Modern Strength and Conditioning - Ross Eathorne – Performance Coach
Topic: Pandiculation: Reclaiming Movement Post-Trauma - Shaun Burrows – Strength & Conditioning Coach, NZ Hockey
Topic: Using GPS Monitoring to Optimise High Intensity Training Loads - Theo Younger – Mental skills coach, Integrated Training
Topic: Rapid Recovery - Tom McLeod - AUT Ventures - Venture Principal
Topic: Eccentric Cycling in ACL Rehabilitation - Tracey Clissold – Co-Founder OSTEO-GAINS/Senior Lecturer Toi Ohomai
Topic: Bone Health: A Focus on Impact
More presenter and workshop details will be available soon.
Strength and conditioning in action
Quick facts
Dates: Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November 2026
Location: NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport, Upper Hutt, Wellington
Main Campus Address: 48 Somme Road, Trentham/Heretaunga, Upper Hutt 5018.
Gate 1 (20 Somme Road) and Gate 3 (48 Somme Road)
Accommodation: NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport
Bookings – email: bookings@nzcis.co.nz and let our bookings coordinators know you are part of the AUT SPRINZ Conference.
Please note, that booking one room in our dorm wings means you understand that the bathrooms are a shared facility, and will be shared with other guests.
Staff ID or reference will be needed to have access to our discounted apartment rates.
Rooms are paid for in advance of stay via credit card or internet banking.