Otago Rugby Football Union Inc
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OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION Annual Report 2012 132nd Annual Report of the Otago Rugby Football Union Otago Rugby Football Union Inc. Notice is hereby given that the 132nd Annual General Meeting of the Otago Rugby Football Union Incorporated will be held at the Alhambra-Union Rugby Football Club, North Ground, on Monday 18th March 2013, beginning at 7.00pm. Richard Kinley General Manager Presidents Report Well what a year it has been, from the near threats of extinction to an ITM Cup final at Pukekohe and a women’s team who showed determination, both on and off the field in keeping the Otago Rugby name to the fore. I have always been told that the game is bigger than any one person or team, and now I tend to believe in this age old saying. A special thanks to all those Life Members, Past Presidents and Metropolitan Clubs, who along with the already publicly acknowledged Country Board, who made a financial contribution to the ORFU in our time of need. It was greatly appreciated. Also a very special thanks must go to the New Zealand Rugby Union for their support, both financially and physically, during our time of need, for without them and their assistance in negotiations with the Dunedin City Council as well as other major creditors, we may not be in existence today. As we rely on sponsorship from many quarters to operate in today’s environment, I can only but say thank you very much to you all. A special mention must also be made to the ORFU staff and coaching personnel who have stuck with it and who have faced the brunt of the anger from many quarters. Thank you one and all for your continued commitment. I am sure I can say on behalf of all Board Members, both present and past, 2012 was a year from hell and that I hope we can only but grow in strength from now on, after having been thrown a life line by the many who support this national sport of ours. Let’s now look forward to another new season with new belief in 2013. Adrian Read President Chairman’s Report It is with some relief that I pen this report. As has already been referred to by our President, the 2012 year was tumultuous and one we are pleased to put behind us. That the Union still exists in the position we currently are is a tribute to many people and organisations. My responsibility as the Chair of the board is for ensuring overall matters are attended to in running the total business of Otago Rugby. My report deals with just that, leaving other specific important matters to our President and General manager. The current Board was appointed in May 2012 with little detailed knowledge of the affairs of the Union, current or past. It was a period of rapid adaption and gathering knowledge of the Union’s affairs and resources. In place on our appointment was a finance facility and budget package that we adopted and adhered to as closely as possible. We considered and adopted a policy and governance model, which we believe was, and still is, the most appropriate for the circumstances. As members will already be aware, we created a Charter for how we expect to be seen to operate. In addition we adopted written board Protocols for how we expect board members to relate to one another, and the board as a whole. These measures, in addition to certain other governance measures, serve us well and we trust can be refined and developed as the years progress. The financial result for the 2012 year shows a satisfactory result. A quick summary of the result is a profit from operations of $217,805, and a balance sheet with positive equity of $134,656. These are firsts for the Union for a number of years. One year’s satisfactory result however does not create a sound and robust financial position. It is still fragile. It may be the first year of the new structure will turn out to be the easiest. There was tremendous support, and as readers of the financial statements will realise there was funding for operations in the 2012 year that will not repeat in the future. In particular, the funding of operations for a period by the New Zealand Rugby Union will not repeat, and we are already aware Chairman’s Report Continued of some changes in a negative way on some sponsorship lines. Creating sustainable revenue streams for the Union is our priority, and a number of new initiatives are under way for that. We are well aware of the purpose of our existence as set out in our Constitution. We exist “to foster and promote the game of rugby and provide rugby opportunities for all within its boundaries”. With around 7,200 registered players in the region we are conscious of the need to put more resources into grass root rugby as a priority. As we are placed at the moment we are stretched to do that, as our cost structures are relatively fixed. Our major expense line as readers of the financial statements will note is the ITM Cup campaign. This absorbed over fifty percent of our gross revenue, which we believe is disproportionate to our purpose. One way or the other we need to get that ratio more in line with what we think is reasonable. Grass root rugby is a focus and we are targeting more resources, but it will take time and continued or improved support. As referred earlier we are already aware of financial challenges in front of the Union for this year. One of the initiatives to assist this is being considered at this Annual General Meeting. That is Club affiliation fees. The motion that is to be considered, along with the explanatory notes, speak for themselves. It is a case of user pays to a degree, and we make no apology for that fact of commercial business life. The year past has been challenging and difficult. I acknowledge the substantial efforts, time, and resources put in by honorary board members and President, plus our General Manager and his team. In addition I acknowledge the board observers who add to the team of volunteer astute advisers as required. With the team and wider network we now have in place, we have the best available to us to deal with matters to boost the business efforts of Otago Rugby, and build a better future. Doug Harvie Chairman. General Manager’s Report Having only been involved with the ORFU since May last year, it would be fair to say that the last ten months have been both challenging and rewarding. While there has been a lot of hard work achieved by both the Board and staff to get the Union back on track, there is a long way to go and I am confident that with the support of the wider rugby community things will continue to improve. With just over 7200 registered players with 33 clubs spread across the entire region, rugby continues to be the most popular sport in Otago. This doesn’t occur by chance. While the ORFU provides support through education, training and competitions; it is the volunteers that are the backbone of community rugby. I would like to thank all the coaches, managers, club administrators and volunteers for the role that they have and will continue to play in the delivery of the game. A special thanks to the Otago Rugby Referees Association for their assistance in the coordination of referee appointments during the 2012 season. With the disestablishment of the Referee Education Officer, Chairman Jim Thomson and his team worked tirelessly to ensure that every game played from Under 14 upwards throughout the province was officiated by a qualified referee. While the ORFU’s major focus over the last year has largely been ‘off the field’ it is important to acknowledge the ‘on the field’ performances of rugby across all age groups and competitions. Junior rugby continues to be our strongest area with the majority of players registered aged between 7 – 20 years of age. The Otago Wide Secondary School competition, while having a high travel component, has proven a fantastic opportunity for young players from all areas of Otago to further improve their skills by competing against their peers. Coupled with the success of the Otago Boys High School team in the Highlanders 1st XV competition, the development of our secondary school players appears to be in good heart. I was fortunate to be able to attend a number of club and school games during the 2012 season including the Otago Regional Rippa finals, the Dunedin Metropolitan club final between Dunedin and Taieri and also the Country Wide final between Clutha Valley and Wakatipu. The standard of rugby being played at all levels is a reflection of the good work going on behind the scenes by all our coaches. The outstanding performance of the ITM Cup team in making the final of the ITM Cup competition certainly created a lot of positive interest and support for both the team and the ORFU. I would like to congratulate the players and management team and extend the Union’s appreciation to all our sponsors and fans who got in behind the team. To see the players surrounded by fans on the field after the semi- final win over Tasman was something special. Looking forward, the continued objective of the ORFU is to ensure that all that want to be involved in rugby, whether as a player, coach, referee or volunteer have the opportunity and pathway to do so, at the level they choose or aspire to.