NSW SUBURBAN RUGBY UNION NSW NSW SUBURBAN SUBU BAN RU R N RUGB IO G Y NION BY UN U 2015 ANNUAL REPORT Chairman’s Report 2015 saw the introduction, particularly when you consider the concurrent timing of or re-introduction to Subbies competitions and the NRC. A player should not be more accurate, of be permitted, if we take our amateur ethos seriously, to an amateur policy to bounce between a Subbies competition and the NRC Suburban Rugby. The from one week to the next. Never in Subbies has such Board has always been an arrangement been permitted. It doesn’t even occur aware that this would be in the Shute Shield. a significant change for There is also a player safety and welfare consideration. some, but certainly not all, Is it appropriate, is it safe, for players in an elite rugby clubs. Also, the Board has competition such as the NRC to go up against Suburban always been mindful that players who may not have had the exposure to elite the policy would require training, fitness and strength & conditioning programs? ongoing review and would Therefore, the Board has introduced unambiguous rules need to evolve as clubs - and the Union - worked their to prohibit players from moving back and forth between way through the new regime. the NRC and Subbies, and to mandate a review of recent In reviewing our first amateur season, and after NRC players seeking to play Suburban Rugby. consultation with the Union staff and the Union’s In addition to these registration and amateur policy Integrity Committee, headed by Graham Gorrie, the matters, your Board this year was faced with an issue Board has recently approved a number of new rules. that our Executive Director describes as “the most But they are more than just rule changes – they are in consuming and troubling issue … in my 20 year rugby actuality a significant change in philosophy regarding career” – namely the ARU’s ham-fisted introduction of player registration which will impact all clubs. the National Participation Fee, National Insurance Levy The era of Subbies clubs registering whomever they and RugbyLink. want is over. As part of the amateur policy the Union I have no real desire to rehash and re-fight these matters is going to have a significant say in who plays in our in this report, but I do wish to place on record my competitions. This will involve the Union approving, or gratitude to our 2015 Board members for the thoughtful permitting, players to be registered for Subbies clubs, and united way in which they confronted the ARU and with particular focus on certain categories of players – for achieving a “best-of-a-bad-situation” outcome – we those who have recently held a professional contract, minimized as best we could the ARU-mandated financial those who have recently competed in the Shute Shield (1st grade) competition of the Sydney Rugby Union, and those who were last registered overseas. It is important to note that not all of those categories of players will be prohibited outright from playing Subbies – but they will be subject to review before registration is permitted, or refused. The Board does not believe these rules are overly onerous, nor unfair, on clubs. These rules are aimed at helping to enforce the amateur policy in a targeted way. Note this registration review policy will also be directed at our long standing efforts to reduce foul play in our game. Recidivist players incapable of behaving on the football field will be de-registered if deemed appropriate by the Board. I would also like to discuss the ARU’s National Rugby Championship (NRC), which has just completed its second season. The ARU conceived the NRC as “an elite rugby competition” and that “for players, it represents the missing link in their development pathway towards Super Rugby and Wallaby selection.” The Board does not view Subbies competitions as an appropriate direct player pathway into the NRC. The NRC is a semi-professional competition – those NRC players not contracted to Super Rugby are paid an (albeit small) honorarium – and therefore must be viewed Executive Director, Mark Green, with Chairman, Paul Timmins, at as contrary to this Union’s amateur status and ethos, a special lunch held in honour of Mark’s 20 years with Subbies. 2 impost on Subbies clubs, we avoided the logistical year. Thank you for total support for what is best for all nightmare of per-head insurance, and we have extricated of Suburban Rugby. ourselves from the inadequate RugbyLink competition I want to congratulate and thank our esteemed Executive management system. None of that was easy, all of it Director, Mark Green, who this year marked 20 years time consuming, and every bit was necessary for the employment with Suburban Rugby. How incredibly good of Subbies clubs. fortunate this Union is to have had for so long the My congratulations to all the premiership winners of benefit of his dedication, expertise, wisdom, and clear 2015 – particularly Balmain for winning the Kentwell Cup thinking. Mark is widely recognized as the best rugby in a thrilling grand final; Forest’s undefeated Stockdale competition administrator in the country. He is also a Cup team; Redfield Old Boy’s continued trophy bonanza; delight to work and be with. Mark, from everybody in Beecroft’s clean sweep in Division Four; and new clubs Subbies, I sincerely and warmly thank you. Menai and Macarthur Crusaders for debut season wins. And thank you to Tim Richards, his faithful sidekick, who I was delighted to see Michael Iacono presented with the continues to ensure Subbies is the best run competition Peter Kelly Medal, for his incredible 51 years of service to in Australia. St Patrick’s RFC and Subbies, at this year’s Presentation Finally, as always, I recognise and thank the legion of club Night. What a most deserved winner! Our rep players, volunteers who keep our Union alive and flourishing. too, were deserved winners against both Country and They are an amazingly passionate bunch who give up Queensland. My thanks and congratulations to all their time to make Subbies such an important part of the players, and coaches Damon Baffico and Kristian Australia’s rugby landscape - I congratulate you. Berghofer. I acknowledge our hard working volunteers on the Judiciary, Appeals Tribunal and Integrity Committee. Thank you all for the time and expertise you bring to difficult jobs. Paul Timmins My fellow Board members deserve praise for their dedication over what at times has been a challenging Chairman St Pats floating on air in their Judd Cup grand final victory over Colleagues. 3 Office Bearers Patron: Div 1 Rep: Appeals Tribunal: Dan Moore Jack Shute (Knox) Richard Harvey (Chairman) Life Members: Div 2 Rep: Paul Angus Phil Brown Phil Richardson (Forest) Phil Brown Mark Groom Div 4 Rep: Brent Halligan Brent Halligan Rohan Aalders (Sydney Harlequins) Philip Sutherland Damian Henry Div 6 Rep: Auditors: Alan Jones Graham Short (Terrey Hills) Hill, Rae & Embrey Dan Moore Ordinary Members: Rick Morris Geoff Granger (Drummoyne) Suburban Competition Manager: Gary Patterson Damien Johnson (Briars) Tim Richards Ian Ross John Morrison (UNSW) (appt 23/3) Premiership Competition Board Members: Judiciary: Manager: President: Mark Groom (Chairman) Lisa Kane Chris Moloney (Blue Mountains) Geoff Cramp (Deputy Chair) Competition Administrator Chairman: Pat Barrett Beth Ward Paul Timmins (Old Ignatians) Deb Coulthard Juniors Competition Manager: Treasurer: Matthew Payne Kerry Brady Danny Hinton (Hills) Jnrs Competition Administrator: Tom Johnston Executive Director: Matthew Kellahan Craig Moran Mark Green Ken Stanton Board Meeting Attendance Rohan Aalders 12/12 John Morrison 9/9 Geoff Granger 11/12 Phil Richardson 11/12 Mark Green 12/12 Graham Short 12/12 Danny Hinton 11/12 Jack Shute 8/12 Damien Johnson 12/12 Paul Timmins 9/12 Chris Moloney 12/12 Forest RFC supporters turned out in huge numbers on a beautiful grand final day at T G Millner Field. 4 Executive Director’s Report I direct your attention to reserves, we were able to ensure that the full cost of the “Subbies Dashboard” the NPF was not passed on to clubs. However, this new on page 8 of this Annual fee seems here to stay and the Union and clubs will Report. Whilst some of need to allow for this when recruiting and budgeting. the metrics within show RugbyLink was an unmitigated disappointment for this a decline and are a cause Union. Rolled out nationally, and clearly prematurely, for concern, there are by the ARU to replace the MRA/Interfuse Competition positives, too. Management and Registration system, it failed to Whilst we had a record deliver and meet the needs of the Union, clubs, number of new one- volunteers and players – RugbyLink simply was not team clubs join the Union ready or capable of handling a competition the size of (Dee Why, Collaroy, Subbies. The Union has re-engaged Interfuse so that Wollondilly, Wakehurst, we will again use our “old” competition management Engadine, Menai and Macarthur Crusaders) this was system that we built and refined over 15 years, and outweighed by the switch to Country Rugby of Hornsby which has served us so well. and Campbelltown. The Radford Cup colts competition The Division Six geographically based one-team was discontinued, with Waverley and Lane Cove colts competitions thrived, with 18 teams participating forced to participate in the Halligan Cup. Also, our across two conferences. Congratulations to Menai, in premier division ran with only nine clubs, and a couple their first year in the competition, winning the Noice of those struggled to field lower grades in the latter Cup and then the Meldrum Cup for the overall champion stages of the season.