BROTHERS RUGBY CLUB (INC.) Facere et Docere 90th ANNUAL REPORT and FINANCIAL STATEMENT 2011 THE 101010710 777ththth SEASON To be presented to the Annual General Meeting to be held in the Jacaranda Room, Crosby Park, Crosby Road, Albion on Wednesday 12 October 2011 at 7.00pm [BLANK] BROTHERS RUGBY CLUB INC. OFFICE BEARERS Patron: REV. BRO. VINCENT DUGGAN C.F.C. Chaplain: REV. FR. L. COOTE P.P. President: Mr J.E.F. FRAYNE Vice-President: Mr P.D. FRENCH Immediate Past President: Mr A.A. SHAW Chairman: Mr J.E.F. FRAYNE Rugby Manager: Mr Z.R. HILTON (Resigned 25/02/2011) Mr A.M. THOMPSON (Appointed 28/02/2011) Hon. Treasurer: Mr D.J. HOGAN Hon. Secretary: Mr A.J. MCDERMOTT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Mr. J.E.F. FRAYNE, Mr P.D. FRENCH, Mr. G.F. JEFFERIES, Mr. J.P. DIAMOND, Mr. R.G. GRASSO, Mr. M.J. GIBBS HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS Most Rev. J.A. BATHERSBY A.O. D.D. (ARCHBISHOP OF BRISBANE) , Rev. Bro. V.F. DUGGAN C.F.C. (CHRISTIAN BROTHERS) , Rev. Bro. R.J. WALLACE C.F.C. A.M. K.C.*.H.S. (AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS RUGBY UNION) , Mr. P. CHAPMAN (ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGE) , Mr. D. HANLY (ST. JOSEPH’S NUDGEE COLLEGE) , Mr. B. LAWLOR (ST. EDMUND’S COLLEGE) , Mr. I. MCDONALD (ST. LAURENCE’S COLLEGE) , Mr. P. MCLOUGHLIN (MARIST COLLEGE ASHGROVE) , Rev. Fr. M. EDWARDS O.M.I. (IONA COLLEGE) , Mr. R. OUT (PADUA COLLEGE), Mr. E. GAFFNEY (QUEENSLAND IRISH ASSOCIATION) BROTHERS RUGBY CLUB – LIFE MEMBERS Mr K.P. FEGAN (1955), Mr J.A. BUCHANAN (1959), Mr T.L. SWEENEY (1961), Mr B.J. DAWSON (1977), Mr R.B. MCGRUTHER O.B.E. (1982), Mr A.A. SHAW (1985), Mr. R.S. CONN (1989), Mr P.E. MCLEAN M.B.E . (1996), Mr P.B. HOARE (1998), Mr. M. WATT (2000), Mr J.A. EALES A.M. (2001), Mr P.J. OSWALD (2002), Mr R.G.J. PRICE (2003), Mr. D.J. HOGAN (2004), Dr. P.N. ANDERSEN (2005), Mr. D. CROFT (2006), Mr. D.A. DUNWORTH (2008), Mr. R.W. URE (2009), BROTHERS RUGBY CLUB – LIFE MEMBERS IN MEMORIUM Rev. Bro. P.A. FURLONG C.F.C* (1912), Rev. Bro. W.M. REIDY C.F.C* (1912), Rev. Bro. L.B. TEVLIN C.F.C* (1912), Mr. J.P. FLYNN* (1926), Mr. C.J. CRANLEY*(1932), Mr. M.G. LYONS*(1934), Mr. V.J. DORE*(1938), Mr G.J. BRERETON*(1940), Mr. J.A.S. MOORE*, Mr. E. STAPLETON*, Mr. R. HODGE*(1947), Mr. J.E. ROSS M.B.E .*(1948), Mr. J.L. BARLOW*(1949), Mr J.P. FRENCH A.M. *(1950), Mr B.P. O’CONNELL*(1951), Mr. T.B. MCCORMACK c .B.E .*(1952), Mr K.J. HODDA*(1953), Mr. D. GUILFOYLE*(1954) , Mr G.F. BERKELEY A.M .*(1960) , Mr C.V.J. DAHL O.A.M .*(1962), Mr K.M. MACCHERONI*(1963), Mr B.F. REID*(1967), Mr J. KENNY*(1969), Mr M.T. HAZELL O.A.M .*(1972) , Mr P. ZAPPALA*(1981) , Mr F.J. DUHIG*(1983) * Deceased Q.R.U. LIFE MEMBERS Mr. A.S. GRALTON*(1904), Mr. D.S. CARTER*(1915), Mr. J.P. FLYNN*(1931), Mr. J.E. ROSS M.B.E .*(1939), Mr. T.B. MCCORMACK c .B.E .*(1956), Mr J.P. FRENCH A.M. *(1959), Mr K.J. HODDA*(1961), Mr. J.J.BREEN*(1990), Mr R.B. MCGRUTHER O.B.E. (2000) * Deceased A.R.U. LIFE MEMBERS Mr. T.B. MCCORMACK c .B.E .*, Mr J.P. FRENCH A.M. * * Deceased Brothers Rugby Club – LADIES DAY 2011 PRESIDENT’S REPORT The Committee of Brothers Rugby Club Inc. had several objectives for the year just ended. They were as follows; (1) To stabilise a seriously deteriorating financial position; (2) To continue with the Rugby Development Program; (3) To achieve a more mutually rewarding agreement with Brothers Junior Rugby Club Inc.; and (4) To gain an extension of the lease over Crosby Park from its expiry date of 21 October 2011. The ultimate goal obviously is to be success on the Rugby field. This report measures how we have dealt with the above and whether we were successful in meeting those objectives. Later in the report I will deal with the future of the Club. Financial position: A review of our cash position, and forecast for the future, made at the end of the 2010 season indicated a serious financial position. Without an urgent injection of funds we could not meet the debts accumulated or fund the deficit arising from our operation of the Crossbar and the number of employees we had engaged. In addition we had not engaged any sponsors for 2011. The committee entered into a fully drawn loan agreement for $100,000, ceased trading in the Crossbar and terminated the employment contracts of the General Manager and staff of the Crossbar, negotiated with the Rugby Manager to take over certain administrative functions, commenced a process of collection of outstanding sponsorship monies and negotiated with existing and new sponsors for 2011. A sub-lease for the Crossbar area was negotiated with a group that sought to operate a commercial restaurant. The terms of the sub-lease were such that if the operators were successful we could rely on substantial revenue for a long period. Despite the fact negotiations were complete before the end of 2010 the sub-lease could not be executed without approval from the Brisbane City Council. The approval was not obtained until early April 2011. The injected funds did not deal with all outstanding creditors at the time the arrangement was made and consequently the current year has been one where we have attempted to raise sufficient funds to meet those outstanding creditors and discharge expenses arising during the year. We therefore enter the off-season still struggling to make ends meet but in a much better position than we were in at this time last year. We are behind in our commitment to loan repayments however would expect to regain the agreed schedule in the New Year. Des Hogan will report on the results for the year ended 30 June 2011. I would have to say that reporting on a year that begins in the middle of the prior season and ends in the middle of the current season is hardly enlightening particularly when we use a combination of cash and accrual accounting that, whilst conservative, is fundamentally misleading. I suggest that the committee reviews and recommends to members that we report next on the results to 30 September 2012 or 31 October (i.e. on completion of the 2012 season), and in subsequent years at the 30 September or 31 October. Employment: Clearly we were unable to sustain the luxury of a General Manager and a Rugby Manager particularly in an environment where the economy was not robust and the initiative to generate revenue from the Crossbar had failed. We owe a debt of gratitude to Zane Hilton for the manner in which he shouldered some of the responsibilities of the General Manager whose contract we were forced to terminate. Zane accepted an appointment to a coaching position in Japan which was an opportunity for him that we felt obliged to ensure he took consequently he resigned prior to the commencement of this season. Fortunately for Brothers, Zane steered Adrian Thompson our way and Adrian took up the responsibilities of Rugby/General Manager. Adrian had an enormous capacity for work, bought a mature approach to the tasks at hand, was innovative and a delight to work with. I am sure he had a positive influence on the players and added something that saw Premier Grade almost achieve a goal not expected of them after 2010. Adrian has also moved on to a role that will challenge him even more than dealing with the difficulties he has encountered at Brothers. We have high hopes for Matthew Kaye as he steps into the role of Rugby/General Manager coming as he does from a local and international background of coaching and skills development. Rugby Development Program: There is no doubt that this somewhat ambitious goal of progressive improvement of players and coaches across all grades was neglected through the 2011 season. There are reasons for that primarily amongst them being a lack of definition of roles and responsibilities particularly at the commencement of the season. In fact with the concentration on administrative tasks that had been neglected, player and coaching development, as a formal program, went by the wayside. That neglect also meant that Colts recruitment for 2011 was haphazard, lacking proper planning and execution. As a consequence, even though the Colts group played manfully and achieved some success and developed a great spirit, player numbers and results were below expectations. Rugby Success: We were well represented as a Club by our Premier Grade side. After our early exit from the finals in 2010, and the disruption to coaching ranks early in the season, supporters could be forgiven for not having high expectations for the Premier side in 2011. In fact they achieved magnificently, being second on the ladder for most of the season, gaining the top position after a stunning victory over the premiers from 2010, University, and finishing the season in second place. Their success in the minor semi-final was a display of real spirit and an absolute shock for the minor premiers University. Two weeks off was not a luxury they have enjoyed in any of the three grand final appearances for this team in the last five seasons. Whereas our supporters were so impressed by the fire power of the opposition, Sunnybank, they only hoped Brothers would put up a “good show”, the team itself was confident of a win, so great is their belief in each other and, by now, their coaching staff.