Community Rugby Department
The Community Rugby Department is primarily responsible to engage more participants at every level by enriching the Rugby experience and providing connected pathway to Grow the Game as defined by the QRU Strategic Plan 2026-30. This is most effectively achieved when there is strong strategic alignment between the QRU and their affiliate members. Read more about the Community Rugby elements of the strategic plan by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
The Community Rugby Department is managed by a General Manager Community Rugby and has a network of Regional Rugby Managers who are supported by a number of Enabler content specialists.
There are 4 strategic pillars in the QRU Strategic Plan 2026-30.
While there is a collective responsibility to all of the plan, the Grow the Game pillar is predominantly focused on Community Rugby.
With a strategic objective to "Engage more participants at every level by enriching the rugby experience and providing connected pathways", this pillar has 4 strategic priorities which have 13 underpinning strategic initiatives.
- Attract & retain players through excellent Community Rugby experiences
- Innovate & strengthen Rugby participation programs & competitions
- Ensure clubs and schools are supported & set up for sustained success
- Educate & upskill capability across the community Rugby network
No. of Players: Increase the number of registered club players to 35,000 by 2030
- Establish new clubs in areas of demographic growth
- Create new competitions and divisions
- Development low participation clubs
Retention Rate of Players Improve the retention rate for registered club players to 64% by 2030
- Coordinated Retention Plans for all levels of the game (State - Association - Club)
Develop and leverage specific resource leads & hubs for key participation experiences
- Specific website pages for QRU Staff and Resources that will improve awareness and engagement of the function and purpose of staffs and programs
Develop a Women & Girls Action Plan to identify the needs of female players and grow participation
- A review of current QRU female programs and strategy has been completed aligning key focuses into a single plan: Leadership → Pathways → Capacity
- Establish Women and Girls Advisory sub-committees/working groups at affiliate level
Leverage the targeted marketing & communications strategy to grow the game and ignite passion for Rugby
- Workshop to establish a rolling project to align the focus of all levels of the game (State - Association - Club)
No. of Get into Rugby Registered Players: Increase the number of registered GiR players to 4,000 by 2030
- GiR Walla Pilot Projects with select QRU affiliates in 2026
No. of Club Rugby 7s Players: Increase the number of registered 7s players to 6,000 by 2030
- Focused association 7s season prior to State 7s schedule
Review competition & program structures to ensure clubs & competition formats are accessible & inclusive to all
- Junior Law Review
- School season alignment
- Workshop to develop pilot programs in alternate competition and participation formats
Support national participation programs, Get into Rugby & Tri Tag, to attract a new generation of players
- GiR Walla Pilot Projects with select QRU affiliates in 2026
Support the national program for Rugby 7’s to attract a new generation of players
- Focused association 7s season prior to State 7s schedule
No. of affiliated clubs benchmarked at Club Health Check standards
- Partner with associations to conduct annual Health Checks and club network communities of practice to support better governance, compliance and operations.
No. of schools participating in Rugby benchmarked by participation level
- Establish Schools Advisory sub-committees/working groups at affiliate level
Create a localised school & club engagement strategy to support school to club transition
- Establish Schools Advisory sub-committees/working groups at affiliate level
Develop a state-wide Infrastructure & Facilities Strategy to improve the quality of community facilities
- State Facilities Plan being launched at Community Rugby Conference 14th March 2026
Develop a health, risk & safety action plan to address and mitigate concerns around game safety
- QRU Safeguarding Project delivery at Community Rugby Conference 14th March 2026 for April deployment to affiliated associations and clubs
Leverage RA Club Health Check reviews to allocate appropriate resourcing and support
- Partner with associations to conduct annual Health Checks and club network communities of practice to support better governance, compliance and operations.
No. of registered coaches: Increase registered coached to 3,500 by 2030
Retention rate of registered coaches: Increase the retention rate for registered coaches to 64% by 2030
No. of registered match officials: Increase registered match officials to 700 by 2030
Retention rate of registered coaches: Increase the retention rate for registered MOs to 72% by 2030
No. of registered volunteers: Increase registered volunteers to 3,500 by 2030
Retention rate of registered coaches: Increase the retention rate for registered volunteers to 64% by 2030
Leverage the national training & education framework to support the development of match officials & coaches
Develop & improve the access to support materials to enhance the volunteer experience
Leverage the ASC / Rugby Australia Sport Volunteer Action Plan to encourage more Queenslanders to volunteer in rugby