Incoming Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) CEO Richard Barker begins his new job this week.
He sends this message to the Rugby community in Queensland and all fans of Queensland Rugby around the world: I am very proud and honoured to be starting in the role of Queensland Rugby Union CEO and I’m also acutely aware of my important responsibility - and that of the entire QRU staff and Board – to represent the interests of all stakeholders and fans of the game.
We thank all fans for their ongoing loyalty and we look forward to your passionate support in 2017.
There’s much work to be done to help to make Rugby a game for all Queenslanders.
In many senses this is a new beginning for QRU and I’m looking forward to leading this dedicated staff into this next great chapter in our rich history.
The last few months has seen some significant renewal at the QRU with a new President (former Wallaby Jeff Miller) and Chairman (former Wallaby Damien Frawley), a new CEO, the recent appointment of a new Head Coach in Nick Stiles and some new faces on our Board to ensure we have the right mix of skills, diverse corporate and business experience and sports industry knowledge represented, so we can deliver on our strategic aims over the next four years.
Having run one of Queensland’s highest profile media companies for the past 30 years, I know this is one of the most competitive sporting markets in the world.
We thank and acknowledge all of QRU’s partners and sponsors whose work supports the delivery of our programs and activities.
We have to work incredibly hard and bring all Queensland families on our journey if we aspire to continue to grow interest and participation in Rugby at the grassroots level and to build a platform for the sustained success of our elite Queensland teams.
Engagement and communication at all levels will be crucial to our long term success.
Ultimately we’ll be judged by our actions rather than our words.
In Queensland, we are fortunate to be the envy of all other states due to:the volume of clubs and schools in this state embracing our game the breadth of our participation foot print the growth in participation in recent years amongst boys and girls, as well as older players who want to throw a Rugby ball around as part of an active and healthy lifestyle the volume of those who play, watch, attend, volunteer or ferry their family from game to game.
The philosophies and work of the QRU must represent all these valuable members of our Rugby family.
While the performance of the St.George Queensland Reds has been well below our own expectations over the past few years, there are many positives that point to a brighter future:The Queensland Under 20’s won the inaugural Super Rugby U20 Championship earlier this year and provided 50% of the Australian squad to the recent World Rugby U20 Championships with many squad members contracted to the Reds’ for the 2017 season.
QRU’s National Rugby Championship philosophy, where QRU owns and manages the two Queensland-based NRC franchises, has resulted in McInnes Wilson Lawyers Brisbane City winning the first two NRC national titles and with 17 of our Premier Rugby players representing the St.George Queensland Reds following performances for Bond Univeresity Queensland Country or Brisbane City in the NRC.
The strength of Premier Rugby and our senior Country clubs, which develops much of this talent, has also been in evidence through our two successful NRC campaigns.
Just last weekend the strength of grassroots Rugby in Queensland was on show when Brothers claimed the Hospital Cup for the first time in seven years with a 31-28 victory over University of Queensland, in the 2016 BLK Queensland Premier Rugby grand final in front of more than 9,200 spectators at Ballymore.
Across the many grades of Rugby, including in our country regions, the commitment of the Rugby community was on display throughout the season and the finals series.
We’ve refreshed our Reds list and recruited well for the 2017 season.
We’re excited to see the return of Stephen Moore to the Reds jersey and the arrival of George Smith at Ballymore to link up with our experienced Wallabies James Slipper, Rob Simmons and Kane Douglas.
What better mentors could there be for Queensland’s stars of the future?
Our pathways continue to develop talent.
This week in Rio, eight of the fourteen members of the gold medal-winning Olympic women’s sevens squad are from our state and three from the Olympic men’s team come from Queensland.
All have been chasing their Olympic dream.
Our ‘Reds Foundation’ initiatives are truly impressive, including great results across our indigenous programs, the All Abilities program, which continues to go from strength to strength, as well as in our programs focused on nurturing diversity across our code.
Fans must be at the centre of everything we do at QRU and I welcome your feedback and ideas (to feedback@redsrugby.com.au), as those of us who have spent a lifetime in and around Rugby strive to lay the foundations so the next generation enjoy our great game and all it offers us on and off the field.
Thank you for your support. Richard Barker
CEO, Queensland Rugby Union
