2008 RugbyWA Annual Report

AnnuAl RepoRt 2008Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.)

Meagher Drive Floreat

PO Box 146 Floreat WA 6014

Telephone (08) 9383 7714

Fax (08) 9387 2804

www.rugbywa.com.au

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2008: the yeAR thAt WAs…

15 February – Emirates Western Force kick off the 2008 Investec Super 14 season against the Sharks at ABSA Stadium in Durban. Matt Giteau makes his debut as captain in the 17-10 loss.

20 February – Matt Henjak has his contracted terminated by RugbyWA after his involvement in a pre-season incident with teammate Haig Sare at the Left Bank bar in Fremantle.

15 March – Emirates Western Force wins its first match in New Zealand, defeating the Blues 27-17 at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland.

3 May – Rockingham prop Kieran Longbottom becomes the first locally born and raised product to debut for the Emirates Western Force after graduating from the WA schools and club system. Longbottom was a 10th minute replacement in the 22-21 win over the Chiefs at Subiaco Oval.

18 April – James O’Connor becomes the youngest ever Super Rugby debutant, coming from the reserves bench in a 29-12 loss to the Reds at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

28 March – Emirates Western Force captain Nathan Sharpe becomes only the ninth Australian player to reach 100 career Super Rugby caps in a 32-16 loss to the Stormers at Subiaco Oval.RugbyWA appoints Greg Harris as Chief Executive Officer.

June – november – A record number of Emirates Western Force players represent the Wallabies throughout the domestic Tests, the Tri Nations and the Spring Tour.Ryan Cross, Richard Brown, David Pocock and James O’Connor each make their Test debut. O’Connor becomes the second youngest debutant in Wallabies history.

11 July – Ryan Cross wins the West Australian/Rosendorff Emirates Western Force Player of the Year award at the 2008 annual awards night.

1 August – A 28-man Emirates Western Force squad departs for a five-match development tour of England. David Pocock is announced as tour captain.

26 August – Volvo Car Australia announces a three-year partnership as sleeve sponsor of the Emirates Western Force.

31 August – Kalamunda stamped its dominance on the KWIK Crane & Transport Hire 1st Grade competition, defeating Wanneroo 37-13 in the 2008 grand final. It was the last match ever played at historic Rugby Park, Perry Lakes.

5 september – Rockingham hooker Ryan Tyrrell wins the 2008 PG Hampshire award for the best and fairest player in the RugbyWA 1st Grade competition.

18 october – Two WA women, Debby Hodgkinson and Melissa Rowe, make their Test debut for the Wallaroos against the Black Ferns.

RugbyWA 2008 AnnuAl RepoRt ı 1

Office Bearers

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC)Founded 1893. Re-formed 1928.

Patron in ChiefHis excellency Dr Ken Michael ACGovernor of Western Australia

PatronDr D Haultain

Vice Patronsprofessor D K Malcolm, the Honourable R C Kucera ApM MlA, the Right Honourable Dr p nattrass, lord Mayor of perth

Life Membersp Bailey, Mrs V Bleakley, t J Bradbury, Dr D Butcher, p Davies-Moore, Rev R Davis, M Day, S Fink, J Green, B French, e Hall, Dr B Hartley, A Harvey, M Harvey, Dr D Haultain, A Hill, M Hunt, Dr A Johnson, J McCullough, G Mickle, B olney, Dr R perry, D Redpath, B Reinecke, M Siddons, G M Stooke oAM, J Suckling, R todman, R trend, t Wilkinson

PresidentA Harvey

ChairmanG M Stooke oAM

Board MembersG M Stooke oAM (Chairman), t J Bradbury, C Fear (appointed May ‘08), S Fink, A Harvey, D Redpath, R perry, R Viol (resigned – April ‘08), V Reid, B Stewart, J Welborn (player nominated)

Chief Executive OfficerM Hardy (Acting, January-April), G Harris (April -)

SecretaryM Wilson

Judiciary BoardR todman (Chairman), M Cashman (Deputy Chairman), R Brain, J Hancock, M Hunt, R Mills, n Cogin, M parker

Australian Rugby Union DelegateG M Stooke oAM

Auditorernst & Young

2 ı RugbyWA 2008 AnnuAl RepoRt RugbyWA 2008 AnnuAl RepoRt ı 3

Contents President

We continue to strongly develop the game in our state, both at professional and community levels, by utilising the wonderful platform of previous seasons.

the emirates Western Force went about their work in the early part of the season with great desire, achieving excellent success, but a mid-season slump resulted in an eigth place

finish with seven wins after strongly threatening the four.

Highlights included:

• Having our first win in new Zealand, when we defeated the Blues 27-17 in Auckland.

• Boasting the second highest finish by an Australian team.

• Celebrating our first win against the Brumbies (29-22) in a sensational come-from-behind win at Subiaco in the last game after being down by 22 points.

the task of RugbyWA to produce Wallabies through the emirates Western Force was a huge success, with no fewer than four new Wallabies making the spring tour to europe. We look forward with strong interest and desire to further improvement and success in 2009.

In the West Australian competition we saw the emergence of teams from the outer suburbs, teams that had not

featured in recent years, yet who took the season by storm and finally fought out the grand final. Kalamunda, which had been well placed all year, finally defeated a rapidly improving Wanneroo. Congratulations must go to all teams for a very successful year but our special congratulations go to the boys from the hills.

I must thank the Ceo Greg Harris for the work he has done since assuming responsibility for the union. Also a special thanks to Mitch Hardy who covered the position with enormous efficiency during the interim period.

our staff at RugbyWA continue to perform with extraordinary efficiency in sometimes tough circumstances, so I say thank you for a job well done. Hopefully the staff will be rewarded soon with brand new facilities.

A very special thanks to those associated with both professional and club rugby – the referees, coaches, volunteers and players who continue to give their time to promote and develop our game.

We acknowledge and thank the Australian Rugby union, especially Ceo John o’neill Ao and Chairman peter McGrath and the Board, for their continued support in our desire to grow rugby.

I believe we can look forward with quiet confidence to 2009.

Tony Harvey President

1 office Bearers

3 president

4 Chairman

7 Chief executive officer

9 Commercial Services

10 Human Resources

11 Media

13 Head Coach

14 2008 Investec Super 14 Season Review

28 2008 Development tour of england

31 RugbyWA Academy

33 Community Rugby

35 Grade tables

36 Affiliated – WAJRu

37 Affiliated – WARuRA

39 Affiliated – WACRu

40 Affiliated – WAWRu

42 Affiliated – WASRu

43 Awards

44 Development

47 Chief Finance officer

48 Financial Report

67 Sponsor Acknowledgements


Chairman

the year 2008 was a very

challenging year both on and

off the field for RugbyWA and

the emirates Western Force.

Despite this, the purpose of

RugbyWA to ‘Grow Rugby and

Grow Wallabies in Western

Australia’ continues to be

achieved.

participation numbers have

increased in all areas of the

game at community level and this year the emirates

Western Force saw three of its promising young players,

David pocock, Richard Brown and James o’Connor, make

their debuts for the Wallabies. Further, Ryan Cross capped

off a superb second season of professional rugby to finish

the year with 11 test caps after taking out the emirates

Western Force player of the Year at our awards night in July.

In addition to the abovementioned four, another four

emirates Western Force players also represented the

Wallabies in 2008 – nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau, Cameron

Shepherd and Drew Mitchell. With tai McIsaac and Scott

Staniforth still on the books, and the recruitment of Josh

Valentine, the emirates Western Force will enter the 2009

season with 11 capped Internationals.

A symbolic bridging of community and professional rugby

was also achieved in 2008 when the first home-grown

Academy product, local-born prop Kieran longbottom, ran

out for his Super 14 debut against the Chiefs in May. later

in that same match, another RugbyWA Academy graduate,

Hale School product Dane Haylett-petty, joined longbottom

on debut to cap off an historic evening for West Australian

rugby.

the standard of the local competition continues to grow

– congratulations to Kalamunda on winning the 1st grade

premiership. this was the first time in the club’s history

that Kalamunda has won this competition and, just to

further emphasise their performance in 2008, they also

won the 2nd grade competition. Congratulations to all other

premiership winners.

the focus on developing players through the RugbyWA

Academy and the local competition continues; the back-

up players for a number of key positions are currently

members of the RugbyWA Academy. However, a number of

key position players have been recruited including former

Wallabies scrumhalf Josh Valentine and Richard Stanford

from the Brumbies.

the performance of the emirates Western Force in 2008

was statistically its best since its formation. In particular,

another milestone was achieved when the team recorded

its first win in new Zealand, over the Blues in Auckland,

before backing up a week later to defeat the Highlanders in

Queenstown. the team again performed strongly in South

Africa; however, losses to the Waratahs at Subiaco and the

Reds in Brisbane ultimately denied the emirates Western

Force a top four finish.

Again talking statistics, in the three years since its

formation, the emirates Western Force has defeated all

other Super 14 teams, with the exception of the Crusaders

and the Waratahs, and with each of those teams they have

secured one draw.

Congratulations and thanks to all players, coaches and

support staff on a successful 2008 season.

RugbyWA and the emirates Western Force continued to

receive outstanding support from our sponsors. particular

mention must be made of emirates, our naming rights

sponsor, et Mining, tS Marine, MBF, Woodside, ISC and

Vodafone. Without their outstanding support and that of

other sponsors and preferred suppliers, RugbyWA and the

emirates Western Force could not continue to operate at

the level it does today.

the loyal band of members and fans that support the

emirates Western Force and rugby in Western Australia are

the envy of all other states. the ‘sea of blue’ at our home

games at Subiaco oval is a great example of the passion

and support that the team and the game have in the West.

the issue of facilities continues to be a major factor being

addressed by RugbyWA. the move from our home at perry

lakes is progressing and it is hoped that the design and

location of the new building at AK Reserve will be ‘signed

off’ in early 2009. Construction is likely to take up to two

years.

the Board of RugbyWA has decided that emirates Western

Force fixtures will no longer be played at Subiaco oval

after season 2009. Much work was done in 2008 in

trying to get an upgrade approved for the Members equity

Stadium. these efforts are now showing promise but there

are no guarantees on timing. However, we must move

to a rectangular stadium and in the short-term this may

mean a significantly reduced capacity. priority for seating

at the alternative venue will be given to existing emirates

Western Force members. It should also be noted that the

proposed multi-purpose stadium is likely to be delayed if

not cancelled, but if it does proceed it will not be completed

before 2020.

Despite the loss of Firepower as a major sponsor, RugbyWA

was still able to produce a surplus of approximately

$900,000 in 2008. this is an outstanding performance

and the management and staff of RugbyWA must be

congratulated on their management of expenditure in

response to the reduced revenues while still delivering the

high level of service required. In 2009 there will be even

greater pressure on revenue and all areas of the business

will be subject to expenditure review.

RugbyWA and the emirates Western Force now enjoy a

far better relationship with the media across Australia. In

particular, the West Australian, the Sunday Times and the

various local television and radio outlets have been very

supportive of RugbyWA and the emirates Western Force.

Whilst a number of incidences and issues did attract

some negative publicity, the majority of the media received

was positive. there will always be matters that require

attention and management; this is very much a ‘fact of

life’ in an organisation with a professional sporting team.

As an organisation and as a Board, our responsibility is

to minimise instances or issues that have the potential to

adversely affect RugbyWA and the emirates Western Force.

let me take this opportunity to thank the RugbyWA Board,

management and staff and all those involved with clubs

and the affiliated bodies for their efforts and support

during 2008. In particular, I would like to welcome our

Chief executive officer, Mr Greg Harris, on his first year with

RugbyWA and thank him for his efforts in what were often

challenging times.

expectations are high for the emirates Western Force in

2009 and, with the squad of players now assembled,

participation in the 2009 finals is a realistic possibility.

the ongoing increase in participation and improvement

in standard at community level is set to continue. this all

goes well to continue to achieve the purpose of RugbyWA to

‘Grow Rugby and Grow Wallabies in Western Australia’.

Kind regards

Geoffrey Stooke OAM CitWA,

Chairman


Chief Executive Officer

As a newcomer to the RugbyWA family, I would like to thank the Chairman of RugbyWA Geoff Stooke, the Board, the staff, the coaches and the players for welcoming me into their fold.

It is fair to say season 2008 was a mixed one. Despite much controversy off the field prior to the commencement of the season, the team got away to

a wonderful start with some great performances in South Africa. the season that promised so much unfortunately failed to fulfil the great expectations which our supporters held, including that of a possible first appearance in a Super 14 final series. In one respect it was the season that could have been. this sentiment no doubt was shared by all of our stakeholders. nevertheless, by any assessment, the performances of our players and team in 2008, and the contribution that our group have made to Australian rugby, have been quite remarkable. In a short period of time, the emirates Western Force has made a great impact on the game.

In 2006 the team recorded one win and two draws and finished 14th. In 2007 the team recorded six wins and a draw and finished seventh. this year we registered seven wins; however, in a more tightly packed competition, we finished one rung lower at eighth on the ladder. We were competitive against the best and lost our matches against the respective finalists the Crusaders and the Waratahs by only five points, proving how close we are to reaching the top echelon of the competition.

ten players made their club debuts in 2008. In order they were tom Hockings, nick Cummins, James Stannard, Sitaleki timani, Sam Wykes, tamaiti Horua, Josh tatupu, James o’Connor, Kieran longbottom and Dayne Haylett-petty. of those 10, only tamaiti Horua had played Super Rugby before 2008. the next debutant to wear the ocean blue will be the 50th to achieve that milestone.

Several of our existing players also celebrated key milestones during the season. our captain nathan Sharpe played his 100th match against the Stormers in April, while Drew Mitchell, tai McIsaac, Cameron Shepherd and David pusey each celebrated their 50th matches. We also had a total of 15 players from our squad selected in representative squads. this included four players who made their test debut for the Wallabies. You can’t argue the fact that we’re expanding Australia’s rugby talent pool, growing Wallabies, and developing the game here in WA.

Since the advent of the Force licence, RugbyWA has increased its turnover from $1m pa to over $20m. this massive increase in the economy of the game in WA has enabled RugbyWA to extend support across the board to all

of our stakeholders. the capacity of RugbyWA to continue to deliver these benefits, however, is under substantial threat. It is fair to say that we have had somewhat of a honeymoon period over the last three years with regard to the levels of support we have received from our sponsors, our corporate supporters, our members and the broader rugby community. We are now in a much more competitive and difficult economic environment.

our membership numbers have declined from 21,000 in 2006 to 14,000 in 2008; a 33% reduction over three years. our match day attendances on average have contracted from 28,000 in 2006 to 23,000 in 2008; a reduction of 18% over three years. Sponsorship revenues are much more difficult to maintain and attract. We are in a very competitive sporting market place.

Accordingly, we are indeed fortunate to have the continued support of our great corporate partner emirates as our major sponsor. the extensive list of our other corporate partners is far too long to recite here, however, I would like to thank them on behalf of RugbyWA for their fantastic support of our team.

It is essential that we as an organisation continue to develop and embrace the many partnerships that benefit RugbyWA and the emirates Western Force. not the least of these is our relationship with the state government, who we are currently lobbying for a redevelopment of Members equity Stadium. Hosting our matches in an appropriate venue is key to our long-term sustainability and the viability of the game of rugby in Western Australia. In october 2008, the RugbyWA Board endorsed a move to Members equity Stadium for the 2010 Super 14 season.

our relationships with the ARu, which have at times been somewhat strained, need to be improved and developed. We look forward to achieving closer links to our parent body and ensuring that we are pursuing strategies in line with the national direction of the game.

Any future directions which our organisation embarks upon require consultation with all of our stakeholders. our major challenge is to clearly identify these directions and develop our own culture. Rugby in Western Australia is over 100 years old. professional rugby is only three years old. We have many lessons to learn in developing our own unique culture. It is a challenge to us all to ensure that the emirates Western Force ‘Sea of Blue’ continues to be a highly valued asset of Australian rugby and the state of Western Australia.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all of our players and the coaching staff, led by our coach John Mitchell and captain nathan Sharpe, on their efforts in season 2008.

Greg Harris Chief Executive Officer


Commercial Services

Despite 2008 representing

a testing year for the club

commercially, RugbyWA was

still able to boast the largest

membership in Australia for

the third successive season,

showcase the largest corporate

hospitality portfolio in the

country, retain the lion’s share

of sponsors, as well as achieve

one of the largest match day

crowds, second only to the rugby heartland of nSW.

However, 2008 was a tough year in more ways than one.

For the first time in our short history, our brand was put

under pressure with a series of off-field incidents leading

into the season. We started the season with another drop

in memberships, resulting in a lower match day crowd than

previous years. our sleeve sponsor, Firepower, reneged on

their contractual obligations to the club and players, not to

mention that close to half the sponsorship portfolio was

due for renewal at a period the global financial crisis had

taken hold.

With all of these factors weighing heavily against us, the

commercial services team rallied to ensure these obstacles

would be overcome. We had close to 14,000 financial

members get behind the club in 2008 and show their

support despite the fact that Subiaco oval has not been

the most suitable rugby venue. Whilst this represented a

reduction on the 2007 membership, the reasons were very

clear as to why members were not renewing – the stadium!

Research conducted by Synovate showed that stadium

configuration, as well as the quality of viewing and seating,

were the key reasons for members deciding to let their

membership lapse. However, the same study also explored

demand should we move to a rectangular venue. the

results showed over 34,000 people likely to become

members. It is fairly clear where our future lies.

In order to overcome the sentiment in the marketplace

surrounding our home ground, the ‘Save it for the Game’

campaign was maintained, asking supporters to get behind

the team and bring their passion to Subiaco on match

days. launching virally, the campaign was a huge success,

reaching as far as europe, South America and Kazakhstan!

our facilities were not in question from our corporate

members. Corporate hospitality remained strong, with open

boxes and suites continuing to be our most popular options.

our Black Swan Bar underwent a refresh of décor, with

modern bars replacing the old-world timber units of the past.

Despite some testing times with our sleeve sponsor

Firepower, we were able to welcome a number of new

partners to the fold – KWIK transport & Crane Hire

took over the sponsorship of the local community rugby

competition and Volvo Cars Australia have become the new

sleeve sponsor of the emirates Western Force for 2009.

With many partners due for renewal, it was also pleasing

to see the sponsorship team renew thrifty Car Rental,

lion nathan, Fair fax Media, the esplanade Hotel, Karma

Resorts and lavan legal to name a few. However, 2008

also saw some of our partners move on, with Vodafone

deciding to pull out of rugby at all levels nationally, and

Woodside, having helped us get off the ground, deciding to

channel their funds into the arts.

In addition to launching a supporters’ club in Auckland

this year, 2008 also saw RugbyWA partner with one of our

sponsor family, tS Marine, to launch the Singapore Force

Supporters’ Club. this, along with a growing presence in

this market, will see some exciting initiatives realised in the

next 12 months.

Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to the entire

commercial services team, past and present, for all their

efforts and support during 2008. Without your help none of

this would be possible.

Sean Lee

General Manager, Commercial Services


Media

2008 was a year of achievement

for the media department, but

it also presented a number

of challenges with several

off-field matters commanding

substantial media attention.

the ‘left Bank’ incident one

week prior to the Super 14

season opener generated

overwhelming public scrutiny

and brought the culture of

the team into question once again, just months after

the Rottnest Island incident. the media coverage of the

incident highlighted the increased scrutiny on professional

sportspeople and emphasised the need for sound

communications policy and management in times of crisis.

other off-field matters to generate headlines throughout

the year included the collapse of team sponsor Firepower,

speculation on the future of Matt Giteau, the stadium issue

and the inquiry into head coach John Mitchell.

Despite the significance of these issues, the success

of 2008 from a communications perspective cannot

be overlooked. First and foremost I’d like to take this

opportunity to thank my hard-working colleague Crispin

Roberts, who made my transition to the organisation as

smooth as possible and provided invaluable assistance and

support throughout the year.

the West Australian newspaper continued to support

the game strongly with its two Super Rugby liftouts each

week of the Super 14 season. this once again provided

rugby with a dedicated 16 pages of coverage on top of

general editorial in the sport pages. In addition, our strong

relationship with the Sunday Times continued, both from

an editorial perspective and through Matt Giteau and John

Mitchell’s regular columns.

We also enjoyed outstanding support from our broadcast

partners 96FM and 8826pR, through live home game

broadcasts and weekly programming. players and coaches

were interviewed regularly on Sports Central and Drew

Mitchell continued his regular spot with the 96FM brekky

crew. Rugby was once again supported in radio across the

state on ABC Radio, 990AM and noVA.

emirates Western Force training sessions and press

conferences were well attended by local television

networks, with Channel ten leading the rugby coverage in

the state with their 5pm news bulletin. they were closely

followed by Fox Sports news, ABC news and Channel nine

news. Increasing our opportunities on Channel Seven news

is a priority moving forward.

In 2008 we tried a new approach to ensuring coverage in

the electronic news whilst the team was on tour in South

Africa. this season our first three matches were played in

the Republic – against the Sharks in Durban, the Cheetahs

in Bloemfontein and the lions in Johannesburg.

In previous campaigns we have utilised the services of

a freelance cameraman to compile news packages and

pool these to the WA news networks. this had been

an expensive exercise and yielded reasonable results;

however, this year it was decided to fund flights for a local

journalist and cameraman to tour with the team to produce

news material.

Channel ten journo Caty price and cameraman nick

Hatherly joined the team for the first fortnight of the tour,

gaining exclusive access to stories for their own news

whilst making edited packages available for the other WA

news networks. this resulted in the most extensive local

coverage of an overseas tour in the team’s short history.

the tour was also covered by the Sunday Times team of

nick taylor and Jody Darcy (photographer).

2008 also saw a significant rise in the usage of the internet

as a news resource and this was reflected in the coverage

on local websites perthnow and the newly launched Fairfax

site WAtoday.com.au

Cambridge Sports Media were once again commissioned

to produce RugbyWA’s suite of publications including

the Linebreak match programme, season guide and

annual report. Greg paull and his team delivered a highly

professional service and our relationship with CSM will

continue beyond 2008.

thanks to all of our media partners, including the West

Australian, Southern Cross broadcasting, Christian Sprogoe

photography and Getty Images.

Michael Earsman

Manager, Media & Communications

Human Resources

2008 was a challenging year for

HR. one of the most significant

issues was the recruitment

and retention of staff. With the

excitement of the initial start-up

phase for professional rugby

over, staff turnover continued

to be an area of concern and

strategies were essential to

address this.

Recruitment

the first step is to ensure that the right people are

recruited in the first place. RugbyWA understands the

value of good people to the success of our organisation.

our recruitment processes needed to be robust to seek to

employee those who live their lives by our organisation’s

values of Integrity, unity, Courage, excellence and energy

and will add value to our team and our business. All

employees, no matter what role they hold at RugbyWA,

contribute to our strategic purpose of ‘Growing Rugby and

Growing Wallabies in Western Australia’ every day.

A number of vacancies during the year were filled from

internal applicants, which is an excellent reflection not only

on the calibre of the people that form this organisation but

also RugbyWA’s commitment to the development of our

employees.

one of the most critical positions recruited this year was

our new Ceo Greg Harris who came on board in April and

has been kept very busy ever since.

Retention

RugbyWA aims to provide our employees with an exciting,

challenging and rewarding work environment. We are

committed to retaining excellent people and aim to provide

a workplace that motivates our employees to be the best

they can be.

to achieve this, a number of strategies are incorporated,

including an employee of the year programme as part of a

wider reward and recognition scheme. every quarter votes

are cast for both an employee-voted and management-voted

employee of the year. At the end of the year the votes are

tallied. this year our winners were Graham Cooper, one

of our development officers who is tireless in his quest to

develop rugby in schools and clubs across the state, and

Darryl Regan, our Manager Membership and events for his

outstanding leadership skills and work ethic. Winners are

voted based on how they demonstrate living by our values,

how they contribute to a team environment and how they

add value to our business.

Allowing our employees to develop professionally is also

an important part of our retention strategy and, as such, a

training needs analysis was conducted in the second half of

the year to identify areas for development.

Staff communication strategies, including monthly staff

meetings and social events such as a poker night,

Melbourne Cup day lunch, a quiz night and regular touch

rugby on Friday afternoons all contribute to integrating the

teams within RugbyWA and to creating a positive culture in

the workplace.

Organisation Structure

2008 also saw the organisation being reviewed to ensure

that our structure was appropriate; this has resulted in

some significant changes. each review followed a process

that involved a consultation period with relevant staff

before being presented for Board approval. the structure in

place going into 2009 has therefore been formed with staff

involvement, which should contribute to its success.

2008 has also seen RugbyWA affected, as many other

organisations are, by the economic climate; this has seen

our staff numbers fall in number slightly. Fortunately this

has not occurred through any redundancies but rather by

natural attrition – by not replacing non-critical positions as

employees leave or by looking at ways to absorb the duties

of the vacant roles into existing ones. our employees have

proven their unwavering commitment to teamwork and the

good of the organisation by taking on extra duties during

these times.

2009 and Beyond

the continuing aim of the HR department is to facilitate

making RugbyWA an innovative, enjoyable and exciting place

to work where employees are provided with development

opportunities, challenging work and career pathways.

A focus for the coming year will be further review of our

HR policies to ensure they are inline with best practice

initiatives as well as putting the spotlight on work/life

balance strategies to support our employees.

Nicole Horrocks

Human Resources Manager

RugbyWA 2008 AnnuAl RepoRt ı 13 12 ı RugbyWA 2008 AnnuAl RepoRt

Head Coach

First and foremost, I’d like to

take this opportunity to thank

all members and supporters

of the emirates Western Force

for their loyal and passionate

support throughout our 2008

campaign. You shared the highs

and lows with us along the way

and thoroughly deserve to feel

that you made a difference to

our team this season.

once again, the Super 14 proved to be one of the tightest

and toughest competitions in professional sport. up until

the final two weeks, there were still nine teams within

striking distance of the top four. once again, the Crusaders

proved they are the competition’s dominant side by

collecting a seventh title in 13 seasons.

the intensity of the competition means any drop-off in

performance can be fatal. the evidence is in the fact that

half of our matches in the 2008 season were decided by

five points or less.

While late season ‘derby’ losses to the Reds and Waratahs

closed the door on our semi finals aspirations, the club

also had to endure some significant off-field distractions. I

would like to personally commend each of the players and

coaching staff for their professionalism and commitment

throughout a very challenging campaign.

I firmly believe that 2008 was once again a year of

progression for our team. Before the season kicked off, we

openly stated that our goal was to compete in the finals.

In retrospect, we may have been slightly premature in

thinking the squad was ready to take the next step in its

development. We are still developing our culture and playing

structures and we have achieved steady success over our

first three years of existence.

As far as on-field results were concerned, we made some

major breakthroughs in 2008. We achieved our first victory

across the tasman, and backed up the following week to

defeat the Highlanders and return home from our new

Zealand tour undefeated. We were also able to build on

our strong history in South Africa, winning two of our three

matches on tour.

these achievements are even more significant when you

consider that almost one third of our squad made their

debut for the club in 2008, and all but one of those players

were in their first year of professional rugby.

Within the group we have unearthed a number of potential

long-term prospects, including tom Hockings, Sam Wykes

and nick Cummins. We also witnessed the emergence of

two local West Australian products, Dane Haylett-petty and

Kieran longbottom, both of whom we see as having a bright

future in the game.

In addition, we had four players make their debut for the

Wallabies – Richard Brown, Ryan Cross, James o’Connor

and David pocock – as well as four players from the

organisation selected in the Australian under 20s squad for

the iRB Junior World Championships in Wales.

our development tour of the uK was a necessary exercise

given the lack of an adequate third-tier competition for our

players to compete in post Super 14. We took a developing

squad of 28 players on tour, playing five tough matches

under conditions that the majority of our squad were not

familiar with. While it is not viable for this kind of tour to be

repeated in the coming years, the benefits gained for our

younger squad members were quite significant.

looking ahead to 2009, our major challenges are to

continue to develop our leadership and team culture and

to improve our performances at home, with particular

attention to our Australian ‘derby’ matches.

John Mitchell Head Coach


Saturday 31 May, 2008 AMI Stadium, Christchurch

Crusaders 20(Mose tuiali’i try; Dan Carter 4 penalty goals, drop goal)

Waratahs 12(lachlan turner 2 tries; Kurtley Beale conversion)

THE FINAL

FINAL STANDINGSTeam P W D L PF PA PD BP Points

Crusaders 13 11 0 2 369 176 193 8 52Waratahs 13 9 1 3 255 186 69 5 43Sharks 13 9 1 3 271 209 62 4 42Hurricanes 13 8 1 4 310 204 106 7 41Stormers 13 8 1 4 269 211 58 7 41Blues 13 8 0 5 354 267 87 8 40Chiefs 13 7 0 6 348 349 -1 6 34Emirates Western Force 13 7 0 6 247 278 -31 5 33Brumbies 13 6 0 7 277 317 -40 6 30Bulls 13 6 0 7 324 347 -23 4 28Highlanders 13 3 0 10 257 338 -81 7 19Reds 13 3 1 9 258 323 -65 4 18Cheetahs 13 1 0 12 255 428 -173 9 13lions 13 2 1 10 206 367 -161 2 12

LEADING POINT SCORERSPlayer Team Tries Cons Pens DGs Points

Stephen Donald Chiefs 6 30 21 0 153nick evans Blues 4 29 23 1 150Dan Carter Crusaders 5 24 16 0 121peter Grant Stormers 2 22 21 0 117Matt Giteau Force 3 17 15 0 94Clinton Schifcofske Reds 2 19 15 0 93Kurtley Beale Waratahs 0 21 14 1 87Morne Steyn Bulls 1 16 12 3 82Derick Hougaard Bulls 0 10 16 3 77Mark Gerrard Brumbies 3 15 8 0 69Jimmy Gopperth Hurricanes 1 18 9 0 68Rory Kockott Sharks 0 19 10 0 68Cameron Shepherd Force 3 1 12 0 53earl Rose lions 3 8 6 0 49Mike Delany Highlanders 1 5 10 1 48Conrad Barnard Cheetahs 1 12 6 0 47James Wilson Highlanders 0 10 7 0 41lelia Masaga Chiefs 8 0 0 0 40Stirling Mortlock Brumbies 1 9 5 0 38Ma’a nonu Hurricanes 7 0 0 0 35

Waratahs 28 defeated Sharks 13Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

SEMI-FINALS

Crusaders 33 defeated Hurricanes 22AMI Stadium, Christchurch

LEADING TRY SCORERSPlayer Team Tries

lelia Masaga Chiefs 8Ma’a nonu Hurricanes 7Akona ndungane Bulls 7Jongi nokwe Cheetahs 7Stephen Donald Chiefs 6Fetu’u Vainikolo Highlanders 6Jacques Botes Sharks 6odwa ndungane Sharks 6peter Hynes Reds 5John Roe Reds 5Rudi Wulf Blues 5Daniel Carter Crusaders 5Andrew ellis Crusaders 5Aaron Bancroft Highlanders 5Adam thomson Highlanders 5Hosea Gear Hurricanes 5Andrew Hore Hurricanes 5Bryan Habana Bulls 5JW Jonker Cheetahs 5Ryan Kankowski Sharks 5

the Crusaders swept all before them in claiming a phenomenal seventh Super title in Robbie Deans’ final season at the helm, erasing any notion that they had lost their mantle as the kings of the competition. After a tough and, at times, knife-edged 80 minutes in front of a capacity crowd at AMI Stadium, the Crusaders outlasted the Waratahs 20-12 despite match statistics heavily in the ‘tahs favour.

While the 2008 season will be remembered for the dominance of the ‘Red and Blacks’ from Canterbury, it was also a time when the game embraced a new era with the introduction of experimental law Variations (elVs).

Fast, attacking rugby filled stadiums across the southern hemisphere, proving once again that the Investec Super 14 is the toughest and most exciting provincial rugby tournament on the planet.

the win was a fitting result for five-time winning coach Robbie Deans, who started his new job as Wallabies coach the next day having won more than twice as many titles than any other Super rugby coach.

preparations for the season opener were anything but ideal for the emirates Western Force, which left perth under a storm of controversy for its three-match tour of South Africa after two players were involved in a serious off-field incident a week before the season kicked off.

then, just hours before game time, skipper nathan Sharpe was overcome by a bout of food poisoning and was forced to withdraw from the match. Matt Giteau was quickly anointed as the team’s stand-in captain but the odds were against the men in blue escaping ABSA Stadium with a victory over the 2007 finalists.

on the field the visitors looked anything but undermanned however, with the match hanging in the balance until the final frantic moments.

Controversy erupted when Force flanker Matt Hodgson was denied a try which would have given his side the opportunity to tie the game in the dying seconds, after a knock-on was ruled at the lineout.

the performances of rookies nick Cummins and tom Hockings gave heart to coach John Mitchell, while reserve hooker luke Holmes was impressive in posting his first five-pointer in Super rugby.

In a tight affair the Sharks prevailed, even in the absence of star recruit Frederik Michalak, to record a 17-10 win.

EMIRATES WESTERN FORCEFriday 15 February, 2008ABSA Stadium, Durban

Conditions: Humid, clearReferee: Kelvin Deaker (nZl)

Half time: 7-3Man of the Match: tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)

Sharks 17(Botes, terblanche tries; pienaar 2 cons, Steyn pen)

Emirates Western Force 10(Holmes try; Giteau con, Shepherd pen)

1. Gareth Hardy2. tai McIsaac (vc)3. AJ Whalley4. David pusey5. tom Hockings (debut)6. Scott Fava7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. Matt Henjak10. Matt Giteau (c)11. Drew Mitchell12. Scott Staniforth13. Ryan Cross14. nick Cummins (debut)15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 54 mins)17. troy takiari (rep Whalley at 50 mins)18. Sitaleki timani (debut, rep pusey at 54 mins)19. Matt Hodgson (rep pocock at 66 mins)20. James Stannard (debut, rep Henjak at 66 mins)21. Scott Daruda (Dnp)22. Josh tatupu (Dnp)

Week 12008 Investec Super 14 Season Review Emirates Western Force v Sharks


EMIRATES WESTERN FORCE

1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac3. troy takiari4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Sam Wykes (debut)7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. James Stannard10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. nick Cummins12. Scott Daruda13. Scott Staniforth14. Ryan Cross15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 55 mins)17. AJ Whalley (rep Cowan at 46 mins)18. David pusey (rep Hockings at 67 mins)19. tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 64 mins)20. Scott Fava (rep Wykes at 46 mins)21. lachlan MacKay (Dnp)22. Josh tatupu (Dnp)

Friday 22 February, 2008Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein

Conditions: Humid, light rain periodsReferee: Chris pollock (nZl)

Half time: 10-12Man of the Match: Drew Mitchell (Force)

Emirates Western Force 16(Giteau try; Giteau con, 3 pens)

Cheetahs 15(Daniller, Brossouw tries; potgieter con, Barnard pen)

with a series of flashy touches. Rookie James Stannard, a 25 year old boilermaker from Queensland, was equally impressive in his starting debut after regular scrumhalf Matt Henjak was ordered home earlier in the week to face a disciplinary hearing over the pre-season incident.

Distanced from the ongoing media frenzy back home, the emirates Western Force carried on with business, controlling most facets of their week two encounter with the Cheetahs.

the match kicked off in humid conditions but that turned to light rain in the second half as both sides produced desperate performances in chasing their first win of the season.

the tight encounter came down to the final play of the game after a try-less second forty minutes when Matt Giteau was given a chance to steal the match with a penalty goal, after Cheetahs replacement Conrad Barnard missed an earlier strike which would have secured the win for the home side.

Giteau, who proved how dangerous he can be at number 10 throughout the match, calmly slotted the ball between the uprights to earn his team a one-point victory with time expired.

Drew Mitchell was another standout for the visitors, bouncing back from an early head knock to ignite the attack from fullback

Week 2


1. Gareth Hardy2. luke Holmes3. troy takiari4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Scott Fava7. Matt Hodgson8. tamaiti Horua9. James Stannard10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. Scott Daruda13. Ryan Cross14. nick Cummins15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. tai McIsaac (rep Holmes at 40 mins)17. AJ Whalley (rep takiari at 40 mins)18. Sam Wykes (Dnp)19. Richard Brown (rep Horua at 54 mins)20. David pocock (rep Hodgson at 47 mins)21. lachlan MacKay (Dnp)22. Josh tatupu (rep Cummins at 54 mins)

Friday 29 February, 2008Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Conditions: Cool, overcastReferee: Kelvin Deaker (nZl)

Half time: 15-16Man of the Match: Ryan Cross (Force)

Emirates Western Force 18(Horua, Shepherd tries; Giteau con, pen; Shepherd pen)

Lions 16(Van Schalkwyk try; Strydom con, 3 pens)

With the dust beginning to settle on a tumultuous start to the season off the field, the emirates Western Force entered ellis park intent on concluding the South African tour with a second victory.

once again the competition points weren’t going to come lightly for the visitors, with the lions determined to bounce back in front of their home crowd after a humiliating 55-10 loss to the Blues the previous weekend.

the visitors, however, jumped away to a 15-6 lead in the opening stanza through tries to Cameron Shepherd, returning from a knee injury, and tamaiti Horua, who notched his first five-pointer in Force colours.

For the second straight week John Mitchell’s men had the weight of possession on their side but failed to convert their dominance

Week 3Emirates Western Force v Cheetahs Emirates Western Force v Lions

into more points, allowing the lions to claw back into the match and take a one-point advantage into the break.

In a try-less second half which had degenerated into a dour defensive struggle, a booming 54-metre penalty goal strike from Shepherd ended the scoring and completed the WA side’s mission of two wins from three matches in the Republic.

Centre Ryan Cross had his best game in the ocean blue jersey since joining the club in 2007, turning on a powerful display in both attack and defence.



1. Gareth Hardy2. tai McIsaac3. AJ Whalley (rep Hardy at 65 mins)4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. tamaiti Horua7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. Chris o’Young10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. lachlan MacKay13. Ryan Cross14. Scott Staniforth15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 57 mins)17. troy takiari (rep Whalley at 45 mins [blood])18. Sam Wykes (rep Brown at 62 mins)19. Matt Hodgson (rep pocock at 68 mins)20. James Stannard (rep o’Young at 63 mins)21. Scott Daruda (rep MacKay at 71 mins)22. Josh tatupu (Dnp)

Sunday 9 March, 2008Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions: Hot, sunnyReferee: Willie Roos (RSA)

Half time: 12-17Man of the Match: David pocock (Force)

Emirates Western Force 24(pocock, Brown, Cross, MacKay tries; Giteau 2 cons)

Crusaders 29(Carter, Somerville, Williams, ellis, laulala tries; Carter 2 cons)

over 27,000 rugby-starved supporters embarked on Subiaco oval to welcome the WA side home from South Africa for a much hyped home opener against Robbie Deans’ six-time champion Crusaders.

the home side was treated to rapturous applause as they took to the field and from there the excitement levels continued to climb on a blazing Sunday afternoon in perth.

In what was easily the team’s best performance in the opening month of the tournament, spectacular tries to man of the match David pocock, Ryan Cross and Richard Brown in quick succession gave the home side a 5-point advantage at the break before lachlan MacKay charged to the tryline in his first appearance

since 2006 to open up a 24-12 lead with 25 minutes left on the clock.

But two tries in as many minutes, and a third soon after, delivered the title favourites a thrilling victory to keep their unbeaten start to the season intact.

John Mitchell’s men gained some consolation by picking up two bonus points from the 5-point loss, but were left to lament their second defeat of the year after skipping away to a commanding lead during the second half in a wonderfully entertaining contest that kept the huge home crowd on the edge of their seats throughout.

Week 4

tries in quick succession to set up an unassailable 10-point lead late in the match.

Captain nathan Sharpe was inspirational in the win, assisted well by Brown and Scott Fava while Matt Giteau called the shots with precision from flyhalf to lift the team to a memorable and historic victory.


1. troy takiari2. tai McIsaac3. AJ Whalley (rep takiari at 76 mins)4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Scott Fava7. Matt Hodgson8. Richard Brown9. James Stannard10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. lachlan MacKay13. Ryan Cross14. Scott Staniforth15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 70 mins)17. pek Cowan (rep Whalley at 49 mins)18. Sam Wykes (rep Hockings at 77 mins)19. tamaiti Horua (rep Hodgson at 60 mins)20. Chris o’Young (rep Stannard at 49 mins)21. Scott Daruda (Dnp)22. nick Cummins (rep MacKay at 53 mins)

Saturday 15 March, 2008North Harbour Stadium, Albany, NZ

Conditions: Warm, slightly overcastReferee: Craig Joubert (RSA)

Half time: 7-17Man of the Match: nathan Sharpe (Force)

Blues 17(Woodcock, tuitavake tries; Atiga con, pen; evans con)

Emirates Western Force 27(Brown, Horua, Shepherd tries; Giteau 3 cons, 2 pens)

Buoyed by their performance in a tight loss to the tournament’s benchmark team, the emirates Western Force departed for their two-match tour of the Shaky Isles desperate to break through for the team’s maiden victory on new Zealand soil.

Adding to the enormity of the task was a first up visit to north Harbour Stadium for a clash with a team they had never defeated, the Blues. And for at least the first 40 minutes it appeared as if the WA side would have to wait at least one more week to break the Kiwi drought.

leading 17-7 at the break thanks to a second converted try in the 36th minute, the home side appeared in control of the match, however the final quarter proved its undoing.

Having lost playmaker nick evans late in the opening half, the sting went out of the Blues attack and, after dictating play for long periods of the second half, the WA side eventually overpowered the home team when Richard Brown and tamaiti Horua grabbed

Week 5Emirates Western Force v Crusaders Emirates Western Force v Blues



1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac3. AJ Whalley4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. tamaiti Horua7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. James Stannard10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. lachlan MacKay13. Ryan Cross14. Scott Staniforth15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 64 mins)17. troy takiari (rep Whalley at 46 mins)18. Sam Wykes (Dnp)19. Scott Fava (rep Horua at 46 mins)20. Matt Hodgson (rep pocock at 64 mins)21. Scott Daruda (rep MacKay at 59 mins)22. nick Cummins (Dnp)

Riding the coattails of a first ever win on Kiwi soil, the emirates Western Force converged on spectacular Queenstown to attempt the unthinkable and complete an undefeated tour of new Zealand.

Standing in their way was a determined Highlanders outfit languishing at the foot of the competition table and chasing its first win of the season.

In a match played in cooler conditions than its previous outings, the WA side was slow to hit top gear and trailed for the majority

of the first half before crossing the line twice in the space of four minutes to take a four-point lead into the half time break.

the points continued to flow as the home side stole the lead in the second period, but it was pegged back thanks to flawless goal-kicking displays from Matt Giteau and Cameron Shepherd.

Both sides crossed the stripe on three occasions, leaving fans more than entertained at the small but picturesque ground at the foot of the ‘Remarkables’ mountain range.

In the end it was superior kicking that clinched the win for the visitors, who would return home to perth for three consecutive home games firmly entrenched in the competition’s top four.

Saturday 22 March, 2008Queenstown Events Centre, Queenstown, NZ

Conditions: Cool, overcastReferee: Mark lawrence (RSA)

Half time: 17-13Man of the Match: Ryan Cross (Force)

Emirates Western Force 36(Cross, Brown, Hockings tries; Giteau 3 cons, 3 pens; Shepherd 2 pens)

Highlanders 28(Bancroft, Vainikolo, Williams tries; Bowden 2 cons, 3 pens)

Week 6


1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac 3. AJ Whalley (rep Cowan at 64 mins)4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Scott Fava7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. Chris o’Young10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. Scott Daruda13. Ryan Cross14. Scott Staniforth15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 64 mins)17. troy takiari (rep Whalley at 50 mins)18. Sam Wykes (rep Hockings at 68 mins)19. tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 59 mins)20. James Stannard (rep o’Young at 55 mins)21. lachlan MacKay (rep Daruda at 40 mins)22. nick Cummins (rep Giteau at 67 mins)

Returning home from an unprecedented undefeated tour of new Zealand, the stage was set for a blockbuster clash with the surprising Stormers as the emirates Western Force looked to provide skipper nathan Sharpe with the gift of victory in his 100th Super rugby match.

Supported by a strong crowd of almost 25,000 at Subiaco oval, it took Sharpe 48 seconds to realise that his opponents were not about to surrender with a sentimental gesture on his milestone night.

Man of the match winger tonderai Chavhanga silenced the blue crew with his first strike in the opening minute and when he scored his second with fifteen minutes remaining in the first half, he had helped his side to a 20-11 lead at half time.

Friday 28 March, 2008Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions: Warm, clearReferee: lyndon Bray (nZl)

Half time: 20-11Man of the Match: tonderai Chavhanga (Stormers)

Emirates Western Force 16(Mitchell, Cross tries; Giteau 2 pens)

Stormers 32(Chavhanga 2, De Villiers, Harris tries; Grant 3 cons 2 pens)

In the end the visitors slammed down four tries to two in a stunning upset, while an error-riddled performance saw the Force slump to fifth on the competition ladder.

on an off-night for the entire team, the home side’s downfall was brought about by its failure to deal with the high ball and inability to match the physicality of the Stormers, who were led by a fired up Schalk Burger.

the result was a bitter pill for John Mitchell’s men, who had hoped for a much better outing to celebrate their captain’s century.

Week 7Emirates Western Force v Highlanders Emirates Western Force v Stormers

Emirates Western Force v Bulls Emirates Western Force v Waratahs



1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac3. AJ Whalley4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Scott Fava7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. Chris o’Young10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. Scott Staniforth13. Ryan Cross14. nick Cummins15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 66 mins)17. troy takiari (rep Whalley at 53 mins)18. Sam Wykes (rep Hockings at 66 mins)19. Matt Hodgson (rep pocock at 67 mins)20. James Stannard (Dnp)21. Josh tatupu (Dnp)22. Dane Haylett-petty (Dnp)

Friday 4 April, 2008Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions: Warm, overcastReferee: Steve Walsh (nZl)

Half time: 3-14Man of the Match: Matt Giteau (Force)

Emirates Western Force 15(Cross, Giteau tries; Shepherd con, pen)

Bulls 14(Habana 2 tries; Hougaard 2 cons)

Determined to erase the memories of their shock loss to the Stormers the previous week, the emirates Western Force returned to Subiaco oval to face a Bulls team equally as desperate to stay in contention for the semi-finals on the final leg of a winless Australasian tour.

two first half tries to Springboks World Cup hero Bryan Habana set the defending champions up for an improbable victory with the home side failing to fire a shot, other than a Cameron Shepherd penalty goal, in the opening forty minutes.

After regrouping in the dressing rooms, it was a different looking team that ran out in the ocean blue jersey for the second stanza.

But the home side needed to strike fast and it was man of the match Matt Giteau who provided the spark, bursting through the line to post his team’s opening try two minutes after the break.

From that point the momentum shifted and the Bulls were playing to protect their lead.

It was a ploy that almost paid dividends for the visitors, who held out wave after wave of attack from the WA side before finally submitting after the siren had sounded, when sheer numbers allowed Ryan Cross to dive over in the corner to secure one of the club’s most dramatic victories.

Week 8

Saturday 12 April, 2008Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions: Warm, clearReferee: Brett Bowden (AuS)

Half time: 10-9Man of the Match: lote tuqiri (Waratahs)

Emirates Western Force 12(Shepherd 3 pens; Giteau pen)


1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac3. troy takiari (rep Cowan at 73 mins)4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Scott Fava7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. Chris o’Young10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. Scott Staniforth13. Ryan Cross14. nick Cummins15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 60 mins)17. AJ Whalley (rep takiari at 55 mins)18. Sam Wykes (rep Hockings at 60 mins)19. Matt Hodgson (rep pocock at 73 mins)20. James Stannard (rep o’Young at 69 mins)21. lachlan MacKay (rep Giteau at 24 mins)22. Haig Sare (rep Cummins at 75 mins)

It was billed as the battle of the two best Australian teams as the emirates Western Force shaped up to their east coast rivals with national bragging rights and a place in the top four on the line.

the frenetic start to the match lived up to the pre-game hype, with both sides committed and willing to chance their arm in the high stakes battle.

the home side’s chances took a dive at the 20 minute mark when star pivot Matt Giteau was felled by a sickening head knock after colliding with the hip of Waratahs fullback Sam norton-Knight as he attempted to shut down the play.

Giteau did not return in the match however his teammates immediately recognised the need to lift with their chief play caller reduced to a spectator for the remainder of a bruising contest.

trailing for the entire match, the WA side edged ahead for the first time on the back of Cameron Shepherd’s penalty strike to take a 12-10 lead at the 67minute mark.

then, a shocking piece of luck saw a grubber-kicked ball rebound off the leg of Shepherd and into the arms of lachie turner, who crossed in the corner to snatch back the lead for the Waratahs.

the home team had a chance to steal the game though, launching phase after phase on the Waratahs line as the siren sounded before turner again proved the villain, plucking an intercept to break the hearts of the near 23,000 faithful at Subiaco oval.

Waratahs 17(Horne, turner tries; Beale 2 cons, pen)

Week 9

Emirates Western Force v Reds Emirates Western Force v Chiefs


EMIRATES WESTERN FORCEFriday 18 April, 2008Suncorp Stadium,Brisbane

Conditions: overcast, wet sur faceReferee: Stuart Dickinson (AuS)

Half time: 13-12Man of the Match: leroy Houston (Reds)

Emirates Western Force 12(Shepherd 4 pens)

1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac3. troy takiari (rep Whalley at 68 mins)4. tom Hockings5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Scott Fava7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. Chris o’Young10. lachlan MacKay11. Drew Mitchell12. Scott Staniforth (vc)13. Ryan Cross14. Haig Sare15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 50 mins)17. AJ Whalley (rep takiari at 47 mins)18. Sam Wykes (rep Hockings at 50 mins)19. tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 56 mins)20. James Stannard (Dnp)21. James o’Connor (debut, rep Horua at 59 mins)22. nick Cummins (rep Sare at 40 mins)

Reds 29(Walker, Houston, turinui tries; Schifcofske con, 3 pens; Barnes pen)

After slipping out of the top four for the first time in three weeks, the emirates Western Force left home turf for the first time in a month for a second interstate ‘derby’ in as many weeks.

the Reds, out of finals contention and under fire from supporters and the media alike, were aiming to play the spoiler and send their rivals home with a second straight defeat.

In one of the season’s shocking upsets, the defiant Reds performed like a team with more to play for, sinking a dagger into the lacklustre visitors’ finals chances with a commanding victory that never looked in doubt after half time.

the signs were ominous for the WA side when the Queenslanders registered their first try after just two minutes before taking a slight 13-12 advantage into the break.

Held try-less for the second consecutive week and without chief playmaker Matt Giteau, the visitors wilted in the second stanza as the home team ran in two more tries on their way to a redeeming victory in front of their home fans.

the humiliating 17-point loss for the WA side was compounded by season-ending injuries to three of its star forwards, Scott Fava, tom Hockings and tamaiti Horua on a night when 17 year old James o’Connor became the youngest ever Super rugby debutante.

Week 10


1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac (rep takiari at 74 mins)3. troy takiari4. David pusey5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Scott Fava7. David pocock8. Matt Hodgson9. James Stannard10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. James o’Connor13. Ryan Cross14. nick Cummins15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 70 mins)17. Kieran longbottom (debut, rep Cowan at 10 mins)18. Sitaleki timani (rep pusey at 51 mins)19. Richard Brown (rep Hodgson at 57 mins)20. Chris o’Young (rep Stannard at 64 mins)21. Scott Daruda (rep o’Connor at 64 mins)22. Dane Haylett-petty (debut, rep Cummins at 64 mins)

Saturday 3 May, 2008Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions: Warm, clearReferee: Marius Jonker (RSA)

Half time: 14-3Man of the Match: Drew Mitchell (Force)

Emirates Western Force 22(Hodgson, Stannard, Mitchell tries; Giteau 2 cons, pen)

Chiefs 21(Donald, Masaga tries; Donald con, 2 pens; Bruce dg)

products, Keiran longbottom and Dane Haylett-petty, debuted in Super rugby.

two quick tries and a drop goal from Callum Bruce in the final 15 minutes and the visitors had all but stolen the victory before, once again, the wizardry of Matt Giteau came to fore as the star playmaker nailed a clutch penalty goal after the siren to get his team out of jail and maintain their finals dream.

Refreshed from their bye week but still with heavy hearts after the biggest defeat of their season in Brisbane, it was a determined emirates Western Force outfit that returned to Subiaco oval to face the Chiefs.

Having suffered the worst defeat in team history to their opponents the season before and with the 2008 Chiefs rolling on the back of a five-match winning streak, the WA side were prepared for an epic battle to keep their finals chances alive.

In stark contrast to their previous outing, the home side seized the upper hand early and appeared nothing like the team which had failed to cross the tryline in its previous two matches, striking twice in the opening 12 minutes to take a 14-3 advantage into the break.

the Waikato men, like the home side, were playing for their survival and soon worked their way back into the contest after the Force bounced out to a 19-8 lead on a night where two local WA

Week 12

Emirates Western Force v Hurricanes Emirates Western Force v Brumbies


Friday 9 May, 2008Westpac Stadium, Wellington, NZ

Half time: 10-3Man of the Match: Andrew Hore (Hurricanes)

Emirates Western Force 10(Shepherd try; Giteau con, pen)

needing to win their two final matches to remain in the hunt for a post-season berth, the emirates Western Force were faced with not only a surging Hurricanes outfit, but a notoriously wet and windy night in Wellington.

the match started in driving rain and both sides struggled early on, even Matt Giteau’s trusty left boot let him down more than once in the abysmal conditions.

It was the home side, however, who managed to steel themselves in time, demonstrating a rare unity of purpose in the forwards and backplay which belied the weather to register the first try and assume a 10-3 lead entering the break.

tight defence was the order of the night and neither side gave an inch in the early exchanges of the second half. the Hurricanes added two penalties in the third quarter before the visitors eventually cracked to allow Hosea Gear to cross for the match-winner.

It wasn’t a night for the WA side to shine but some reward came when Cameron Shepherd scored a spectacular solo try in the dying stages. unfortunately it came too late to have any impact on the end result and, despite having one match left on the schedule, the Force were consigned to missing out on an elusive maiden semi-finals berth.


1. Gareth Hardy (rep takiari at 79 mins)2. tai McIsaac3. troy takiari4. David pusey5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Matt Hodgson7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. James Stannard10. Matt Giteau (vc)11. Drew Mitchell12. James o’Connor13. Josh tatupu14. Dane Haylett-petty15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 68 mins)17. Kieran longbottom (rep Hardy at 50 mins)18. Sitaleki timani (rep pusey at 51 mins)19. Sam Wykes (rep Hodgson at 67 mins)20. Chris o’Young (rep Stannard at 70 mins)21. Scott Daruda (rep o’Connor at 70 mins)22. Haig Sare (rep Mitchell at 77 mins)

Hurricanes 21(Gear, Hore tries; Weepu con, 3 pens)

Week 13


Week 14

1. pek Cowan2. tai McIsaac3. troy takiari4. David pusey5. nathan Sharpe (c)6. Matt Hodgson7. David pocock8. Richard Brown9. Chris o’Young10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Haig Sare12. James o’Connor13. Josh tatupu14. Dane Haylett-petty15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves

16. luke Holmes (Dnp)17. Kieran longbottom (rep takiari at 25 mins[blood])18. Sitaleki timani (Dnp)19. Sam Wykes (rep pusey at 45 mins)20. James Stannard (Dnp)21. Scott Daruda (Dnp)22. Junior pelesasa (Dnp)

Friday 16 May, 2008Subiaco Oval, Perth

Half time: 7-22Man of the Match: Matt Giteau (Force)

Emirates Western Force 29(o’Connor, Giteau, o’Young, tatupu tries; Giteau 3 cons, pen)

Brumbies 22(Fainifo 2, Gerrard, Ashley-Cooper tries; Mortlock con)

pride and the honour of a higher finish on the competition table was all that was left to fight for when the emirates Western Force hosted the Brumbies at Subiaco oval in the final match of the season.

the home side had extra motivation for the clash and were determined to give its adoring blue crew a send off to remember after narrowly missing out on a maiden semi-finals appearance for the second consecutive year.

But the script for a happy ending to the 2008 campaign was thrown completely into chaos in the first half. the visitors struck early and often to post the fastest four-try bonus point of the season and stun the perth crowd into silence.

With star backs Drew Mitchell (ankle), Scott Staniforth (knee) and Ryan Cross (cheekbone) on the sidelines, it was up to the young

brigade in the Force backline to make their mark and overturn the stunning 22-0 deficit.

James o’Connor provided some initial relief, slicing through to reduce the margin to 15 points at the half time break, after which the home side completely transformed.

In a blitzkrieg to rival the Brumbies first half attack, the WA side was unstoppable in the second stanza, scoring two tries in the opening five minutes and a third at the three quarter mark of the match to snatch a remarkable victory.

Conditions: Windy, heavy rainReferee: Jonathan Kaplan (RSA)

Conditions: Cool, overcastReferee: nathan pearce (AuS)


2008 Development Tour of England

With the abolishment of the Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) after one year of existence, the Emirates Western Force packed their bags for England in search of high quality rugby to fill the breach on the rugby calendar post Super 14. On the final day of July, a 28-man squad departed Perth for a five-match programme, to include matches against Guinness Premiership sides Newcastle Falcons, Saracens, Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers.

campaign. A pair of second half tries from centre Junior pelesasa lifted the visitors to a 25-15 result against a Falcons lineup boasting former All Blacks scrum chief Carl Hayman.

the touring party suffered major blows in the days following the win, with flanker Sam Wykes (shoulder) and World Cup Wallaby Scott Staniforth (knee) returning home after sustaining serious injuries.

the squad was also facing a short four-day turnaround before its next match, against a Saracens Academy outfit. However, it failed to halt the tourists’ early momentum as flanker Matt Hodgson led the side to a handsome 36-17 win in St Albans.

the team returned to the old Albanians ground just three nights later for its third match, although this time it was the home side who prevailed in another rugged encounter dominated by the set piece battle. With former Wallabies mentor eddie Jones at the helm, Saracens defended stoutly and limited the WA side to just one try in a 19-10 loss.

After three tough encounters in eight days, the players finally had an opportunity to take a breath and, with the tour moving to london, grabbed their chance to take

in some of the sights. this included a visit to the emirates Stadium, home of english premier league soccer giants Arsenal, where tour skipper David pocock and team management took in the electric atmosphere of the Gunners’ home opener against West Bromwich Albion.

With a week to prepare for the fourth tour clash, against ‘King’ Carlos Spencer and the northampton Saints, it was a much anticipated clash at the picturesque Franklins Gardens. the newly-promoted league one champions proved too strong for the young WA outfit though, pressuring teenage flyhalf James o’Connor and dominating at scrum time to run out convincing 22-3 victors.

RESULTS

Friday 8 August EWF v Newcastle Falcons Won 25-15

tuesday 12 August eWF v Saracens Academy Won 36-17

Saturday 16 August EWF v Saracens lost 10-19

Saturday 23 August eWF v northampton Saints lost 3-22

Wednesday 27 August EWF v Northampton Academy Match abandoned

Saturday 30 August EWF v Leicester Tigers lost 7-48

Leading try scorers: Junior pelesasa 3, Haig Sare 2, Matt Hodgson 2, Caleb Brown 2.

Leading points scorers: James o’Connor 22pts (1t, 4c, 3p), Junior pelesasa 15pts (3t), Scott Daruda 14pts (4c, 2p).

SquadAndrew Barrett (mid-tour replacement), Dion Berryman, Caleb Brown, pekahou Cowan, Scott Daruda, James Dougall, Gareth Hardy, Dane Haylett-petty, Matt Hodgson, luke Holmes, tamaiti Horua, Kieran longbottom, tai McIsaac, tom Murday, Brent Murphy, James o’Connor, pat o’Connor, Chris o’Young, Junior pelesasa, David pocock (c), Filipe Manu, Haig Sare, Scott Staniforth, troy takiari, Josh tatupu, Valeni tia tia, Justin turner, AJ Whalley, Sam Wykes.After two straight defeats, the injury toll

was also building for the tourists, with new recruit Caleb Brown (hamstring) and winger James Dougall (fractured hand) joining the list of casualties. the match against northampton Academy, scheduled for the Wednesday night, was abandoned in light of the injury situation, which meant the next match on the tour itinerary, against premiership finalists leicester tigers, would also be the last.

A tigers outfit featuring no less than 14 Internationals took to the field for its final hit out before the premiership kick off and proved far too experienced for the young Force side in a 48-7 rout. the home side ran in seven tries to one in what proved to be the biggest lesson for the young squad as the tour came to a close.

throughout the 34-day campaign the side was well led by skipper pocock with senior squad members Matt Hodgson, Junior pelesasa and Haig Sare each leaving their mark.

one of the purposes of the tour was to uncover new talent, which was clearly achieved with giant flanker Filipe Manu (acquired from Souths in the Brisbane competition) and RugbyWA Academy lock Brent Murphy making the most of their opportunities.

Luke Holmes and Filipe Manu try to halt a Falcons attacker.

The scrum battle was a key component of every match on tour.

(L to R) Scott Daruda, Dave Pocock and Luke Holmes pose under the Tyne Bridge.

Dane Haylett-Petty is somewhere under that ruck.

The view from the captain’s seat at Arsenal’s season opener at Emirates Stadium.

Haig Sare was a standout in England.

Scott Daruda fires a pass at Welford Road.

For many in the developing squad, the tour provided a first taste of elite level rugby. For the rest, it was a lesson in the heavier conditions and different approach to the game in the northern hemisphere.

the month-long programme would also provide coach John Mitchell and his staff with an opportunity to experiment with combinations in the squad and to test players under a jam-packed match schedule.

Rising star David pocock was awarded the honour of leading the squad for the tour, following the success of his earlier appointment as captain of the Australian under 20s at the Junior World Championships in Wales.

the tour touched down in newcastle where the boys got the blood pumping with a friendly game of twenty20 cricket to celebrate Wallaby great Matt Burke’s farewell from the newcastle club. While the men in blue were easily trumped on the cricket pitch, the light-hearted clash set the scene for the serious business of the tour.

Kingston park played host to the opening match and the WA side wasted no time notching their first victory of the


RugbyWA Academy

Season 2008 saw some subtle

changes to the RugbyWA

Academy programme. the most

significant of these changes

was to the selection process,

whereby only athletes that had

the potential to play at the

next level were to be offered

Academy positions. With the

abandonment of the Australian

Rugby Championship, athletes

would therefore only be considered for an Academy position

if they possessed the potential to play for the emirates

Western Force. this decision meant around 80% of our

2007 Academy athletes were released, resulting in an

entity that, though lighter in numbers, was of a much higher

quality. It also enabled us to invest more into our senior

Academy apprenticeships such as our Academy level 1

athletes.

the success of this decision can be seen on-field with all

four of our initial senior apprentices playing Super 14 in

2008 – Dane Haylett-petty, James o’Connor, Sam Wykes

and Sitaleki timani. this figure increased to six with both

Kieran longbottom and James Stannard being added to the

senior apprentice list after an arduous pre-season trial and

training campaign. What is also of interest is both Haylett-

petty and longbottom are products of our local system

and Academy/ntS programmes. Add Stannard to the mix

of those educated in our system and this gives reason for

optimism looking forward.

Further optimism in our future development can be seen

by the number of athletes in the Academy that have been

upgraded in their situations for season 2009. the likelihood

of our youngsters progressing through the ranks next year

and beyond is increasing.

Another new initiative that was well received was the

introduction of a senior development group that train

periodically with the Academy and provide us with a number

of athletes to consider for higher selection to play with

the Academy team. With perth Gold being excluded from

the Australian Rugby Shield, this provided an avenue for

aspirational club players.

unlike our east coast counterparts, the vagaries of

distance prevents our Academy group from playing in any

form of competition but, apart from our pre-season trial

with the emirates Western Force which was competitive

and provided the professionals with a useful first hit-out,

we were able to organise games against a very experienced

Queensland A and an outclassed Singapore national side.

A definite highlight was our young side, predominantly

Academy and club players, taking it to a near fully capped

Queensland A and having a chance to win but for a failed

conversion attempt after full-time.

With our Academy still very much in its infancy, we are

looking at new initiatives in 2009 to give the emirates

Western Force a chance to compete on a level playing

field with our rivals and in some instances exceed their

benchmarks. this will be achieved with an aggressive

approach to development and recruitment.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the people that

provided assistance throughout 2008. Warren Andrews

continues to push the athletes to higher standards both

on and off the field. Jp Caneiro and his team have insured

our athletes were able to get back on the field expediently.

thanks to Dwayne nestor, Matt tink for on-field assistance,

and Ian Fowler who acted as an assistant for the

competition. Finally thanks must go to Mitch Hardy who in

his many roles provided excellent insight and knowledge.

Season 2009 should be viewed with expectation as we

continue to refine and develop our Academy programme.

Geoff Townsend

Academy Head Coach


Community Rugby

Season 2008 was a year of

significant change for the

Community Rugby department.

Mitch Hardy changed roles,

moving to the professional

department and taking up the

role of General Manager, Rugby,

the competitions unit was

formed and we saw the final

games played at Rugby park.

the decision to move Mitch Hardy away from Community

Rugby was made in June. As a consequence, I moved into

the role of Manager, Community Rugby. this transition was

made incredibly easy due to the outstanding foundations

that Mitch had put in place. on behalf of all volunteers,

players, coaches and match officials, I would like to

sincerely thank Mitch for his significant contribution to the

development of our game here in Western Australia.

the decision to form the competitions unit was also made

this year. With some initial teething problems and changes

to staff, this initiative did not reach its full potential. that

said, the staff in this department worked tirelessly to

produce what were once again outstanding competitions for

Senior, Junior and Women’s rugby.

perhaps the most significant event of the year was the final

matches at Rugby park. Although the last actual games

played there were the Junior Grand Finals, it must be

said that the 1st Grade Grand Final between Kalamunda

and Wanneroo was a fitting end to the life of a rugby field

steeped in history. the day attracted a capacity crowd and

the quality of rugby played across the Grand Final weekend

was a fitting farewell to what has been Western Australia’s

cultural hub for rugby.

We once again witnessed a rise in the playing numbers for

our Junior, Senior and Country competitions. this continued

growth highlights the strength of our game in Western

Australia. the emirates Western Force drive the game

professionally, however, this rise in playing numbers can be

directly attributed to the joint efforts of our development

staff and of course the countless number of volunteers who

tirelessly work within each respective club. Rugby is a game

built on volunteers, and I would like to extend my sincere

appreciation to all those volunteers who sacrifice so much

to ensure the game we love remains pure and a game for

one and all.

Further growth has also been recorded in the ranks of both

match officials and coaches. the club touch judge program

was very successful and we saw a healthy increase in

the number of referees. particularly pleasing was the

emergence of many young referees. Furthermore, the

increased number of coaches has meant that our players

are receiving improved tuition, which is paramount to

ensuring we keep players in our game.

the emergence of Kieran longbottom and James Stannard

from the senior competition to the emirates Western Force,

and Dane Haylett petty from the school system is a great

result for those from community rugby who assisted with

the development of these players. Added to this is the

increased number of locals who are now with the emirates

Western Force Academy. Continued focus on our Senior

Development Squad, and of course our Junior programmes,

should see a steady flow of local players graduating to the

Super 14 level.

on the staff front, the Community Rugby department would

like to thank Glenda Martyn, natalie Coward, Ross James

and Barry Dorsett for their contribution this year and we

wish them the best for their future endeavours. Former

Development Manager, Colin Richardson, chose to leave

the department to take up the role of Brand Manager

for RugbyWA. We also thank Colin for his contribution to

Community Rugby.

on a personal note, I would like to thank all the

community rugby staff for their continued support and

efforts throughout the 2008 season. So much work gets

conducted behind the scenes, and your dedication is to be

admired. I would also like to thank all the club presidents,

coaches, referees and other volunteers whom I have

worked with this year. Your passion for our game is always

evident and your support of RugbyWA makes our task that

much easier.

Season 2009 brings us many new challenges and I look

forward to confronting these challenges with the continued

support of all members of the Western Australian rugby

community.

Matt Tink

Manager, Community Rugby

1st Grade Premiers Kalamunda

5th Grade Premiers - Arks

2nd Grade Premiers - Kalamunda

Women’s Premiers - Perth Bayswater

3rd Grade Premiers - Cottesloe 4th Grade Premiers - Nedlands

Under 18 Premiers - Perth BayswaterUnder 20 Premiers - Nedlands Gold


Grade Tables

Grade: 1st Grade P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

Kalamunda 18 16 2 0 0 13 667 356 187 77

nedlands 18 11 7 0 0 17 558 363 154 61

Wanneroo 18 11 7 0 0 14 590 406 145 58

perth Bayswater 18 12 6 0 0 9 451 294 153 57

Rockingham 18 11 6 1 0 8 413 388 106 54

Associates 18 9 8 1 0 12 490 395 124 50

Cottesloe 18 8 10 0 0 5 387 476 81 37

West’s Subiaco 18 4 12 2 0 16 448 495 90 36

university 18 4 14 0 0 4 343 638 54 20

palmyra 18 2 16 0 0 4 245 781 31 12

Grade: Under 20’s P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

nedlands Gold 18 15 3 0 0 12 506 131 386 72

Associates Gold 18 15 3 0 0 9 454 133 341 69

Joondalup 17 12 5 0 1 11 458 150 305 63

Cottesloe 16 10 6 0 2 14 477 130 367 62

universities Gold 16 11 5 0 2 10 357 175 204 62

perth Bayswater 17 10 7 0 1 15 477 156 306 59

West’s Subiaco 17 11 6 0 1 10 358 225 159 58

Arks 18 6 12 0 0 5 282 460 61 29

Associates Green 16 3 13 0 2 3 188 333 56 23

nedlands Blue 16 1 15 0 2 3 130 492 26 15

universities Green 13 2 11 0 0 2 68 638 11 10

Southern lions 10 0 10 0 1 1 55 487 11 5 Grade: 2nd Grade P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

Kalamunda 18 14 2 2 0 16 735 221 333 76

nedlands 18 13 4 1 0 14 710 267 266 68

Associates 18 14 2 2 0 8 481 279 172 68

West’s Subiaco 18 14 4 0 0 9 547 246 222 65

perth Bayswater 18 9 8 1 0 12 485 362 134 50

Wanneroo 18 8 9 1 0 5 320 351 91 39

university 18 4 13 1 0 7 270 616 44 25

Cottesloe 18 5 13 0 0 4 303 602 50 24

Rockingham 18 4 14 0 0 2 205 640 32 18

palmyra 18 1 17 0 0 4 170 642 26 8

Grade: Under 18’s P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

perth Bayswater 16 15 1 0 2 16 733 104 705 84

West’s Subiaco 16 14 2 0 2 15 646 120 538 79

nedlands 16 11 3 2 2 9 509 241 211 65

Kalamunda 17 11 4 2 1 8 526 188 280 60

Associates 17 9 7 1 1 7 371 342 108 49

Rockingham 17 7 9 1 1 12 428 257 166 46

Cottesloe 16 6 10 0 2 6 270 293 92 38

Wanneroo 16 5 10 1 2 6 235 454 52 36

Joondalup 16 4 11 1 2 4 232 402 58 30

palmyra 17 3 14 0 1 5 259 544 48 21

Bunbury 16 1 15 0 2 3 82 896 9 15

Grade: 3rd Grade P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

Cottesloe 18 17 0 1 0 9 482 131 368 79

Mandurah 18 11 6 1 0 14 365 168 217 60

Joondalup 18 12 4 2 0 7 324 170 191 59

West’s Subiaco 18 10 7 1 0 13 473 268 176 55

Curtin 18 12 6 0 0 4 282 183 154 52

Arks 18 8 10 0 0 6 271 284 95 38

nedlands 18 6 11 1 0 4 277 382 72 30

Associates 18 5 12 1 0 6 239 344 70 28

palmyra 18 4 13 1 0 6 203 421 48 24

perth Bayswater 18 1 17 0 0 4 145 710 20 8

Grade: Women’s P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

perth Bayswater 11 10 1 0 3 10 429 64 670 60

Cottesloe 11 8 3 0 3 13 485 66 735 57

West’s Subiaco 11 4 7 0 2 5 139 226 62 27

Kalamunda 11 3 8 0 3 6 177 276 64 26

university 12 3 9 0 2 5 149 422 35 23

Grade: 4th Grade P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

Southern lions 16 14 2 0 2 8 377 158 239 72

nedlands 16 11 5 0 2 15 501 174 288 67

Bunbury 16 12 4 0 2 11 457 197 232 67

Kalamunda 16 11 5 0 2 12 412 228 181 64

Associates 16 9 7 0 2 9 318 259 123 53

Wanneroo 16 6 10 0 2 9 287 255 112 41

Midland 16 5 11 0 2 5 194 273 71 33

university 16 3 13 0 2 5 182 418 44 25

Rockingham 16 1 15 0 2 3 153 469 33 15

West’s Subiaco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Grade: 5th Grade P W L D Bye B F A % Pts

Arks 17 17 0 0 1 16 622 104 598 88

nedlands 17 13 3 1 1 12 472 122 387 70

university 16 11 4 1 2 11 371 210 177 65

perth Bayswater 16 12 4 0 1 9 409 176 232 61

palmyra 17 9 7 1 1 7 320 250 128 49

Bunbury 17 9 6 2 1 5 335 274 122 49

West’s Subiaco 17 9 8 0 1 7 241 226 107 47

Joondalup 15 8 6 1 1 5 214 227 94 43

Curtin 17 6 10 1 1 7 296 270 110 37

Cottesloe 17 6 11 0 1 7 182 233 78 35

Southern lions 14 3 11 0 3 5 178 365 49 29

Wanneroo 17 4 11 2 1 4 186 354 52 28

Mandurah 17 4 12 1 1 5 180 328 55 27

Joondalup Ancients 16 3 12 1 1 6 160 382 42 24

Kalamunda 11 3 7 1 1 5 160 244 66 23

Associates 5 0 5 0 0 1 13 124 10 1

Competition: Kwik Senior Competition

2008 PREMIERS5th Grade - Arks4th Grade - nedlands3rd Grade - CottesloeWomen’s - perth Bayswaterunder 18 - perth Bayswaterunder 20 - nedlands Gold2nd Grade - Kalamunda1st Grade - Kalamunda


WAJRU Report WARURA President’s Report

Congratulations to all on yet

another outstanding season. It

was, as usual, a long season

which for some commenced

in January and culminated

late in the year with the very

successful Community Rugby

Grand Finals. I have received a

number of compliments from

club presidents and officials on

the continual improvement of

the standard of refereeing at all levels of Community Rugby.

Such compliments are satisfying and rewarding. that said,

we must continue to strive for further improvement and

consistency.

It was a challenging year with the introduction of the elVs

to the 1st and 2nd Grade competitions. I compliment the

CAB for the manner in which they managed this situation

and for the seamless way in which referees who officiated

under the various laws performed their duties.

During the year in excess of 1,500 formal appointments

were made at all levels including Juniors and more than

300 coaching reports completed. thanks must go to Senior

CAB – David procopis (Chairman), Maurie Day and peter

Hilgendorf – for their tireless efforts during the year. A

special mention and thanks go to Julie Skiba who, in the

absence of a junior CAB, stepped up and took responsibility

for appointments at Britannia. She was ably assisted by

Steve Davey, Justin Shakeshaft and Anthony o’Shea.

Referee abuse continues to be an ongoing issue. RugbyWA

were superb in support of the Association and in the

rigorous manner with which they dealt with the various

incidents. that said that clubs typically did their best to

address the problem but to differing degrees.

Indeed, we continue to enjoy an excellent relationship with

RugbyWA. the support received from Matt tink and his

team is welcomed and appreciated. It should be noted that

we receive indirect financial support from RugbyWA which is

not always recognised but is certainly appreciated.

In 2007 the Association, supported by RugbyWA and the

ARu, established the Referee Academy. this was initially

launched as a small and focused programme. this was

intentional as we wanted to ensure that it was properly

structured, implemented and successful. Whilst it operated

in 2008, supported by the ARu, it failed to live up to

expectations. the committee, in conjunction with RugbyWA,

will review the programme with a view to streamlining it and

ensuring its effectiveness.

2008 did see some success on the development of

pathways for new referees to advance up the grades as

well as the retention of referees. notably, we saw the

recruitment and development of a number of new referees

to both the junior and senior ranks.

looking forward, 2009 will hopefully enable us to further

extend programmes to improve the standard of refereeing

at community level. the incoming committee will look

to work with RugbyWA to more efficiently and effectively

develop strategies and programmes to achieve this.

the executive Committee again functioned superbly during

the year and I thank each and every one of them for their

efforts and support. thanks also to the RugbyWA team of

Matt tink, Glenda Martyn and in particular Anthony o’Shea

for his efforts during the year.

the support of our sponsors Argonaut and BGC is,

as always, much appreciated. Without their financial

contributions we could not afford to supply new kit each

year or implement the various development programmes.

Finally thanks go to all of you, our members, who turn out

willingly each week, support each other and promote rugby

in this great state.

Charles Fear

WARURA President

Season 2008 saw Junior Rugby union participation

numbers continue to grow. the u17’s participated in the

senior competition and therefore these players are not

formally reflected in our numbers. the competition is strong

across the three venues and our youngest club north

Beach continues to grow.

the WA Junior Rugby union finances are strong and there

is a range of development opportunities for our players,

coaches, officials and administrators.

I have decided to not stand as president of the Junior

Rugby union for 2009. I have been president for a

number of years and involved for some 14 years with the

union in Western Australia. I have thoroughly enjoyed my

involvement, especially in the transition period over the

last couple of years with a stronger and more strategic

relationship with Rugby WA.

I strongly urge all participants in junior rugby, whether as

a parent, coach or administrator, to reflect on two issues

that impact on the development of our children and youth.

Firstly, carefully consider the concept of a volunteer. I

have seen the role of the volunteer move away from basic

principles of giving your time freely without the expectation

of reward. too many times the attitude of what is in it for

me, or my child, is surfacing. I see a return to volunteering

as a critical element in the growth of junior rugby in this

state.

Secondly the ability of objective decision making without

a conflict of interest is very important in governance

of junior rugby. Clubs, coaches, parents, selectors and

administrators need to ensure that all decisions are clear

and fair. the rise of a conflict needs to be addressed up

front. Self interest makes for poor decision making and I

urge all involved to carefully consider their role noting their

own particular interest.

I would like to thank the 2008 WA Junior Rugby union

executive Committee for their support and work throughout

the year. A special thank you to a long-time committee

member and good friend Julie Skiba. I wish Julie well in her

role as president.

RugbyWA Board members Stephen Fink and David

Redpath have always maintained their strong interest

and involvement with the overall direction of junior rugby

and I have appreciated their support. Mitch Hardy,

Dwayne nestor, Matt tink and Anthony o’Shea have been

very supportive of junior rugby and are always open for

discussion and consideration of new initiatives. I personally

have appreciated their involvement and professionalism.

Congratulations to all the clubs and schools on their 2008

season and I look forward to the continued growth of junior

rugby in Western Australia.

Stephen Carrick, President

Western Australian Junior Rugby Union

U15s Central captain Olly Hoskins collects the State Championship Shield from Emirates Western Force halfback Chris O’Young.


WACRU Report

Country rugby had another successful year, with all

Associations completing their seasons. the quality of rugby

is definitely improving, coaches and referees are honing

their skills and this transfers to the players and ultimately

to the competition.

our great game would not be as successful as it is without

the support of our volunteers who work tirelessly so

that players and supporters enjoy their sport. RugbyWA

has provided significant resources to country rugby with

coaching, referee and other essential courses throughout

the year. With the work of our regional development officers,

we have seen a massive increase in participation at both

Junior and Senior levels. Indeed, the growth at Junior level

will have a lasting effect as players migrate to the Senior

competition.

Goldfields

Kalgoorlie again boasted three strong teams, with the

Bushwackers, Stormers and Boulder/WASM taking the field.

the season was dominated by the two strong teams, the

Bushies and Stormers, with clashes between the two going

either way each time they met. Boulder/WASM improved

with each match and came close on a few occasions to

springing an upset.

the final was predictably between the Bushwackers

and Stormers, with the Stormers securing the 2008

championship.

Great Southern

the Great Southern competition was reduced to three

teams to promote strength within the clubs. narrogin

and Katanning remain in the competition, with Mt Barker,

Denmark and Albany combining forces to strengthen their

ranks.

It has taken a few years of maturing, but the new look

Albany took a significant step forward this year under the

leadership of Murray Hooper. Albany led all the way from

start to finish in 2008, triumphing over Katanning in the

Grand Final.

South West

the 2007 champions, Dunsborough, started as

successfully as they finished the previous season by

dominating the South West competition. this year’s

competition also saw the introduction of Bunbury City, who

improved greatly as the season wore on.

the usual combatants, Margs and the Dung Beetles,

fought several times throughout year, with all matches

played at a high-quality standard. this year’s Final was no

exception, and went down to the wire with Margs knocking

off Dunsborough 25-23.

WA Country Cup

the start of the Country Cup proved a huge success,

with the Goldfields team taking on the Great Southern as

a curtain raiser to an emirates Western Force game at

Subiaco oval. the deciding match saw Great Southern take

on the South West in a close contest in which the South

West secured the trophy late in the game.

Country Carnival

this year’s carnival was hailed as the best yet. Hosted

in Dunsborough, it was the 23rd such event. teams

from all over WA entered the tournament including sides

from Albany, Bridgetown, Bunbury City, Collie, Denmark,

Dunsborough, esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Katanning,

Margaret River, Mt Barker, narrogin and newman. two

of these teams – Bunbury and newman – were new to

the competition this year. this is a great achievement for

Country Rugby and evidences the growth in regional WA.

In a high standard final, Dunsborough pleased their

supporters with a gritty 8-5 win over the Kalgoorlie

Bushwackers. this capped of a big year for Dunsborough by

not only defending the country title, but also winning the WA

Country Cup. I’m sure that they will be keen to defend both

yet again in 2009.

the WA Country team took on the perth Districts team and

lost narrowly to the highly-polished perth outfit, 12-8. Well

done to the Country.

We look forward to converging on esperance for the 2009

carnival.

Ray Mills

WACRU President

The 2008 WA Country Team


WAWRU Report

overall, the 2008 RugbyWA women’s season was a

success. the highlights of the year included the Singapore

7’s team tour (november 2007), the annual 7’s tournament

(March 2008), the state team tour to the national

Championships (July 2008), the selection of four players

in the Wallaroos squad and two players in the national 7’s

squad, a successful and competitive finals series and the

introduction of the Schoolgirls 7’s gala day.

General administration

throughout the year attendance to committee meetings

was rather poor. the introduction that each club would

lose competition points if and when their delegate did

not attend a meeting was enforced in order to increase

attendance. this did improve attendance numbers from

the previous year, however, this is still a problem which

the committee needs to address. I suggest for the 2009

season that the minutes and agenda from the previous

meeting are sent out within a week of the said meeting

along with confirmation of the next meeting details to avoid

any confusion.

Another problem that needs to be dealt with in 2009 is

the structure of the committee. It is important to give all

committee members a role within the group to ensure

the same resources and people are not continually being

exhausted.

Singapore Women’s 7’s

the Singapore Women’s Rugby union contacted RugbyWA

with an interest in playing local club teams as part of

their training tour to perth. Due to the off-season and

clashes with summer sports, only two teams (Cottesloe

and university) were available, but players from other clubs

were invited down to join in and participate. Six games were

played at Harvey Field, Cottesloe on 24 november 2007.

We thank Cottesloe Rugby union Club for allowing us to use

their facilities and RugbyWA for providing a referee.

Annual RugbyWA Women’s 7’s tournament

this year the annual 7’s tournament was held on 29

March 2008 at Rugby park, perry lakes. It attracted all

five club teams from the previous season’s competition

– perth Bayswater, Kalamunda, university, Wanneroo and

Cottesloe. the day was a success, with Cottesloe and

perth-Bayswater meeting in the final. perth-Bayswater

came away with the trophy, winning 19-5. Kaylene price of

university was named player of the tournament.

State team tour

the state tour to tallebudgerah in Queensland was the

major focus for the 2008 RugbyWA Women’s Committee.

preparation began in early 2008 with the appointment of

head coach trevor Kienzley, assistant coach Justin Martyn

and manager Glenda Martyn. trials and training began in

April 2008 and were held at Cottesloe Rugby union Club,

Rugby park and perth-Bayswater Rugby union Club. players

from all clubs trialled and there was at least one player

from each club in the final squad.

A lot of work went into the organisation of the tour. We were

fortunate enough to obtain $14,700 in sponsorship from

the following companies – Sealy $5,000, nido $4,500,

Harvey Fresh $2000, Instant Scaffolding and Austindo

$1000 each, Score pacific and touchstone Business

Management $500 each and Wanneroo Women’s Rugby

team $200.

two major fundraising events were undertaken. these were

a movie fundraiser held at Astor Cinemas and a raffle held

over a number of months. In total these raised (less costs)

$7,303.15. We thank RugbyWA for allowing us to sell raffle

tickets before the emirates Western Force home games as

well as providing part of the tour uniforms. our fundraising

and sponsorship work meant each player only had to pay a

levy of $500 for the tour.

the tour was a success, with WA finishing fifth out of eight

teams and winning two out of three games. Due to the

structuring of the tournament, the fifth placing puts the

2009 team in a better place to try and challenge the top

four teams.

From the national Championships four women from the WA

state team were selected in a 33-woman Wallaroo squad

–Stacey Kilmeister, Kate Stoney, Melissa Rowe and Debby

Hodgkinson. Melissa Rowe and Debby Hodgkinson went on

to be picked in the 22-woman test squad that played new

Zealand in october.

Overall 2008 club season

the season began with seven teams in the competition –

perth-Bayswater, Cottesloe, Kalamunda, university, Wests/

Subiaco, Wanneroo and Bunbury. unfortunately within the

first week Bunbury had to withdraw due to inexperience

and a few weeks later Wanneroo amalgamated with the

university club due to a shortage of players. And again this

season, one of the problems was the number of forfeits. I

suggest for the 2009 season the committee enforces the

rule that each club needs to attempt to play a game, even if

it is seven-a-side, just so all teams get to play more games.

Aside from this, I felt the 2008 season was a huge

improvement from 2007. the level of skill and quality of

games played has risen across all clubs. perth-Bayswater

took out the minor premiership again and beat Cottesloe

in a hard-fought grand final 8-5. Congratulations to Melissa

Rowe of Cottesloe, who won player of the Final and also

collected the Sue Roberts Fairest and Best player trophy for

the season as voted by the referees at the pG Hampshire

Awards. Debby Hodgkinson from Cottesloe won the

inaugural State player of the Year trophy.

Schoolgirl 7’s

this year saw the introduction of a Schoolgirls 7’s gala

day. Glenda Martyn, tilly lloyd and development officers at

RugbyWA have been working to put a day like this together

for some time and it was finally held on 20 november 2008

at McGillvray oval. Seven teams from five schools were

represented. Charlene Clamp from Kalamunda and the

state women’s team was involved with coaching thornlie

High School who edged out Kolbe in the final. the talent,

skill and enthusiasm I saw on show there definitely left a

positive impression on the future of women’s rugby in WA.

Future

As discussed recently, the current committee is looking at

aligning the RugbyWA women’s calendar with the Australian

Rugby union calendar over the next two years. this will

involve starting the season approximately six weeks earlier

and running a 7’s competition between local clubs followed

by the ARu holding a national 7’s tournament, giving WA

the opportunity to enter a State team. this is in aid of the

current success of the Australian women’s 7’s team and

the possible introduction of rugby into the olympics. I feel

we should not make these changes for the 2009 season,

as the likelihood of sending a state team to the national

7’s tournament is very low. We should continue to focus on

the development of the RugbyWA women’s 15-a-side team

and gradually introduce 7’s and 10’s into the calendar by

the 2010 season.

I would like to thank all committee members for their

assistance this year, especially Glenda Martyn and Kate

Stoney. We would not have achieved the results we have

without their hard work.

Debby Hodgkinson

President RugbyWA Women’s Committee 2008


WASRU Report Awards

Season 2008 started in February with schools participating

in the Welborn Cup; this is played in a knockout format as

the curtain raiser to all Western Force home games. We

also had our first overseas touring school from Canada

visiting WA during March. this has been a result of a couple

of WA schools touring the Americas in previous years.

the standard of rugby now being played in WA schools has

improved markedly; this is a direct result of the impact

of the Western Force, who have made the game more

professional and set up pathways for our young players.

pSA rugby is expanding with the introduction of three teams

in Years 9 and Years 8 – two year-specific teams and one

mixed-year team. this will increase again as Year 7 moves

into high schools over the next few years.

CSC rugby is also showing signs of rapid growth, with

new schools joining the competition and existing schools

increasing the number of teams involved. this is causing

a few problems as the gap between abilities will need to

be accessed; schools will need to be placed in groups of

similar ability to make the playing of rugby more enjoyable

for these boys.

on a state level, the management for our Schools XV was

appointed in october 2007; this gave us more continuity

and hopefully a more stable approach to selection. the

Rugby WA development team has been very busy in the off

season running skills clinics and fitness programmes as

well as selecting talented young players for elite coaching.

We involve our coaches when possible and are also aligning

a development officer with each representive team.

on the coaching front, we have been very fortunate to

acquire some very good coaches who have moved to this

beautiful state from overseas and interstate. Further, the

initiative of the ARFSu executive in setting up the seminar

and training course for our senior coaches has been highly

praised and it is hoped this will be part of the schools

programme for years to come; if expansion is possible,

then some of our schools’ coaches could attend such a

valuable resource.

our state team competed well in the national

championships but was beaten in the final by a very

strong Victorian outfit. We had nine players selected in

the Combined States team to compete in the Division

1 championships in Canberra and, from there, Alex

Rovira and Ben Hailes were selected in the Australian A

Schoolboys team. Justin turner was also selected in the

Australian Schools team and played in the curtain raiser

against Fiji at lang park prior to the Wallabies game.

I would like to thank all the clubs, the development team

and the referees (they’re all good blokes) for their time and

support during 2008. Also to the schools’ coaches who, on

occasion, get the team ready, drive the bus, ref the game,

and wash the jerseys – this sport would not exist in WA

schools without your passion and efforts.

Don McNamee

President WASRU

2008 RugbyWA Referee of the Year Award Daylan Waetford

2008 RugbyWA Coach of the Year Award paul King (Kalamunda)

Life Membership John Green (Arks)

Heathway Champion perth Bayswater

2008 RugbyWA Top Try Scorer Award Garth Zeigler (nedlands)

2008 RugbyWA Top Point Scorer Award Brad linklater (West’s Subiaco)

Laurie de la Hunty Trophy Most Improved Player 2008 Brent Murphy (perth Bayswater)

George Newstead Trophy Most Outstanding Colt Player 2008 Heremaia te Aute (West’s Subiaco)

Sue Roberts Trophy Best and Fairest 2008 Melissa Rowe (Cottesloe)

2008 Women’s State Player of the Year Debby Hodgkinson (Cottesloe)

2008 State Player of the Year Under 20 Angus neilson (Associates)

Champion Club nedlands

2008 PG Hampshire Award Ryan tyrrell (Rockingham)

laurie de la Hunty trophy Most Improved

player 2008 – Brent Murphy

(perth Bayswater)

2008 Women’s State player of the Year – Debby Hodgkinson

(Cottesloe)

2008 pG Hampshire Award –

Ryan tyrrell (Rockingham)

2008 RugbyWA Coach of the Year Award – paul King (Kalamunda)

life Membership – John Green (Arks)

Aranmore – 2008 John Welborn Cup Champions


Development

In 2008 the development department once again saw a high turnover of staff, with two development officers moving on and our development manager moving into the commercial services department of RugbyWA. naturally this disruption ensured difficult and trying conditions; however we were able to achieve many positives including an increase in junior playing numbers and the establishment of two junior clubs in Busselton and Albany.

the season began in a hectic manner with our development staff conducting the Smarter than Smoking Kick Start clinics in every junior club. the coaches and players were given expert tuition and demonstrations on best practice playing and coaching techniques, and feedback from all clubs was very positive.

on the schools front, our development team were kept very busy running our sampling programmes and achieved fantastic results in this area. the table below gives a comparative indication from 2007 to 2008 – these increases are a direct result of the hard work put in by the development team and the teachers they dealt with.

Primary rugby sampling – participation summary

Irregular rugby Regular rugby

2007 2433 1592

2008 3527 2913

the Smarter than Smoking CSC competition for high schools was not as successful as previous seasons. the unfortunate situation of industrial action between the teachers and the state government meant that many teachers were unavailable to coach their respective teams. this led to a reduction in the number of teams entering the competition. Subsequent meetings with teachers indicate that 2009 will see most of these schools, and a few new ones, returning to compete in the Smarter than Smoking CSC competitions.

looking forward, the development department will remain committed to maintaining our school-based programmes, but plan to place greater emphasis on servicing players and coaches within our junior clubs. this will involve regular visits to the junior clubs on training nights with a focus on coach education.

State 15s

the management team consisted of Andy Cole (Head Coach), neil Zaltsman (Assistant Coach), Geoff o’Day (Manager) and Jp Caneiro (physio).

Game 1 vs Easts Rugby Club U15s

Sunday 28 September 2008

easts Rugby Club, Brisbane

team: 1 Mason Maloney 2 Richard Cooper 3 Scott tolmie 4 Kevin Bush 5 tom o’Day 6 Cory Garner 7 Matt Monteath 8 ephrim Aumua 9 ethan Carlisle 10 Antini Brown 11 nick Wolman 12 John McCabe 13 lane Mitchell 14 Daniel long 15 Iasiah Rehutai 16 Klay Wikaira 17 James Milligan 18 Cole peppiatt 19 Dylan Ainsworth 20 Adrian Shanahan 21 Connor McDougall 22 Josh Wheeler 23 Scott nichol

Result: WA 22 def Easts 0

Scorers: Cory Garner, ethan Carlisle, Adrian Shanahan try; John McCabe 2 conversions, 1 penalty

Game 2 vs BJRU U15 Rep Side

tuesday 30 September 2008

easts Rugby Club, Brisbane

team: 1 Mason Maloney 2 Richard Cooper 3 Scott tolmie 4 Kevin Bush 5 tom o’Day 6 Dylan Ainsworth 7 Matt Monteath 8 ephrim Aumua 9 ethan Carlisle 10 Kyle Godwin 11 Cole peppiatt 12 John McCabe 13 Daniel long 14 James Milligan 15 nick Wolman 16 Connor McDougall 17 Cory Garner 18 Adrian Shanahan 19 lane Mitchell 20 Scott nichol 21 Klay Wikaira 22 Iasiah Rehutai 23 Josh Wheeler

Result: BJRU 15s 17 def WA 10

Scorers: Mason Maloney try, John McCabe conversion, penalty

Game 3 vs Gordon Rugby Club U15s

Saturday 4 october 2008

Rugby park, Floreat

team: 1 Mason Maloney 2 Richard Cooper 3 Scott tolmie 4 Kevin Bush 5 tom o’Day 6 Dylan Ainsworth 7 Matt Monteath 8 ephrim Aumua 9 ethan Carlisle 10 Kyle Godwin 11 Cole peppiatt 12 John McCabe 13 Daniel long 14 James Milligan 15 nick Wolman 16 Connor McDougall 17 Cory Garner 18 Adrian Shanahan 19 lane Mitchell 20 Scott nichol 21 Klay Wikaira 22 Iasiah Rehutai 23 Josh Wheeler

Result: Gordon 15s 40 def WA Nil

State 16s

the management team for 2008 consisted of Brendon loag (Coach), Matt tink & Dwayne nestor (Assistant Coaches), Jp Canerio & Anita McCrystal (physios) and Ross Dopson (Manager).

the jerseys were presented as follows:

1 todd Wilcox 2 tristan Ashford 3 oliver Hoskins 4 lachlan Valentine 5 Hayden Croghan 6 Manasseh Gudgeon 7 liam Burley 8 nathan oakley 9 Shaun Baker 10 Kyle Godwin 11 Jack Dawson 12 Jordan Smith 13 Curtis Rona 14 Jordan Simi 15 Stephan Blair 16 nick Corsbie 17 Samual Smith 18 Christopher Johnson 19 Bryan lush 20 James

eliaschewsky 21 Jerome Rameka 22 lachlan Burgess 23 Shaun taggart

Match results were as follows:

Game 1 v Sydney Juniors loss 7 to 22

Game 2 v ACt loss 3 to 6

Game 3 v Victoria Win 13 to 12

tristan Ashford received the Best team Man award for WA at the championships this year. tristan was a unanimous choice among the management of the team.

State Schoolboys

the Division II national Championships were held at Geelong Grammar 29 June – 4 July. the WA team came runners-up behind Victoria.

the coaching and management team consisted of Stephen Montgomery, Mercy College (Head Coach), Dwayne Grace, Aranmore College (Assistant Coach), omar Haji (Manager) and Cameron Stevens (physio).

the WA State Schoolboys for 2008 were Andrew Carson, Mark Cornell, Michael D’Adamo, lorenzo De Villiers, Kyle Godwin, trent Griffin, Daniel Griffiths, Ben Hales, Michael loubser, Ryan louwrens, Coree Mahu, ed Melville, Darryl Mitchell, Michael parker, Michael pollastri, Alex Rovira, tom Santangelli, Zac Silulu, Reggie Simpson, Sheldon tawara, Heremaia te Aute, Justin turner and Ben Yeates.

Game 1 – Saturday

WA 44 def SA 6

tries: Kyle Godwin 2; Heremaia te Aute, Michael parker, Coree Mahu, ed Melville, Ben Hales, Mark Cornell 1

Conversions: Darryl Mitchell 2

Game 2 (non-comp) – Sunday

WA 47 def NT 3

tries: Michael pollastri, Heremaia te Aute 2; Michael parker, lorenzo De Villiers, trent Griffin 1

Conversions: Darryl Mitchell 6

Game 3 – Tuesday

WA 30 def Lloyd McDermott 0

tries: Dan Griffiths, trent Griffin, Justin turner, Michael parker, Michael pollastri, Michael loubser

Final – Thursday

Victoria 29 def WA 14

try: Dan Griffiths

penalties: Darryl Mitchell 3

nine members of the WA Schoolboys side were named in the Combined States side for the Division I national championships – Michael D’Adamo, Ben Hales, Michael loubser, Darryl Mitchell, Michael parker, Alex Rovira, Reggie Simpson, Heremaia te Aute and Justin turner. Further, Justin turner was selected in the Australian Schoolboys who played Fiji and Ben Hales and Alex Rovira were selected in Australia A.

Junior Academy

RugbyWA have restructured the Junior Academy concept from 2007 to fall in line with the ntS programme and Senior Academy. the Junior Academy is made up of 30 players from 14-17 years of age. they train three afternoons a week, incorporating a strength and conditioning programme along with core skills. Most of the sessions are held at notre Dame university, Fremantle and eCu Joondalup with sports science assistance from both of these universities. It started in october and will phase out next year as the players enter each of the respective representative programmes.

the Junior Academy consists of Chance peni, Cory Garner, Daniel long, ephrim Aumua, Hayden Croghan, Isaiah Rehutai, James Farr, Jared lamatoa, Kevin Bush, levi Aumua, lukas Birch, nick Sardinha, philip Shedlbauer, Richard Cooper, Scott tolmie, Steve Komene, todd Wilcox, Adrian Shanahan, Curtis Rona, ethan Carlisle, Jerome Rameka, Kane Koteka, Keagan Smith, liam Burley, luke Burton, Matt Monteath, Rick le Roux, Ross Haylett-petty, Sam Smith and tom o’Day.

National Talent Squad

the ntS recommenced in october with the new induction of players. It will continue throughout the year with an intensive S & C programme as well as skills linking with the Senior Academy.

the squad consists of tristan Ashford, Antini Brown, Mark Cornell, Jack Dawson, Kyle Godwin, ollie Hoskins, Chris Johnson, Ryan louwrens, John McCabe, nathan oakley, Jordan Simi, Jordan Smith, Bruce Smith-Wright and lachie Valentine.

Dwayne Nestor

Junior Elite Coach & NTS/Academy


Finance Report

From a financial perspective, our third year as a Super 14 franchise was always going to be one where stakeholders would expect consolidation of the overwhelming initial support experienced by this organisation. on-field success of the emirates Western Force is what drives our financial results; this directly impacts on our memberships, game day attendances and

sponsorship support. nevertheless, whilst we did not reach the finals this year, our financial management was able to deliver a strong result of $851,913.

this result was achieved despite the increasing costs of running a professional rugby programme. With the axing of the Australian rugby championships from the programme, it was important that we provided high level rugby for the development of our team; this was achieved with the funding of a tour to the uK during July/August.

our significant investment into grass roots rugby still remains high at $1.3m; this has enabled us to remain focused on growing rugby and growing Wallabies in Western Australia.

previously our It function was out-sourced; during 2008 we decided to bring this function in-house. this has resulted in a much higher level of It support across the organisation. Further, our It department has been working closely with the ARu during 2008 on a shared services model that will take our It infrastructure to an even higher level.

Whilst our financial results weigh heavily on our team results, we are very aware that our stakeholders want to view rugby in a rectangular arena and it is important that we remain committed to delivering this. the financial impact in 2009 of playing in a non-rugby venue, together with the current global financial situation, will be significant. It is important that we continue to manage our costs during these uncertain times whilst still providing the support to all of the departments within RugbyWA and helping them to achieve their goals.

Finally I would like to acknowledge my very hard-working team Dan, Madeline and Damian; I really appreciate your continued support, thank you.

Maryanne Wilson Chief Financial Officer


REVIEW OF OPERATIONSthe operating surplus for the financial year was $851,913. (2007: $966,131).Detailed commentary on the Association’s operations are included in the Chairman’s Report, Chief executive officer’s report and the Chief Financial officer’s report included in the 2008 Annual Report.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS AND RESULTSlikely developments in the operations of the Association and the expected results of those operations in future financial years have not been included in this report as the inclusion of such information is likely to result in unreasonable prejudice to the association.

CORPORATE INFORMATIONthe financial report of Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) for the year ended 31 December 2008 was authorised for issue in accordance with a resolution of the board members on 16 February 2009.

Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) is an Association that is incorporated and domiciled in Australia.

the registered office of Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) is located at:Meagher DriveFloReAt WA 6014

the nature of the operations and principal activities of the Association are described in the Director’s Report.

the entity employed 78 employees as of 31 December 2008 (2007: 79 employees).

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE BALANCE DATEthere have been no material events after balance date that are required to be disclosed.

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION AND PERFORMANCEthe association is not subject to any particular or significant environmental regulation.

Signed in accordance with a resolution of the members of the Board.

Geoffrey Stooke OAMDated: 16 February 2009perth

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.)DIRECTOR’S REPORT

Your board members submit the financial report of the Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) (“RugbyWA” or “the Association”) for the year ended 31 December 2008.

BOARD MEMBERSthe names of the board members throughout the year and at the date of this report are:

Geoffrey Stooke oAM: ChairmanAnthony Harvey: presidentterry Bradbury Charles Fear Appointed May 2008Steve FinkDavid RedpathRussell perryVern ReidBrent StewartRobert Viol Resigned April 2008John Welborn

ExECUTIVESMitchell Hardy - (Acting) Chief executive officer January to April 2008Greg Harris - Chief executive officer Appointed April 2008Maryanne Wilson - Chief Financial officer

BOARD MEETINGSthe number of board meetings held and the number of meetings attended by each of the board members during the financial year are:

Board Meetings

A B

Geoffrey Stooke oAM: Chairman 12 12Anthony Harvey: president - non-executive 10 12terry Bradbury - non-executive 12 12Charles Fear - non-executive 7 8Steve Fink - non-executive 11 12David Redpath - non-executive 11 12Russell perry - non-executive 12 12Vern Reid - non-executive 11 12Brent Stewart - non-executive 5 12Robert Viol - non-executive 2 4John Welborn - player Representative 10 12 Mitchell Hardy - (Acting) Chief executive officer 4 4Greg Harris - Chief executive officer 6 8Maryanne Wilson - Chief Financial officer 12 12

A - number of meetings attendedB - Reflects the number of meetings held during the time the Board member held office during the year.

REMUNERATIONnon-executive directors do not receive remuneration from the Association.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIESthe principal activities of the Association during the financial year were the operation and management of Rugby union development in Western Australia.

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE STATE OF AFFAIRSthere have been no significant changes in the state of affairs.

Financial Report


WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.)INCOME STATEMENTYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2008

note 2008 2007 $ $

REVENUE FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS 2 20,463,265 22,457,901

OPERATING ExPENDITURE 3

Marketing and membership expenses (2,852,575) (3,379,244)

Sponsorship and event expenses (4,079,273) (4,927,137)

Media services expenses (277,736) (224,925)

Community rugby expenses (1,365,176) (1,410,768)

professional rugby expenses (8,312,267) (8,059,738)

Corporate services expenses (2,724,325) (3,489,958)

NET SURPLUS 12 851,913 966,131

the accompanying notes form part of this financial report.

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.)BALANCE SHEETAT 31 DECEMBER 2008

note 2008 2007

$ $

CURRENT ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents 4 7,715,898 8,361,636

trade and other receivables 5 427,466 530,906

Inventory 6 14,110 27,320

other current assets 7 362,454 622,401

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 8,519,928 9,542,263

NON-CURRENT ASSETS

property, plant and equipment 8 259,557 320,880

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 259,557 320,880

TOTAL ASSETS 8,779,485 9,863,143

CURRENT LIABILITIES

trade and other payables 9 917,639 1,173,321

unearned revenue 10 5,423,639 7,027,383

employee entitlements 11 201,839 144,932

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 6,543,117 8,345,636

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

employee entitlements 11 82,042 215,095

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 82,042 215,095

TOTAL LIABILITIES 6,625,159 8,560,731

NET ASSETS 2,154,326 1,302,412

MEMBERS’ FUNDS

Accumulated surplus 12 2,154,325 1,302,412

2,154,325 1,302,412

the accompanying notes form part of this financial report.


WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.)CASH FLOW STATEMENTYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2008

note 2008 2007 $ $

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

Receipts from members and sponsors 15,183,250 16,697,618 operating grants received 4,810,000 5,025,988 payments to suppliers and employees (20,160,556) (20,932,251)Interest received 470,014 503,247 GSt paid (863,309) (997,590)

Net cash from operating activities 13 (560,601) 297,012

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

purchase of property, plant and equipment (91,483) (33,222)

Net cash from/(used in) investing activities (91,483) (33,222)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

Repayment of borrowings – (720,000)

Net cash from/(used in) financing activities – (720,000)

net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (645,738) (456,210)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 8,361,636 8,817,846

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 4 7,715,898 8,361,636

2008 2007 $ $

Net Surplus directly in members’ fund balances – –

Surplus for the year 851,913 966,131

total recognised income and expenses for the year 851,913 966,131

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.)STATEMENT OF RECOGNISED INCOME AND ExPENSESYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2008

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.)NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THEYEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2008

NOTE 1: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES(a) Basis of Preparationthis financial report is a general purpose financial report, which has been prepared in accordance with the financial reporting requirements of the Associations Incorporation Act of Western Australia and Australian Accounting Standards. the financial report has also been prepared on a historical cost basis. the financial report is presented in Australian dollars.

(b) Statement of Compliancethe financial report complies with Australian Accounting Standards as issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.

new and amended applicable Australian Accounting Standards and Interpretations that have recently been issued or amended but are not yet effective have not been adopted by the association for the annual reporting period ended 31 December 2008 and are outlined in the table below.

Reference Title Summary Application Impact on Application date of Association date for standard* report Association

AASB 101 presentation of Financial Introduces a Statement of 1 Jan-09 these amendments 1 Jan-09 (Revised) Statements and comprehensive income. are only expected and AASB consequential amendments other revisions include to affect the 2007-8 to other Australian impacts on the presentation presentation of the Accounting Standards of items in the statement Group’s financial of changes in equity, new report and will not presentation requirements have a direct impact for restatements or on the measurement reclassifications of items and recognition of in the financial statements, amounts disclosed changes in the presentation in the financial requirements for dividends report. the Group and changes to the titles has not determined of the financial statements. at this stage whether to present a single statement of comprehensive income or two separate statements.

AASB 2008-6 Improvements to IFRSs the improvements project 1 January 2009 the Group has not 01-Jan-09 Amendments is an annual project that except for yet determined the to Australian provides a mechanism for amendments to extent of the impact Accounting making non-urgent, but IFRS 5, which of the amendments, Standards necessary, amendments to are effective if any. arising from IFRSs. the IASB has from 1 July 2009. the annual separated the amendments improvements into two parts: part 1 deals project with changes the IASB [AASB1 & identified resulting in AASB5] accounting changes; part II deals with either terminology or editorial amendments that the IASB believes will have minimal impact.

* Application date is for the annual reporting periods beginning on or after the date shown in the above table.



(c) Significant accounting judgments, estimates and assumptionsthe carrying amount of certain assets is often determined based on estimates and assumptions of future events.the key estimates and assumption that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amountsof certain assets and liabilities within the next annual reporting period are:

Impairment of property, plant and equipmentthe association determines whether property, plant and equipment are impaired at least on an annual basis.this requires an estimation of the recoverable amount to which the property, plant and equipment are allocated.

Annual leaveliabilities for annual leave expected to be settled within twelve months of the reporting date are recognised in provisions in respect of employees’ services up to the reporting date. they are measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled.

Long service leaveA liability for long service leave is recognised, and is measured as the present value of expected future payments tobe made in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date. Consideration is given to expectedfuture wages and salary levels, experience of employee departures and periods of service. expected future paymentsare discounted using market yields at the reporting date on national government bonds with terms to maturity and currencies that match, as closely as possible, the estimated future cash outflows.

(d) Revenue RecognitionRevenue is recognised to the extent that it is probable that the economic benefits will flow to the Association and revenue can be reliably measured. the following specific recognition criteria must also be met before revenue is recognised.

Rendering of ServicesWhere the contract outcomes can be reliably measured:– control of a right to be compensated for the services has been attained and the stage of completion can be reliably

measured. For membership subscription, stage of completion is measured by reference to matches played and costs incurred. For sponsorship revenue, stage of completion is measured by reference to periods fulfilled as a percentage of total sponsorship periods.

Where the contract cannot be reliably measured:– revenue is recognised only to the extent that costs have been incurred.

InterestRevenue is recognised as interest accrues using the effective interest method. this is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a financial asset and allocating the interest income over the relevant period using effective interestrate, which is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts through the expected life of the financialasset to the net carrying amount of the financial asset.

Sale of GoodsRevenue is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods have passed to the buyer and the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably. Risks and rewardsof ownership are considered passed to the buyer at the time of delivery of the goods to the customer.

(e) Cash and cash equivalentsCash and short-term deposits in the balance sheet comprise cash at bank and in hand and short term deposits with an original maturity of three months or less.

For the purpose of the Cash Flow Statement, cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and cash equivalents as defined above, net of outstanding bank overdrafts.

(f) Trade and other receivablestrade receivable which generally have 30-90 days terms, are recognised and carried at original invoice amount less an allowance for uncollectible amounts.

(f) Trade and other receivables (cont.)Collectibility of trade receivables is reviewed on an ongoing basis at an operating unit level. Individual debts that are known to be uncollectable are written off when identified. An impairment provision is recognised when there is objective evidence that the Association will not be able to collect the receivable. Financial difficulties of the debtor, default payments or debts more than 60 days overdue are considered objective evidence of impairment. the amount of the impairment loss is the receivable carrying amount compared to the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at the original effective interest rate.

(g) Income Taxthe Association is a body in accordance with s50-45 of the Income tax Assessments Act (1997) which exempts sporting clubs from income tax.

(h) Other taxesRevenue, expenses and assets are recognised net of the amount of GSt except:– When the GSt incurred on a purchase of goods and services is not recoverable from the taxation authority, in which

case the GSt is recognised as part of the cost of acquisition of the asset or as part of the expense item as applicable; and

– Receivables and payables, which are stated with the amount of GSt included.the net amount of GSt recoverable from, or payable to, the taxation authority is included as part of receivables or payables in the balance sheet.

Cash flows are included in the Cash Flow Statement on a gross basis and the GSt component of cash flows arising from investing and financing activities, which is recoverable from, or payable to, the taxation authority, are classified as operating cash flows.

Commitments and contingencies are disclosed net of the amount of GSt recoverable from, or payable to the taxation authority.

(i) Property, Plant and Equipmentplant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the specific assets as follows:-

2008 2007Furniture and fittings 2 to 10 years 2 to 10 yearsleasehold improvements the lease term the lease termMotor vehicles 7 years 7 yearsplant and equipment 2 to 15 years 2 to 15 yearsWebsite infrastructure 3 years 3 years

the assets’ residual values, useful lives and amortisation methods are reviewed and adjusted if appropriate, at each financial year end.

(i) ImpairmentAssets that are subject to amortisation are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the asset’s carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. the recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use.

(ii) Derecognition and disposalsAn item of property, plant and equipment is derecognised upon disposal or when no further future economic benefits are expected from its use or disposal.

Any gain or loss arising on derecognition of the asset (calculated as the difference between the net disposal proceeds and the carrying amount of the asset) is included in profit or loss in the year the asset is derecognised.




(j) Impairment of AssetsAssets that are subject to amortisation are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the asset’s carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. the recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and value in use.

(k) Trade and Other Payablestrade payables and other payables are carried at amortized cost and represent liabilities for goods and services provided to the Association prior to the end of the financial year that are unpaid and arise when the Association becomes obliged to make future payments in respect of the purchase of these goods and services. the amounts are unsecured and are usually paid within 30 days of recognition.

(l) Provisionsprovisions are recognised when the economic entity has a legal or constructive obligation to make a future sacrifice of economic benefits to other entities as a result of past transactions or other past events, it is probable that a future sacrifice of economic benefit will be required and a reliable estimate can be made of the amounts of the obligations.

When the Association expects some or all of a provision to be reimbursed, for an example an insurance contract, the reimbursement is recognised as a separate asset but only when the reimbursement is virtually certain. the expense relating to any provision is presented in the income statement net of any reimbursement.

If the effect of the time value of money is material, provisions are discounted using a current pre-tax rate that reflects the risks specific to the liability.

When discounting is used, the increase in the provision due to the passage of time is recognised as a borrowing cost.

(m) Employee leave benefits

(i) Wages, salaries, annual leave and sick leaveliabilities for wages and salaries, including non-monetary benefits and annual leave expected to be settled within 12 months of the reporting date are recognised in other payables in respect of employees’ services up to the reporting date.they are measured at the amounts expected to be paid when the liabilities are settled.

(ii) Long service leavethe liability for long service leave is recognised and measured as the present value of expected future payments made to be in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date using the projected unit credit method. Consideration is given to expected future wages and salary levels, experience of employee departures, and periods of service. expected future payments are discounted using market yields at the reporting date on national government bonds with terms to maturity and currencies that match, as closely as possible, the estimated future cash outflows.

(n) Leasesthe determination of whether an arrangement is or contains a lease is based on the substance of the arrangement and requires an assessment of whether the fulfilment of the arrangement is dependent on the use of a specific asset or assets and the arrangement conveys a right to use the asset.

(i) Group as LesseeFinance leases, which transfer to the Association substantially all the risks and benefits incidental to ownership of the leased item, are capitalised at the inception of the lease at the fair value of the leased asset or, if lower, at the present value of the minimum lease payments. lease payments are apportioned between the finance charges and the reduction of the lease liability so as to achieve a constant rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability. Finance charges are recognised as an expense in profit and loss.

Capitalised leased assets are depreciated over the shorter of the estimated useful life of the asset and the lease term if there is no reasonable certainty that the Association will obtain ownership by the end of the lease term.

operating lease payments are recognised as an expense in the income statement on a straight-line basis over the lease term. lease incentives are recognised in the income statement as an integral part of the total lease expense.


2008 2007 $ $

NOTE 2: REVENUEMemberships and marketing 10,129,008 11,469,191 Sponsorship and events 4,701,544 5,207,765 Community rugby 622,285 572,355 professional rugby 4,497,392 4,542,369 Corporate services 513,036 666,221

20,463,265 22,457,901

NOTE 3: ExPENDITUREBad debt expenseBad debt expense (i) 400,000 –

400,000 – Allowance for doubtful debtAllowance for doubtful debt 100,000 –

100,000 – Finance costsBank charges 97,687 107,453 Interest - 91,119

97,687 198,572

Depreciation expenseDepreciation 146,459 183,534

146,459 183,534

Employee benefits expenseWages and salaries 7,513,488 7,640,807 Superannuation 612,692 571,171

8,126,180 8,211,978

(i) Bad debt expense relates to sponsorship with Firepower operations pty limited

NOTE 4: CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTSCash at bank (i) 207,291 313,832 term deposits (ii) 7,508,607 8,047,804

7,715,898 8,361,636 (i) Cash at bank earns interest at floating rates based on daily bank deposit rates.(ii) Short-term deposits are made for varying periods of between 30 days tothree months, depending on the immediate cash requirements of the associationand earn interest at the respective short-term deposit rates.

NOTE 5: TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLEStrade debtors (i) 527,466 530,906 Allowance for doubtful debt (100,000) -

427,466 530,906 (i) trade receivables are non-interest bearing and are generally on 30-90 dayterms. An allowance for doubtful debts is made when there is objectiveevidence that a trade receivable is impaired. An allowance for doubtful debtof $100,000 (2007: $0) has been recognised by the Association in the current year.

As at 31 December 2008 $171,290 (32%) of trade receivables was greater than90 days compared to $247,493 (27%) at 31 December 2007. payment terms on these amounts have not been re-negotiated. However amounts thatare for hospitality will have access withheld until payment is received.




2008 2007 $ $

NOTE 6: INVENTORIESAt cost 14,110 27,320

14,110 27,320

NOTE 7: OTHER CURRENT ASSETSDeferred costs 268,891 483,988 prepayments 93,563 135,205 other - 3,208

362,454 622,401

NOTE 8: PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENTleasehold improvements - cost 166,474 166,474 less accumulated depreciation (164,017) (130,684)

2,457 35,790

plant and equipment - cost 603,934 564,930 less accumulated depreciation (411,298) (342,889)

192,636 222,041

Furniture and fittings - cost 13,996 210,519 less accumulated depreciation (8,879) (202,603)

5,117 7,916

Website infrastructure - cost 35,310 35,310 less accumulated depreciation (24,517) (12,833)

10,793 22,477

leased plant and equipment - cost 58,596 58,596 less accumulated depreciation (53,429) (38,152)

5,167 20,444

Motor vehicles 41,150 41,150 less accumulated depreciation (31,530) (28,938)

9,620 12,212

Construction work-in-progress 33,767 –

Total property plant and equipment 259,557 320,880

Reconciliationsleasehold improvements Carrying amount at beginning of year 35,790 70,580 Additions - 4,035 Depreciation (33,333) (38,825)

Carrying amount at end of year 2,457 35,790

2008 2007

NOTE 8: PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (cont.) $ $ plant and equipmentCarrying amount at beginning of year 222,041 303,484 Additions 57,715 29,187 Disposals (6,352) (970)Depreciation (80,768) (109,660)Carrying amount at end of year 192,636 222,041

Furniture and fittingsCarrying amount at beginning of year 7,916 10,715 Depreciation (2,799) (2,799)Carrying amount at end of year 5,117 7,916

Website infrastructureCarrying amount at beginning of year 22,477 34,129Depreciation (11,684) (11,652)Carrying amount at end of year 10,793 22,477

leased plant and equipment Carrying amount at beginning of year 20,444 58,596Depreciation (15,277) (38,152)Carrying amount at end of year 5,167 20,444

Motor vehicles Carrying amount at beginning of year 12,212 17,573Depreciation (2,592) (5,361)Carrying amount at end of year 9,620 12,212

Total property plant and equipment 225,790 320,880

NOTE 9: TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLEStrade payables (i) 552,895 517,857other payables (ii) 364,744 655,464 917,639 1,173,321

(i) trade payables are non-interest bearing and are normally settled on30 day terms.(ii) other payables are non-trade payables, are non-interest bearing and havean average term of one month.

NOTE 10: UNEARNED REVENUEunearned membership revenue 3,063,519 3,901,777 unearned corporate hospitality revenue 2,298,152 3,006,443 unearned sponsorship/event revenue 61,968 119,163 5,423,639 7,027,383

NOTE 11: EMPLOYEE ENTITLEMENTSCurrentemployee entitlements 201,839 144,932 201,839 144,932

Non currentemployee entitlements 82,042 215,095 82,042 215,095




2008 2007 $ $

NOTE 12: MEMBERS’ FUNDSAccumulated surplus/(deficit) Balance at beginning of year 1,302,412 336,281 Add: Surplus for the year 851,913 966,131

Balance at end of year 2,154,325 1,302,412

NOTE 13: CASH FLOW STATEMENT RECONCILIATIONReconciliation of surplus to net cash provided by operating activities

Net surplus for the period 851,913 966,131

Add/(less) non-cash items:

Depreciation 146,459 183,534 loss on disposal of assets – –

Before change in assets and liabilities 998,372 1,149,665

Change in assets and liabilities during the financial period (Increase) / decrease in receivables 103,440 (231,049)(Increase) / decrease in other current assets 259,948 17,890 (Increase) / decrease in inventories 13,210 717 Increase / (decrease) in unearned revenue (1,603,744) (866,919)Increase / (decrease) in payables (255,681) 118,187 Increase / (decrease) in employee entitlements (76,146) 108,521

Net cash provided by operating activities (560,601) 297,012

NOTE 14: SEGMENT INFORMATIONthe Association operates solely within the Sporting Industry of Australia.

NOTE 15: ExPENDITURE COMMITMENTSthere are no expenditure commitments for the year ended 31 December 2008.

NOTE 16: RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

Members of the Boardthe names of each person holding the position of Board Member of the Association during the financial year were:

G Stooke (Chairman), t Bradbury, C Fear, S Fink, t Harvey, R perry, D Redpath, V Reid, B Stewart, R Viol, J Welborn

The following related party transactions occurred during the year – consulting fees totalling $53,856 has been paid to terry Bradbury.– market research costs totalling $73,040 have been paid to Synovate pty ltd, Brent Stewart is the chairman and chief executive of Synovate pty ltd.

Terms and conditions of transactions with related parties Sales to and purchases from related parties are made in arms length transactions both at normal market prices and on normal commercial terms.

2008 2007 $ $

NOTE 17: KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL DISCLOSURES

(i) Details of Key Management PersonnelKey management personnel of the association during the financial year were:

M earsman, M Hardy, G Harris, n Horrocks, S lee, J Mitchell, M tink, M Wilson

total income paid or payable including termination payments, or otherwise made available to all key management personnel of Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) in respect of the management of the affairs of the association. 1,114,255 1,258,747

there have been no transactions and balances with key management personnel and their related parties during the year.

NOTE 18: REMUNERATION OF AUDITORS

the auditor of Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) is ernst & Young

Amounts received or due and receivable by Ernst & Young (Australia) for:* an audit or review of the financial report of the entity 32,000 30,000* taxation advice 7,755 27,248

NOTE 19: SUBSEQUENT EVENTSthere have been no significant events occurring after balance date, which may have affected the associations operations or results of their operations or the associations state of affairs.



NOTE 20: FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

the Association’s principal financial instruments comprise receivables, payables, cash and short-term deposits. the Association manages its exposure to key financial risks, including interest rate risk in accordance with the Association’s financial risk management policy. the objective of the policy is to support the delivery of the Association’s financial targets whilst protecting future financial security.

the Association uses different methods to measure and manage different types of risks to which it is exposed. these include

monitoring levels of exposure to interest rate risk and assessments of market forecasts for interest rates. Ageing analyses

and monitoring of specific credit allowances are undertaken to manage credit risk, liquidity risk is monitored through the

development of future rolling cash flow forecasts.

the Board reviews and agrees policies for managing each of these risks as summarised below.

primary responsibility for identification and control of financial risks rests with the Audit and Compliance sub-committee.

the committee reviews and agrees policies for managing each of the risks identified below, including interest rate risk, credit

allowances, and future cash flow forecast projections.

(i) Interest rate risk

the Association has not entered into any interest rate swaps, forward rate agreements, interest rate options or similar

derivatives. the Associated entity’s exposure to interest rate risks together with the effective interest rate for classes of

financial assets and liabilities at balance date is set out below.

(ii) Financial risk management objectives and policies

Details of the significant accounting policies and methods adopted, including the criteria for recognition, the basis of measurement and the basis on which income and expenses are recognised, in respect of each class of financial asset, and financial liability instrument are disclosed in note 1 to the financial statements.

Credit risk exposuresthe Association trades only with recognised, creditworthy third parties. It is the Association’s policy that all customers who wish to trade on credit terms are subject to credit verification procedures.In addition, receivables balances are monitored on an ongoing basis with the result that the Association’s exposure to bad debts is not significant.

Financial instruments Floating interest rate Weighted average effective interest rate

2008 2007 2008 2007 $ $ % %(a) Financial assetsCash 7,715,898 8,361,636 6.398 5.85

Total Financial Assets 7,715,898 8,361,636 - -

the table below details the interest rate sensitivity analyses of the Association at the reporting date, holding all other

variables constant.

Financial instruments Effect On: Effect On:

Profit Equity Profit EquityRisk Variable Sensitivity 2008 2008 2007 2007Interest Rate + 1.0 % 77,782 77,782 78,718 78,718 - 1.0 % (77,782) (77,782) (78,718) (78,718)

Concentration of credit riskthe Association minimises concentrations of credit risk in relation to trade accounts receivable by undertaking transactions with a number of low risk customers. there is no significant concentration of credit risk within the Association and cash held is spread amongst a number of financial institutions to minimise the risk of default of counter parties. Management monitor the credit rating on a monthly basis. policy states that no more than 70% of funds can be held in any one institution even if sponsored by a financial institution.

Commodity Price riskthe Association’s exposure to commodity price risk is minimal.

Foreign Exchange riskthe Association’s exposure to foreign exchange risk is minimal.

Liquidity Riskprudent liquidity risk management implies maintaining sufficient cash to meet commitments as and when they fall due. Management monitors rolling cash flow forecasts to manage liquidity risk. the only financial liabilities of the Association at balance date are trade and other payables. these amounts are unsecured and usually paid within 30 days of recognition.

Maturity analysis of financial assets and liability based on management’s expectation.the risk implied from the values shown in the table below, reflects a balanced view of cash inflows and outflows, trade receivables and trade payables. these assets are considered in the Association’s overall liquity risk. to monitor existing financial assets and liabilities as well as to enable an effective controlling of future risks, Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) has established comprehensive risk reporting commensurate with the size of its activities that reflects expectation of management or expected settlement of financial assets and liabilities.


<6 6-12 1-5 >5 Total Year ended 31 December 2008 months months years years

Financial assetsCash & cash equivalents 7,715,898 – – – 7,715,898trade & other receivables 427,466 – – – 427466

8,143,364 - - - 8,143,364

Financial Liabilitiestrade & other payables 917,639 - - - 917,639

917,639 - - - 917,639


the general purpose financial report has been prepared to satisfy the reporting requirements under the Association’s constitution. the Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.) board has determined that accounting policies adopted are appropriate to meet the needs of the members of the Association. the financial statements have been prepared in accordance with applicable Accounting Standards and other mandatory professional reporting requirements and other statutory requirements.

In our opinion:

(a) the financial statements are drawn up so as to present fairly the Association’s financial position as at 31 December 2008 and its performance as represented by the results of its operations and cashflows for the year ended on that date; and

(b) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Association will be able to pay its debts as and when they become payable.

this declaration is made in accordance with the constitution of Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.)

on behalf of the Board

G StookeChairmanperth, 16 February 2009

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.)DIRECTOR’S DECLARATION


Staff Sponsor Acknowledgements

RugbyWA acknowledges and sincerely thanks the following sponsors for their support and assistance during the 2008 season.

2008 RugbyWA Board

RWA Employees of the year

Graham Cooper Darryl Regan

68 ı RugbyWA 2008 AnnuAl RepoRt

RugbyWA acknowledges and sincerely thanks the following preferred suppliers for their support and assistance during the 2008 season.

AnnuAl RepoRt 2008Western Australian Rugby union (Inc.)

Meagher Drive Floreat

PO Box 146 Floreat WA 6014

Telephone (08) 9383 7714

Fax (08) 9387 2804

www.rugbywa.com.au

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Documents

2008 RugbyWA Annual Report