Rugby Union South Australia held its Annual General Meeting last night, with members electing two new Directors to the Board. We are pleased to welcome Sam Cowan and Chris Seuteni, who will each serve three-year terms as Directors of Rugby Union SA.
Both Sam and Chris bring valuable experience and a strong connection to the rugby community, and we look forward to their contributions as we continue to grow and strengthen the game across South Australia.
We also take this opportunity to thank our outgoing Directors, David Humble and Paul Brown, for their dedicated service and commitment to Rugby Union SA.
David has been a valued member of both the Governance and Finance Committees and has served as a Director since 2022. His thoughtful approach and attention to detail have played an important role in supporting the organisation’s governance standards and financial oversight.
Paul has been a passionate advocate for our Pathways Programs across both junior and senior levels. In addition to his role on the Board since 2021, Paul has contributed directly to our representative programs, including supporting the Black Falcons Men’s program as a Team Manager. His hands-on involvement and commitment to player development have made a lasting impact.
Both David and Paul have provided strong leadership, advocacy, and support across their respective portfolios, helping to shape key areas of the organisation and leaving a positive and lasting legacy. We thank them for their service and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.
In 2025, financial control and procurement discipline were a key focus, and the Board, CEO and Finance Committee worked hard to strengthen forecasting and cost control. The result: a return to a financial surplus of $44,663 for the year ended 31 December 2025. This surplus came through sustainable project budgeting and optimising staff deployment, delivering higher operational output with a net reduction in headcount.
We’ve also worked hard on how we govern. During 2025, key committees were re-established and aligned, including the Audit & Risk Committee and Finance Committee to ensure Rugby Union SA is transparent, accountable, and able to deliver for stakeholders. We also participated in a national sports survey through the Australian Sports Commission and achieved a high maturity rating. Our status as a leading community State Sporting Organisation has duly been supported by the Office of Recreation, Sport and Racing, who have assessed our organisation as high performing in the governance space. We of course will not be resting on our laurels here, and participating in these processes has identified areas we’ll improve further in 2026.
A significant effort has been put into club compliance during the 2025 year, with Club Development being a major focus in that time. The RUSA team has been heavily involved in working with our clubs, and I am pleased to announce that as of May 2026, South Australia is now the only state in Australia with 100% recognised compliance by Rugby Australia. Congratulations to you all for contributing to this impressive achievement.
We extend our sincere thanks to Carl Jones, who served RUSA across more than two decades from 2004 to 2025, and held multiple key roles including Chief Executive Officer. Carl’s contribution has been profound and enduring, with a strong focus on community, participation, and the long-term development of the game, and he played a central role in securing and delivering major events that elevated rugby’s profile in this state.
We should also acknowledge the 10 year service anniversary of Rose Jackson who has dutifully driven several key parts of our business over her decade with RUSA. Rose has not only been one of our longest serving team members, but she is also a nationally recognised Sports Administrator whose efficiency and dedication has been noted by Rugby Australia. We consider ourselves incredibly lucky to have someone the calibre of Rose working with us and congratulate her on this impressive milestone.
Finally, we thank our clubs, volunteers, match officials, coaches, players, Life Members, sponsors, Rugby Australia, and our government partners for your continued support and commitment to rugby in South Australia.
