2009 RugbyWA Annual Report by RugbyWA

Annual Report 2009 Western 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

Annual Report 2009 Western Australian Rugby Union (Inc.)

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

Chairman G M Stooke oAM CitWA

Patron in Chief His excellency Dr Ken Michael AC Governor of Western Australia

Board Members G M Stooke oAM CitWA (Chairman), tJ Bradbury (resigned March ’09), C Fear, S Fink, A Harvey (deceased Sept ‘09), A Howarth (elected March ’09), D Redpath, R perry, R Viol (resigned – April ‘08), V Reid (resigned May ’09), n Sharpe (player nominated, appointed March ’09), B Stewart, J Welborn (resigned March ’09, appointed July ‘09)

Patron Dr D Haultain Vice Patrons the Honourable R C Kucera ApM MlA, the Honourable Senator Chris evans, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

Unstoppable force. We proudly sponsor the Emirates Western Force.

Chief Executive Officer G Harris (Jan-May) V Reid (May -)

Life Members p Bailey, Mrs V Bleakley, tJ Bradbury, Dr D Butcher, p Davies-Moore, Rev R Davis, M Day, S Fink, J Green, B French, e Hall, Dr B Hartley, 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

Secretary M Wilson

President A Harvey (dec Sept 2009)

Auditor ernst & Young

Judiciary Board R todman (Chairman), M Cashman (Deputy Chairman), J Hancock, M Hunt, R Mills, n Cogin, M parker Australian Rugby Union Delegate G M Stooke oAM CitWA

The perfect combination. Emirates and the Western Force Rugby Union team. Always striving for excellence in everything we do. Together we’re raising expectations, in the air and on the field.

Fly Emirates. Keep discovering.

emirates.com/au 400 International awards and over 100 destinations worldwide. For more information visit emirates.com/au, contact your local travel agent or call emirates contact centre on 1300 303 777. Discover frequent flyer benefits at skywards.com EMI2163/A

RugbyWA 2009 AnnuAl RepoRt

Contents

Vale

1 Office Bearers

Mr Tony Harvey (1946 – 2009)

Vale

Chairman

Chief Executive Officer

Commercial Services

10 Human Resources 11 Media 13 Rugby

On the day of the Community Rugby Grand Finals in Perth last year the Western Australian rugby community was shocked to learn of the tragic and sudden passing of the RugbyWA President, Mr Tony Harvey. Tony and his wife Joyce were on a cruise of the South Pacific when he began to feel unwell and passed away in his sleep later that day. Tony moved to Perth from Tasmania in 1973, having previously represented Tasmania as an outside back. He joined the Western Suburbs Club (now Wests Subiaco) and a number of years later became involved in the administration, eventually being President of the club in 1991 and 1992. In 1994 Tony was elected to the WARU Executive Committee (now RugbyWA Board) and remained a member up until his passing. In 1996 Tony was elected as a Vice President of the WARU (now RugbyWA) and in 2001 he was elected President.

Tony was a tireless worker for community rugby and for almost ten years was Chairman of or a member of the WARU/RugbyWA Development Sub Committee. He did an outstanding job in this area and forged close working relationships and friendships with WARU/RugbyWA staff and various other Club and Affiliate Body officials. Tony performed the role of President of RugbyWA with distinction. He was highly respected and well liked by all in the rugby community. During his time as President he was an active member of the Community Rugby Advisory Committee and also played an important role in the establishment of the Emirates Western Force Super 14 Team in Perth. Tony will be greatly missed and his contributions to rugby will be well remembered. Tony is survived by his wife Joyce, children and grandchildren.

14 2009 Investec Super 14 Season Review 29 Community Rugby 30 Grade Tables 32 Affiliated – WAJRU 33 Affiliated – WARURA 34 Affiliated – WASRU 35 Affiliated – WACRU 36 Affiliated – WAWRU 38 Junior Elite 41 Chief Finance Officer 42 Financial Report 64 Sponsor Acknowledgements

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Chairman In opening my 2009 report I must first acknowledge the tragic passing of our President, Mr Tony Harvey. Tony was a tireless worker for rugby in Western Australia and in particular he was a champion of community rugby. In saying this, he was also a passionate supporter of the Emirates Western Force. Tony will be sadly missed. The year 2009 again saw increases in participation and standard at all levels of community rugby in Western Australia. It also saw the improved on field performance of the Emirates Western Force which culminated in the Emirates Western Force winning the Australian ‘grand slam’ of Super 14 matches by defeating the Waratahs, for the first time, the Brumbies and the Reds! Growing elite player talent in Western Australia is a key objective of RugbyWA and this has continued in 2009. David Pocock, Richard Brown and James O’Connor have now established themselves as regulars in the Wallaby squad and they were joined in 2009 by Pek Cowan, Matt Hodgson, Nick Cummins and Josh Valentine. In addition to these players the Emirates Western Force also had in its ranks the following Wallaby squad members: Nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau, Cameron Shepherd, Drew Mitchell and Ryan Cross. Congratulations must also go to Matt Giteau on being awarded the John Eales Medal for 2009 and to Matt Hodgson on being named the Emirates Western Force Best Player in the 2009 Super 14 Competition. The local rugby continues to grow and prosper with the advent of the Emirates Western Force. This year’s KWIK 1st Grade Competition was closely contested with all teams justifying their participation in this grade. Congratulations to Cottesloe RUFC on their excellent win in the KWIK 1st Grade competition particularly as they had to progress from the minor semi final. Congratulations to all other premiership winners and to the PG Hampshire Award winner, David Cloete from the Cottesloe RUFC. Special thanks must also go to the various affiliate bodies of RugbyWA for their participation in and support of rugby in Western Australia. Without their efforts it would not be possible for rugby in Western Australia to develop as it does today. They have a direct involvement in the grass roots of our game and represent the Juniors, Schools, Referees, Country and Women. The RugbyWA Academy continues to provide opportunities for young local and interstate talent to take the first step towards a career as a professional rugby player. Progression from the Academy to the Emirates Western Force squad is difficult but achievable for those that have the talent and the commitment. Local products Kieran Longbottom and Dane Haylett-Petty are now on Emirates Western Force contracts and Justin Turner and Ryan Tyrell, both local products, will be joining the expanded squad in 2010.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

RugbyWA and the Emirates Western Force underwent a number of key structural changes during 2009. Whilst the implementation was challenging at times they will all be in place by the beginning of 2010. The key drivers of the changes were finance and efficiency. Former CEO Greg Harris must be congratulated on his efforts in these areas. In addition to the structural changes the Emirates Western Force farewelled 14 players at the end of the Super 14 Season. We thank these players for their efforts and their contribution to the Emirates Western Force and rugby in Western Australia. The departing players have now been replaced and their replacements include a number of experienced internationals together with some of the most exciting young players in the country. The experienced internationals include: Andre Pretorius, Matt Dunning, Brett Sheehan, Nic Henderson, Mark Bartholomeusz and Tim Fairbrother. Season 2009 saw the Emirates Western Force farewell Subiaco Oval as the team’s home game playing facility. From 2010 the Emirates Western Force will be playing its home games at ME Bank Stadium. Interim improvements have been made to the facility that will see the stadium’s capacity increased to approximately 21,000. This is not ideal however it is seen as a major improvement on the viewing experience for supporters. Also, the Western Australian Government has indicated that it will fund a further upgrade over the next few years to bring the stadium’s capacity to approximately 25,000. Existing members of the Emirates Western Force have been given priority in the allocation of seating at the ME Bank Stadium. Having the ‘sea of blue’ move to a ‘rectangular’ playing facility is an exciting prospect for all involved!

of the Western Australian Government. RugbyWA is very fortunate to have such support and particular mention must be made of the Department of Sport and Recreation and its Minister Mr Terry Waldron and its Director General Mr Ron Alexander. We must also acknowledge the support being provided by the Premier, Mr Colin Barnett, for a major upgrade to ME Bank Stadium. The year 2009 resulted in RugbyWA sustaining a small loss that was comfortably covered by retained earnings. Despite significant reductions in expenditure, the loss of revenue through reduced membership and game attendances could not be fully covered. This result made it even more imperative that the Emirates Western Force home games be moved to ME Bank Stadium.

Let me also welcome Vern Reid to the position of CEO. Vern has a long history in sports administration and has previously been a member of the RugbyWA Board. We wish him all the best in his role as CEO. With an exciting mix of experience, youth and talent, expectations for the Emirates Western Force in 2010 are high. This is further enhanced by the opportunity to watch elite rugby at a ‘rectangular’ playing facility. Local community rugby also looks forward to continuing its growth at all levels. In 2010 RugbyWA will enthusiastically embrace its modified purpose which is to ‘Grow Rugby and Grow Rugby Talent in Western Australia’. Kind regards,

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the RugbyWA Board, management, staff, coaches, players and support staff on their efforts during 2009. I would also like to thank those who departed during the year including Terry Bradbury who served on the RugbyWA Board for over twenty five years and our CEO, Greg Harris, who returned to Sydney at the conclusion of the Super 14 season.

Geoffrey Stooke OAM CitWA Chairman

The design and location of the new administration and training facilities at AK Reserve have been finalised and the Government is providing incentives to have construction completed by the end of 2010. Until the new facilities are available RugbyWA and the Emirates Western Force will remain at Perry Lakes. Whilst difficult financial times have been experienced by most sectors of the community, RugbyWA and the Emirates Western Force continue to enjoy outstanding support from our sponsors and business partners. Special thanks to our naming rights sponsor Emirates (who have re signed for a further three years) and our other major sponsors including ET Mining, TS Marine, MBF, ISC, Volvo and KWIK. Their strong financial support to RugbyWA and the Emirates Western Force greatly assisted RugbyWA to offset its loss of membership and game attendances due to supporters’ reluctance to attend fixtures at Subiaco Oval. Special thanks must also be extended to the Western Australian Government for their ongoing support to RugbyWA and the Emirates Western Force. This support has included direct financial assistance from the Department of Sport and Recreation and Healthway, the development of new administration and training facilities at AK Reserve, assistance with the interim upgrade of ME Bank Stadium and other less obvious assistance through various agencies

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Chief Executive Officer There was again much learned and achieved by RugbyWA in 2009. As an organisation we are diverse in our output from grassroots through to elite football and share one common purpose; to grow our game in Western Australia. Before I continue I would like to acknowledge the tragic passing of our President, Mr Tony Harvey. I was fortunate to have served on the RugbyWA Board with Tony for several years, and witnessed his passion for the game first-hand, especially his contribution to community rugby in the State. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Emirates Western Force and he and his wife Joyce gave great support to our incoming players. There were many highlights for the Emirates Western Force in 2009, both on and off the field. The Emirates Western Force finished eighth on the ladder with six wins, one draw and six losses. No doubt the highlight was our first Australian ‘grand slam’ of local Super 14 teams. We beat the Waratahs for the first time, and the Brumbies (in Canberra) and the Reds in the same season. David Pocock, Richard Brown, James O’Connor, Nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Ryan Cross, Pek Cowan, Matt Hodgson, Nick Cummins and Josh Valentine were selected in Wallabies squads, with Hodgson named as The Emirates Western Force Player of the Year at our Awards Evening. In terms of facilities, we farewelled Subiaco Oval as the team’s home ground and from 2010 home games will be played at ME Bank Stadium. We eagerly await the Western

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Australian Government’s plan to redevelop this site into a new dedicated 25,000 seat rectangular stadium. Tenders have been called for our new administration and training facilities at AK Reserve and we are hopeful that construction will be completed by the end of 2010. This will be greatly welcomed. Numbers in community rugby continued to grow across the board, with a new senior grading system that split Third and Fourth Grades in two proving to be a success. Congratulations to Cottesloe RUFC on its excellent win in the First Grade competition, and to Cottesloe’s flyhalf, David Cloete, this year’s PG Hampshire Award winner for Fairest and Best in the competition. Nedlands RUFC were crowned Club Champions after strong campaigns across all grades. I would like to say a special thanks to the affiliate bodies of RugbyWA – referees, women’s, schools, country and juniors – for their support of rugby in Western Australia. Volunteers are an essential part of the success of our game, and we recognise the terrific job they do on a weekly basis. RugbyWA thanks the outstanding support from our sponsors, which continued their great assistance despite the Global Financial Crisis looming over everyone’s head. Special thanks to Emirates, ET Mining, Volvo, TS Marine, MBF, ISC and Kwik. Their support to RugbyWA and the Emirates Western Force is crucial to our ongoing success, and we look forward to continuing these relationships in the future. I’d like to recognise the contribution of my predecessor, Greg Harris, who provided a strong foundation, in many areas, for us to build on. I’d like to thank my senior managers for their support during the year as I made the adjustment from Board member to CEO, and the entire RugbyWA staff for their dedication to ‘Growing Rugby’ throughout 2009. Vern Reid CEO

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Commercial Services

THIS YEAR THE

HAVE GOT SOME HEALTHY SUPPORT

From a commercial standpoint, 2009 will be remembered as the year the Emirates Western Force played their last game at Subiaco Oval, and set about finding a way to make Perth’s rectangular ME Bank Stadium home. Despite maintaining the highest membership of all Australian provinces for the fourth year running, memberships had still waned. However, the announcement of our stadium move generated a lot of excitement amongst the public at large. This excitement and interest stretched into the corporate sector as well with most of our corporate members staying with us not to mention our new sleeve partner, Volvo Cars Australia, enjoying their first season with us. From a membership and ticketing perspective, the oval stadium configuration continued to be an issue. Members fell away in 2009 at the same rate as previous years, leaving us with approx 11,000 financial members. Ticket sales remained strong but with the drop in members, our average match day crowd also dropped below 20,000 for the first time in the club’s history. The highlight of the season was our ‘Family Day’ held on Good Friday. This was the largest crowd of the year with over 20,000 fans enjoying all of the family friendly precinct activities as the Emirates Western Force took on the Hurricanes. This was the first time our largest crowd of the season was not achieved in Round 1. 2009 also saw RugbyWA partner with two new charities – Ronald McDonald House and The Breast Cancer Foundation of WA. It was our partnership with Breast Cancer that resulted in our ’Ladies Day’ feature match against the Sharks, where our boys donned the bright pink jersey to raise not just awareness of a great cause but to also raise much needed funds. Across all of this charity work in 2009, RugbyWA was able to contribute in excess of $150,000.

in Western Australia were better than other provinces due to the synergies between the two campaigns. Once the 2009 season had come to a close, the planning turned towards 2010. The latter half of the year focused on migrating our members, corporates, sponsors and entire inventory from Subiaco Oval to ME Bank Stadium. This would not have been possible were it not for the support and financial assistance from the State Government and the Town of Vincent, not to mention the tireless work of the Commercial Services Department. With RugbyWA securing a $2million loan from the State Government we set about upgrading the stadium lighting, media facilities, change rooms and replay screen infrastructure as well as installing new corporate suites on the north east bank, a corporate marquee for 500 people, 2000 additional seats and the Force 15 Lounge in the south western corner. In addition to the large scale relocation of our business, the back end of 2009 also saw us renew a number of significant partnerships, including that of our principal and naming rights partner Emirates. Emirates and RugbyWA have enjoyed an extremely productive working relationship and were pleased to announce the continuation of this through till the end of the 2013. Furthermore, we also re-signed MBF, our inaugural shorts partner, for three more years, ISC, our apparel manufacturer as well as finalising a pourage deal with Lion Nathan for three years. 2009 was a testing year for the Commercial Services staff. With our entire business needing to be relocated to a stadium as it was being built, the workload for the Memberships, Events, Partnerships, and Marketing areas was enormous. Without the dedication of these people, the move would not have been possible. For that, I, and the rugby public thank you. Sean Lee General Manager, Commercial Services

With the Global Financial Crisis still having an effect, Corporate Hospitality felt the squeeze for the first time. However, to ensure we were able to cater to the ever changing economic landscape, we launched a new corporate offering – The Clubhouse. A little more relaxed then some of our other offerings, The Clubhouse allowed companies to pick and choose the games and amount of guests to better suit their budgets.

proudly supported by

Whilst ‘Save It For the Game’ had been a largely successful campaign for us over the previous years, in 2009 it was decided that greater synergies could be achieved by working more closely with the ARU to ensure our marketing activities were aligned. As such, RugbyWA set about working with the ARU’s agency (Singleton, Ogilvy & Mather) to develop a campaign for our marketplace that would directly tie in with that of the tournament as a whole, whilst staying true to the brand footprint of the Emirates Western Force. The result was not only one of our most consistent and integrated campaigns but the ARU’s research also showed the results

MBF Australia Pty Limited ABN 81 000 057 590.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Human Resources

Media

2009 was a year of ups and downs at RugbyWA from an HR perspective. On the one hand our voluntary turnover was the lowest that it has been for a number of years which allowed us to gain some real stability in the organisation. On the other hand, as with many organisations, we were affected by the ongoing repercussions of the GFC and as such some positions became redundant and we had no choice but to say a sad goodbye to three of our valued employees who had been with the organisation for a number of years. The organisation acknowledges the hard work and commitment of those affected and wish them all the very best for their next steps.

see this happen. Since the introduction of a dedicated HR function in late 2007, there has been a strong focus on valuing and developing our staff and this is represented in a large number of internal promotions and vacancies being won by internal staff members. RugbyWA sees this as a way to motivate our staff to be the best that they can be and is pleased to provide a strong career path where possible for all our employees.

One of the most significant changes to the organisation in 2009 was the resignation of our former CEO, Greg Harris and the appointment of Vern Reid as his successor. Vern has been a board member for a number of years and therefore already had an excellent understanding of the business and so was able to “hit the ground running”. Vern has had a very positive impact on the morale of the organisation and all at RugbyWA look forward to working with him moving forward. At the same time RugbyWA sincerely thanks Greg for the significant achievements he accomplished in his short time with us.

Strategies This year a number of strategies were introduced to create a better work environment for our staff. These include;

Reward and Recognition This year has seen some small changes to our Reward and Recognition program with the introduction of a “Winner of the Month” scheme. The winners are nominated each month by senior management for something they have done to contribute to the purpose of our business and acknowledged publicly at the monthly staff meeting. This is coupled with a Winners Scoreboard in RugbyWA reception which acknowledges all the wins that our employees make each day in their roles to contribute to the business, no matter how big or small. This rotates frequently.

Professional Review Post 2009 season a comprehensive review was undertaken with the staff and players involved in the Professional Rugby department. The review allowed the organisation to clearly see where we were doing well and where we needed improvement. The results were put into action and many positive changes have occurred resulting in a very exciting department that is looking forward to a positive season ahead.

• A new performance and development system to allow our staff the to set clear targets in a collaborative way with their managers and identify any development needs that we need in order to assist them to get there • Winner of the Month awards and Winners Scoreboard as outlined previously in this report • Fruit at Work for the health and well being of our employees • The facilitation of staff massages for health and well being • An Employee Assistance Program for all staff and players • Lunch time fitness classes (commencing January 2010)

2009 was a transition year for the RugbyWA Media Department, which said farewell to Michael Earsman and welcomed Mark White as its Manager. Mick left an indelible mark on rugby coverage in the west, fostering strong relationships with media across the full spectrum of outlets, as well as increasing exposure on the east coast. His efforts are greatly appreciated, and his larger-than-life personality will not be soon forgotten by RugbyWA staff or WA media. The season went crisis-free from a media perspective, with the departures of Matt Giteau to the Brumbies and Drew Mitchell to the Waratahs providing the most off-field media during the year. Retention and recruitment stories continued throughout 2009, as would be expected with as many as 14 players departing the club. 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 8 pages of coverage on top of general editorial in the sport pages. Our strong relationship with the Sunday Times continued, both from an editorial perspective and through Matt Giteau’s regular column. We also enjoyed 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’ on 6PR, and we had a 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. Channel Ten again led rugby coverage in the state, followed by Fox Sports News, ABC News and Channel Nine News. Channel Ten journalist Caty Price and cameraman Nick Hatherly again joined the team on tour in South Africa, and put excellent packages together for both Ten News and other WA networks. Cambridge Sports Media were once again commissioned to produce RugbyWA’s publications including the Linebreak match programme, season guide and annual report. Greg Paull must be commended for his high-quality work and dedication to turning these publications around in good time. We look forward to continuing our relationship in future years. Photographer Christian Sprogoe continued to produce high quality images for the organisation, and we thank him for his efforts in 2009. Getty Images also provided an excellent service in supplying photos from both home and away games. New relationships with The West Australian and Channel 9 were developed late in 2009 for the 2010 season in the Partnerships area, which bodes well for the organisation’s coverage in those two mediums. RugbyWA Media Team

2010 and beyond The ongoing aim of the HR department is to ensure that RugbyWA has a winning culture that enables all our staff and players to feel valued, included and motivated to contribute to the overall purpose of our organisation. Nicole Horrocks Human Resources Manager

Crispin Roberts

Mark White

Michael Earsman

The Employee of the Year program continues and this year’s winner was Colin Richardson. Colin is the Brand manager for our organisation and a very deserving winner. He did have some very tough competition by the way of the three other nominees which were Haydn Masters, Sport Science Manager, Brendyn Appleby, Strength and Conditioning Coach and Tilly Lloyd-Poole, Junior Competition Coordinator. All nominees are voted for based on how they demonstrate living by our values, how they contribute to a team environment and how they add value to our business and the purpose of RugbyWA. Congratulations to all nominees and of course the winner, Colin. Recruitment We continue to focus on getting the right people for our organisation and follow thorough recruitment processes to

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Rugby The 2009 season was rewarding for the professional rugby program at RugbyWA. Although the Emirates Western Force narrowly missed out on a finals berth, we were right in the mix for the majority of the year and produced some high quality performances. Six wins, one draw and six losses saw the team finish mid-table, but there were many positives. Wins over all three Australian opponents were rewarded with ten players being selected in the June Wallabies squad, including first-timers Pek Cowan and Matt Hodgson. Tai McIsaac became the first man to win 50 caps for the club (week 12) and he retired having played in all 52 games in our first four seasons. Nathan Sharpe will start the 2010 campaign with 49 club caps to his name. Player recruitment was a major area for the department, as 14 squad members from 2009 took their careers elsewhere after the Super Rugby season. We were able to bring in quality players such as Andre Pretorius, Matt Dunning, Tim Fairbrother, Brett Sheehan, Mark Bartholomeusz, Sam Harris and others to finalise our 2010 squad. The west produced more than a dozen players involved at national level, from regular Wallabies such as Nathan Sharpe, David Pocock and Ryan Cross, to U20s representatives Dane Haylett-Petty and Mark Swanepoel, and Australian Schoolboys flyhalf Kyle Godwin. This is further proof that the rugby pathway in WA is well established and headed in the right direction.

Our player group was heavily involved in the community, especially in their work with our aligned charities, the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA and Ronald McDonald House, as well as countless school and junior club visits during the year. This is an area we will seek to build on as we continue to broaden rugby’s grassroots in WA. Changes to the Academy, including the introduction of the Junior Elite Academy, allowed us to focus on a smaller group of talented youngsters giving them a more intensive development programme. Our Academy has provided senior squad members such as Kieran Longbottom and HaylettPetty, and we expect to have a bumper crop of youngsters come through the system in the next three to four years. The successes we have had would not have been achievable without the tireless efforts of Head Coach John Mitchell and his fellow coaches, John Mulvihill, Tom Fearn and Geoff Townsend. John Mulvihill and Tom Fearn decided to move on after the 2009 season, and we thank them for their excellent contributions over the four years they were with RugbyWA. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our terrific Emirates Western Force fans, who have made the four seasons at Subiaco Oval a pleasure for the guys to play in, despite the venue obviously being suited more towards oval codes in terms of its dimensions. We look forward to seeing you at ME Bank Stadium from now on! Mitch Hardy General Manager, Rugby

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Week 1

2009 Investec Super 14 Season Review LEADING POINT SCORERS

THE FINAL

Saturday 30 May, 2009

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Bulls 61 (du Preez 2, Habana 2, Matfield, Olivier, Rossouw, Spies tries; Steyn 5 cons, 2 pens, dg; Francis pen)

Chiefs 17 (Masaga, Muliaina try, Donald 2 cons, pen)

SEMI-FINALS Chiefs 14 defeated Hurricanes 10 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Player

Team

Morne Steyn Stephen Donald Matt Giteau Rory Kockott Jimmy Gopperth Andre Pretorius Stirling Mortlock Willie Ripia Mark Gerrard Daniel Halangahu Peter Grant Jacques-Louis Potgieter Daniel Bowden Willem de Waal Piri Weepu

Bulls Chiefs Force Sharks Blues Lions Brumbies Hurricanes Brumbies Waratahs Stormers Cheetahs Highlanders Stormers Hurricanes

Bulls 36 defeated Crusaders 23 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Team

Bulls Chiefs Hurricanes Crusaders Waratahs Sharks Brumbies Emirates Western Force Blues Stormers Highlanders Lions Reds Cheetahs

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

10 9 9 8 9 8 8 6 5 5 4 4 3 2

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

3 4 4 4 4 5 5 6 8 8 9 9 10 11

338 338 380 231 241 282 311 328 339 235 254 294 258 213

271 236 279 198 212 239 305 275 369 249 269 419 380 341

67 102 101 33 29 43 6 53 -30 -14 -15 -125 -122 -128

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Tries Cons Pens DGs Points 1 3 3 2 4 0 4 1 3 1 2 1 3 2 1

25 32 28 26 24 22 21 21 6 11 12 12 11 7 15

26 17 18 17 12 12 7 11 14 12 9 10 7 9 6

6 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0

151 130 128 116 104 95 83 80 72 63 61 59 58 54 53

LEADING TRY SCORERS

Final Standings

Emirates Western Force v Blues

BP Points 6 9 8 7 5 6 6 10 12 7 10 9 7 4

46 45 44 41 41 38 38 36 32 27 26 25 19 12

Player

Team

Ma’a Nonu Cameron Shepherd Josevata Rokocoko Isaia Toeava Jano Vermaak Lachie Turner Anthony Tuitavake Sitiveni Sivivatu Tamati Ellison Jongi Nokwe Henno Mentz JP Pietersen James O’Connor Scott Staniforth Digby Ioane

Hurricanes Force Blues Blues Lions Waratahs Blues Chiefs Hurricanes Cheetahs Lions Sharks Force Force Reds

Tries 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5

Friday 13 February, 2009 Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions Humid Referee Br yce Lawrence (NZ)

Blues 25 (Lowrey, Collins, Boric, Moa tries; Gopperth con, Williams pen)

Emirates Western Force 19 (Whalley, Mitchell, Hockings tries; Giteau 2 cons) Half time 8-14 Man of the Match Kurtis Haiu (Blues)

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. AJ Whalley 4. Pat O’Connor 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Tamaiti Horua 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Chris O’Young 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Drew Mitchell 12. Josh Tatupu 13. Ryan Cross 14. Haig Sare 15. Cameron Shepherd

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (DNP) 17. Troy Takiari (rep Whalley at 46 mins) 18. Tom Hockings (rep P O’Connor at 50 mins) 19. Matt Hodgson (rep Horua at 52 mins) 20. James O’Connor (rep Cross at 54 mins) 21. Nick Cummins (DNP) 22. Dane Haylett-Petty (DNP)

In three seasons of Super rugby the Emirates Western Force had failed to deliver a win in the opening round. And in 2009, the task of burying that record was made even greater when question marks over the fitness of key players delayed John Mitchell’s team announcement until the night before the match.

Despite the disrupted preparation, the home side kicked away to a 14-3 lead with the most unlikely of try-scorers opening the WA side’s account for the season. Two tries in five minutes, the first to prop AJ Whalley, gave the WA men a 14-8 advantage at the break.

Over 19,000 spectators turned out at Subiaco, hopeful of witnessing the home side post early points against a less-thanexperienced Blues outfit.

A rejuvenated Blues outfit ran out for the second stanza, sparked by an early try to 100-game flanker Justin Collins. The match then completely changed its complexion, with the visitors applying constant lineout pressure and ruling the contest at the breakdown, to post 17 unanswered points and run out comfortable eightpoint victors to continue the WA side’s season-opening curse.

Much heralded off-season acquisition Josh Valentine was ruled out with a hamstring injury, delaying his debut in the ocean blue jersey and handing the scrumhalf duties to Chris O’Young, while Junior Pelesasa became a second eleventh-hour withdrawal from the clash.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Week 2

Week 3

Emirates Western Force v Cheetahs

Emirates Western Force v Brumbies

Friday 20 February, 2009 Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions Hot Referee James Leckie (Aus)

Emirates Western Force 16 (J O’Connor try; Giteau con, 2 pens, dg)

Cheetahs 10 (Demas try; Potgieter con, pen)

Half time 13-7 Man of the Match David Pocock (Force) The heat was on the Emirates Western Force when they returned to Subiaco for the week two clash with the Cheetahs. With the thermometer still hovering above 30 degrees at kick-off, and after a disappointing opening round defeat, the home side was desperate to register their first win and maintain their unbeaten record over the visitors. Coach John Mitchell had rung the changes during the week; calling on a fit Josh Valentine and handing marquee kiwi import Ben Castle the number 3 jersey to make him the 50th player to represent the Emirates Western Force in Super rugby.

Emirates Western Force 1. Gareth Hardy 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Pat O’Connor 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Tamaiti Horua 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Nick Cummins 12. James O’Connor 13. Ryan Cross 14. Haig Sare 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 54 mins) 17. Kieran Longbottom (rep Hardy at 58 mins) 18. Tom Hockings (rep P O’Connor at 65 mins) 19. Matt Hodgson (rep Horua at 52 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (rep Valentine at 75 mins) 21. Josh Tatupu (rep J O’Connor at 55 mins) 22. Scott Staniforth (rep Cummins at 68 mins)

In a dour and often scrappy affair, the dynamic 10-12 combination of Matt Giteau and James O’Connor provided the winning spark, with the Wallabies flyhalf putting his young apprentice over for the WA side’s lone try in the 32nd minute. A pair of penalty goals, a conversion and a masterful drop goal late in the second half from Giteau was enough to seal the win for the home team, but the team’s opening 2009 victory did not come without cost. Prop Gareth Hardy suffering a major knee injury to join a host of names on the sidelines, including regular fullback Cameron Shepherd who had been ruled out of the match with an ankle complaint.

Saturday 28 February, 2009 Canberra Stadium, Canberra

Conditions Hot Referee Matt Goddard (Aus)

Emirates Western Force 25 (Shepherd 3, Brown tries; Giteau con, pen)

Brumbies 16 (Penalty try; Mortlock con, Gerrard 3 pens) Half time 8-9 Man of the Match Cameron Shepherd (Force) The Emirates Western Force took their first step towards securing the ‘Australian slam’ with an outstanding bonus-point victory in the nation’s capital. The return of Cameron Shepherd from an ankle injury paid immediate dividends when the left winger scored the opening try of the game, after being put into a yawning gap by successive cutout passes from Matt Giteau and Ryan Cross. Three first half penalties from Brumbies fullback Mark Gerrard gave the home side a 9-8 advantage at the break, but the champagne rugby from the men in blue flowed after referee Matt Goddard blew time on in the second stanza.

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Tom Hockings 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Cameron Shepherd 12. Junior Pelesasa 13. Ryan Cross 14. Nick Cummins 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 59 mins) 17. Kieran Longbottom (rep Cowan at 66 mins) 18. Richard Stanford (rep Hockings at 78 mins) 19. Tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 54 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (rep Valentine at 78 mins) 21. James O’Connor (DNP) 22. Haig Sare (DNP)

Brown over just seven minutes later to open up 20-9 lead. A penalty try was awarded to the Brumbies after the Force were repeatedly penalized for infringements at the breakdown, cutting the gap to 20-16 with 15 minutes still on the clock. It was left to that man, Shepherd, to seal the victory when he completed another flowing backline move to dive over in the corner to complete his hat-trick. The only sour note on an otherwise glorious night was a shoulder injury sustained by Brown, which would subsequently see him sidelined for the next three matches.

Shepherd crossed for his second try within five minutes of the restart, then a barnstorming run from Junior Pelesasa put Richard

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Week 4

Week 5

Emirates Western Force v Chiefs

Emirates Western Force v Crusaders

Friday 6 March, 2009 Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Conditions Humid, overcast, strong breeze Referee Matt Goddard (Aus)

Chiefs 31 (Masaga, Leonard, Kahui, Messam tries; Donald 4 cons, pen)

Emirates Western Force 13 (Horua try; Giteau con, pen; Shepherd pen) Half time 21-6 Man of the Match Lelia Masaga (Chiefs) The two-week tour of the Shakey Isles began, well, shakily, as the Chiefs put the visitors to the sword in a commanding display that secured the eventual finalists a four-try bonus-point. It was a horror start for the Emirates Western Force, with winger Lelia Masaga exploiting some porous defence to cross for the first try of the night after just 45 seconds. The home side added two more tries before the main break as Brendan Leonard and Richard Kahui joined Masaga as try scorers, while flyhalf Stephen Donald coolly slotted all three conversions. Penalty goals from Giteau and Shepherd kept the margin in check but an almighty effort was required after trailing 21-6 at the break.

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Tom Hockings 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Tamaiti Horua 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Cameron Shepherd 12. Junior Pelesasa 13. Ryan Cross 14. Nick Cummins 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 66 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Cowan at 65 mins) 18. David Pusey (rep Hockings at 52 mins) 19. Richard Stanford (DNP) 20. Chris O’Young (rep Valentine at 43 mins - blood) 21. James O’Connor (rep Pelesasa at 59 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Cummins at 69 mins)

It was an improved performance from the visitors in the second stanza, with Tamaiti Horua crossing for a well-deserved try 16 minutes after the break. Giteau’s subsequent conversion cut the margin to 21-13 and hopes of a comeback sprang eternal. It was not to be, however, as a long range penalty from Donald and a converted try to Chiefs’ back rower Liam Messam sealed the 31-13 win. A head injury to Tai McIsaac with 15 minutes to go was further cause for concern for the Emirates Western Force. The veteran hooker would later prove his fitness and continue his streak of consecutive games played.

Saturday 14 March, 2009 AMI Stadium, Christchurch

Conditions Mild, sunny Referee Marius Jonker (RSA)

Emirates Western Force 23 (Sare, J O’Connor tries; Giteau 2 cons, 3 pens)

Crusaders 23 (Crotty, Bateman, Ross tries; Brett con, 2 pens) Half time 6-20 Man of the Match Matt Giteau (Force) This was the quintessential ‘game of two halves’, as the Crusaders shot out of the blocks only to have a brilliant individual performance from Matt Giteau lift the boys in blue right back into the contest. John Mitchell made five changes to the forward pack after the loss to the Chiefs, with Richard Stanford’s run-on debut forcing Matt Hodgson to the reserves bench, even with Richard Brown absent due to a shoulder complaint.

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. David Pusey 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Richard Stanford 7. David Pocock 8. Tamaiti Horua 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Cameron Shepherd 12. James O’Connor 13. Ryan Cross 14. Nick Cummins 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 69 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 65 mins) 18. Tom Hockings (rep Pusey at 54 mins) 19. Matt Hodgson (rep Stanford at 47 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (DNP) 21. Junior Pelesasa (rep Cummins at 58 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Shepherd at 49 mins)

Giteau followed this up with a second try assist, when his offload in the tackle allowed James O’Connor to cross untouched. The conversion levelled the score. Astonishingly, it was the second time in just four encounters that these two sides had played out a 23-all draw, the first being in 2006 at Subiaco Oval.

The home side jumped out of the blocks, scoring three tries in the first 40 minutes to open up a handy 20-6 lead. Only some wayward goal kicking from Stephen Brett, woes which would continue in the second half, stopped the margin from being larger. Giteau followed his two first half penalties with a renaissance display after the break. After a dazzling break through a swathe of Crusader defenders, the flyhalf fired a cut-out pass to winger Haig Sare, who tip-toed inside the chalk to dot down in the left corner.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Week 6

Week 8

Emirates Western Force v Sharks

Emirates Western Force v Reds

Saturday 21 March, 2009 Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions Warm Referee Br yce Lawrence (NZ)

Sharks 22 (Pietersen, Ndungane, Kockott tries; Kockott 2 cons, Steyn 1 dg)

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

Half time 3-3 Man of the Match Ror y Kockott (Sharks) The WA boys returned to Subiaco Oval after their two-week tour of New Zealand to face the Sharks in what loomed as a mid-season litmus test for both teams.

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Tom Hockings 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Tamaiti Horua 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Drew Mitchell 12. Junior Pelesasa 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. James O’Connor

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 67 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 67 mins) 18. David Pusey (DNP) 19. Richard Stanford (rep Horua at 67 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (rep Valentine at 71 mins) 21. Josh Tatupu (rep O’Connor (at 69 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Mitchell at 67 mins)

Decked out in a delightful shade of pink for the first time (to help raise funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA), the home side could not crack a stern defensive wall while the Sharks took their opportunities with glee. Locked at 3-all at the break, jetlag appeared to kick in moments after the break for the Emirates Western Force. Despite being camped inside their defensive 22m line, the Sharks managed two exceptional break-out tries through wingers Odwa Ndungane and JP Pietersen before the hour mark. A third try, this time to Man-of-the-Match Kockott, gave the visitors an insurmountable 22-3 lead. Veteran winger Scott Staniforth marked his return to the starting XV with a try late in the piece, but the horse had bolted by that stage and it was little more than consolation. In further bad news, Drew Mitchell and James O’Connor were both replaced after suffering thigh and head knocks respectively.

Friday 3 April, 2009 Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions Warm Referee Br yce Lawrence (NZ)

Emirates Western Force 39 (Cross, Horua, Mitchell, O’Connor, Sare tries; Giteau 3 cons, 2 pens, O’Connor 1 con)

Reds 7 (Connor try; McKibbin con)

Half time 17-0 Man of the Match Matt Hodgson (Force) The Reds arrived in Perth with fluctuating form in their two previous games. An inspirational 25-13 win over the powerhouse Sharks was followed by a miserable 50-26 caning at the hands of the Chiefs (both in Brisbane), so it was difficult to know which version of the Reds would show up at Subiaco Oval. It didn’t take too long to find out. The boys in blue looked sharp straight out of the blocks, opening the Queenslanders’ defensive line regularly and crossing twice in the first half an hour through boy-wonder James O’Connor and fullback Drew Mitchell.

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Tom Hockings 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Nick Cummins 12. James O’Connor 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 60 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 62 mins) 18. Sam Wykes (rep Hockings at 76 mins) 19. Tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 55 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (rep Valentine at 76 mins) 21. Junior Pelesasa (rep Giteau at 74 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Cummins at 74 mins)

A yellow card to Reds’ backrower Scott Higginbotham, for an alleged punch aimed at Josh Valentine, did not help the visitors’ cause and tries to Tamaiti Horua and Ryan Cross opened up a 32-0 lead with less than ten minutes left on the clock. Reds winger Blair Connor showed off his speed in scoring a consolation try after twice being denied by solid defence from Nick Cummins, only for Haig Sare to dot down as the bell sounded to make the score 39-7. The back row quartet of Hodgson, Brown, Pocock and Horua (Brown’s replacement) had the wood on their counterparts all night, while Giteau’s playmaking again shone brightly. Despite a few blood bins, there were no injuries to report. A healthy, in-form team lay in wait for week nine opponents the Hurricanes.

One positive note on an otherwise fruitless evening – more than $21,000 was raised for the Breast Cancer Foundation.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Week 9

Week 10

Emirates Western Force v Hurricanes

Emirates Western Force v Waratahs

Friday 10 April, 2009 Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions Warm Referee Stuart Dickinson (Aus)

Hurricanes 28 (Guildford, Smith, Jane tries; Ripia 2 cons 3 pens)

Emirates Western Force 27 (Cummins 2, Staniforth, Cross tries; Giteau 2 cons, pen) Half time 13-20 Man of the Match David Pocock (Force)

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Tom Hockings 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Nick Cummins 12. Junior Pelesasa 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Luke Holmes (rep McIsaac at 60 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 62 mins) 18. Sam Wykes (rep Hockings at 76 mins) 19. Tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 75 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (DNP) 21. Josh Tatupu (rep Cross at 78 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Cummins at 50 mins)

It has become cliché for coaches to talk about the need for their team to play the full 80 minutes of every game to maximize reward. If anyone scoffed at that notion, they need look no further than this fixture for proof of truth.

Game over? Not quite. The Wellington side worked their way back into the contest, adding a penalty goal to cut the gap to 11 points. However, that was still the margin with less than four minutes left. Game over now, surely, right?

The game seemed evenly poised at 17-13 in the home side’s favour in the dying seconds of the first half, thanks to a brace from Nick Cummins and a third try from Scott Staniforth. Then ‘Canes prop Neemia Tialata cynically took out a support player behind the ball to end the chance of what had looked like a certain try. Tialata was yellow carded for his foul, Matt Giteau kicked the resultant penalty and a converted Ryan Cross try soon after the resumption made the score 27-13.

With inspirational skipper Rodney So’oialo leading the way, the Hurricanes brewed up a tornado in the final five minutes. First, elusive winger David Smith squeezed through the defence to score and set up a tense finish, with the home side still in front by 27-23. It was fullback Corey Jane who slammed the door, finishing a brilliant, expansive, multi-phase attack by stepping past several would-be tacklers to score after time had expired to secure the win and allow the jubilant Hurricane’s celebrations to begin.

Saturday 18 April, 2009 SFS, Sydney

Conditions Fine and cool Referee James Leckie (Aus)

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

Waratahs 14 (Caldwell try; Halangahu 3 pens)

Half time 3-9 Man of the Match Scott Staniforth (Force) Looking to complete the first ‘Australian Slam’ of their short history, having already beaten the Brumbies and Reds, the Force arrived in Sydney with a point to prove. Not only was the previous week’s fade-out a factor requiring redemption, the WA side had not beaten NSW before. Wallaby gold jerseys were on the line too. The first half was a kick-fest scoring wise, with ‘Tahs flyhalf Daniel Halangahu slotting three goals while Matt Giteau slotted his only attempt to give the home side a 9-3 lead. Another typically dour Australian derby loomed, until Josh Valentine slipped a perfectly weighted grubber behind the defensive line and returning winger Cameron Shepherd beat the cover defence to collect and score. Giteau’s conversion gave his team a 10-9 lead.

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Sam Wykes 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Cameron Shepherd 12. James O’Connor 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Ben Whittaker (rep McIsaac at 60 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 62 mins) 18. Tom Hockings (rep Hockings at 76 mins) 19. Tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 75 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (DNP) 21. Josh Tatupu (rep Cross at 78 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Cummins at 50 mins)

The lead wasn’t to last long, however. Waratah lock Will Caldwell, who had earlier been sent to the sin bin for a dubious high tackle, redeemed himself by crashing over. Halangahu’s missed conversion would later prove to be important. It was former Waratah winger Scott Staniforth who stole the show when he ploughed over in the corner to flip the script and give the boys in ocean blue a 15-14 lead with 15 minutes to go. Despite the early loss of rabid tackler Richard Brown to an ankle injury, the Force’s defence was stout, holding out waves of Waratah attacks to finish victors and complete the ‘slam’.

In further bad news, Cummins left the field with a serious leg injury early in the second half. Two bonus points were scant consolation for the ‘one that got away’.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Week 11

Week 12

Emirates Western Force v Lions

Emirates Western Force v Bulls

Friday 24 April, 2009 Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions Warm Referee Paul Marks (Aus)

Western Force 55 (Shepherd 2, Mitchell, Giteau, O’Connor, Whalley tries; 2 penalty tries; Giteau 6 cons, pen)

Lions 14 (Boshoff, Rose tries; Pretorius 2 cons)

Half time 29-7 Man of the Match James O’Connor (Force) After a brutally disappointing finish against the Hurricanes, the home crowd was treated to an outstanding display of running rugby as the Lions were dismantled by a hungry Emirates Western Force side which still had designs on a top four position. From Drew Mitchell’s try in the opening minute through until a second penalty try with less than ten minutes to go, it was a lesson in attacking rugby as the Lions failed to cope with the playmaking abilities of Matt Giteau and Man-of-the-Match James O’Connor. The visitors were their own worst enemies at times, gifting two penalty tries and having two players, Ernst Joubert and Shandre Frolick, given yellow cards by referee Paul Marks.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Emirates Western Force 1. Gareth Hardy 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Sam Wykes 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Tamaiti Horua 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Cameron Shepherd 12. James O’Connor 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Ben Whittaker (rep McIsaac at 68 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 65 mins) 18. Pek Cowan (rep Stanford at 80 mins) 19. Tom Hockings (rep Wykes at 45 mins) 20. Richard Stanford (rep Pocock 68 mins) 21. Josh Tatupu (rep Giteau at 73 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Staniforth at 66 mins)

Cameron Shepherd showed off his finishing skills yet again, crossing twice, while cult hero AJ Whalley was a popular try scorer when he ploughed over in the 67th minute It was a record breaking display, with the WA side posting its highest ever score (surpassing the 45 scored against the Cheetahs in 2007) and also the largest winning margin in club history (bettering the 38-3 mark set against the Reds, also in 2007). A sickening head clash between Gareth Hardy and Richard Stanford, which saw both players helped from the field in the dying seconds, soured an otherwise flawless night for the WA side.

Saturday 2 May, 2009 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Conditions Warm Referee Stuart Dickinson (Aus)

Bulls 32 (Habana, Kruger, Kirchner tries; Steyn 4 pens, con, Francis pen)

Emirates Western Force 29 (Shepherd, Mitchell, Tatupu, Cross tries; Giteau 3 cons, pen) Half time 15-10 Man of the Match Morne Steyn (Bulls)

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Tom Hockings 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Richard Brown 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Nick Cummins 12. Junior Pelesasa 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Ben Whittaker (DNP) 17. Gareth Hardy Wykes (rep Cowan at 71 mins) 18. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 78 mins) 19. Richard Stanford Horua (DNP) 20. Tamaiti Horua (rep Brown at 46 mins) 21. Josh Tatupu (rep O’Connor at 24 mins) 22. Haig Sare (rep Staniforth at 42 mins)

The two-match tour of the Republic was last-chance saloon stuff for the Emirates Western Force, with wins and bonus points required in the scramble to remain in the play-off picture. Winning at Loftus Versfeld is always a daunting prospect but the 30-27 win over the Bulls in Pretoria in 2007 gave cause for optimism.

A Burton Francis penalty seemed to have sealed the win but Matt Giteau’s conversion of a Ryan Cross try set up a tense finale. Unfortunately for the visitors there was no more magic left at Loftus, although the two bonus points kept the slimmest glimmer of finals hope alive.

James O’Connor was forced off with a sternum complaint after 24 minutes with the match evenly poised at 8-7 in the Bulls favour, and that proved to be a pivotal moment. The Bulls would score 18 of the next 21 points, to lead 26-10 with 25 minutes to go.

This fixture was the club’s 50th in its short existence. Only hooker Tai McIsaac, who would later hang up his boots after playing in all 52 games since inception, had appeared in all fifty games.

A spirited fightback was required and was forthcoming; a wonderful first-phase try to Cameron Shepherd, followed by a barging score to substitute Josh Tatupu cut the margin to 29-22 with ten minutes to go and hope sprang eternal.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Week 13

Week 14

Emirates Western Force v Stormers

Emirates Western Force v Highlanders

Saturday 9 May Newlands, Cape Town

Conditions Warm Referee Marius Jonker (RSA)

Stormers 25 (Pietersen 2, de Waal tries; De Waal con, 2 pens; Grant con)

Emirates Western Force 24 (Giteau 2, O’Connor tries; Giteau 3 cons, pen) Half time 15-7 Man of the Match Joe Pietersen (Stormers) Week 13 is usually the time of the season when ball handling is crisp, combinations are well rehearsed, refereeing kinks have been ironed out and exciting rugby results. This game had the tight finish but not much else going for it as far as WA rugby followers were concerned. The Stormers flew out of the blocks, with little known back Joe Pietersen in particularly fine form. Two tries within the first 20 minutes gave the Cape Town side a 12-0 lead and, despite a

Emirates Western Force Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. Ben Castle 4. Sam Wykes 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Tamaiti Horua 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Haig Sare 12. James O’Connor 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Ben Whittaker (rep McIsaac at 38 mins) 17. AJ Whalley (rep Castle at 25 mins) 18. Tom Hockings (DNP) 19. Richard Stanford (DNP) 20. Chris O’Young (DNP) 21. Josh Tatupu (rep O’Connor at 71 mins) 22. Dane Haylett-Petty (DNP)

brilliant individual try from the hot stepping James O’Connor and a yellow card to Tiaan Liebenberg, they went in to half time leading 15-7. With his side’s finals aspirations hanging by a thread, Matt Giteau inspired a comeback early in the second stanza, scoring ten points on his own to give the visitors a 17-15 lead. It was that man Pietersen who appeared to have sealed victory for the Stormers when he scored with eight minutes to go to open up a 25-17 lead, despite replays revealing that Ryan Cross was clearly impeded by a dummy runner in his attempt to tackle Pietersen. Yet another tense finish ensued when Giteau crossed again to make the gap 25-24 with four minutes left but the Stormers held on and ended the Force’s finals hopes. In further bad news, Tai McIsaac, Ben Castle and James O’Connor all failed to complete the match because of injury.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Saturday 16 May Subiaco Oval, Perth

Conditions Warm Referee Nathan Pearce (Aus)

Emirates Western Force 33 (Staniforth 2, Cross, Sare tries; Giteau 2 cons, 3 pens)

Highlanders 28 (Smith 2, Donnelly, Cowan tries; Bowden 4 cons) Half time 23-0 Man of the Match Matt Hodgson (Force) With little but pride on the line for the two sides in the final week of the competition, the crowd at Subiaco Oval was hoping to farewell the venue with a final example of the expansive style of game that had epitomised the 26 fixtures played at the ground. The obligatory nail-biting finish was probably not something the fans were all that keen on. For the second time in a matter of weeks, the Force crossed in the opening minute when Ryan Cross dotted down for the first of his team’s four tries. A 23-0 lead at half time suggested that the Highlanders were pretty keen to get back to Dunedin, and when Giteau converted Sare’s try to make the score 33-7 it was all but over.

Emirates Western Force 1. Pek Cowan 2. Tai McIsaac 3. AJ Whalley 4. Sam Wykes 5. Nathan Sharpe (c) 6. Matt Hodgson 7. David Pocock 8. Tamaiti Horua 9. Josh Valentine 10. Matt Giteau (vc) 11. Haig Sare 12. Josh Tatupu 13. Ryan Cross 14. Scott Staniforth 15. Drew Mitchell

Reserves 16. Ben Whittaker (rep McIsaac at 78 mins) 17. Troy Takiari (rep Whalley at 61 mins) 18. Tom Hockings (rep Horua at 21 mins) 19. Richard Stanford (rep Wykes at 28 mins) 20. Chris O’Young (rep Valentine at 61 mins) 21. Junior Pelesasa (rep Tatupu at 75 mins) 22. Dane Haylett-Petty (rep Sare at 79 mins)

time hooter had sounded, got the Otago side two well-deserved bonus points in exciting fashion, as they eventually went down by just 33-28. Goodbye fingernails yet again for the home fans. That final bell marked the end of an era, as not only was it the last game at Subiaco Oval before the move to ME Bank Stadium but also served as a farewell to players Gareth Hardy, Tai McIsaac, Luke Holmes, Troy Takiari, AJ Whalley, Ben Castle, Pat O’Connor, David Pusey, Tamaiti Horua, Josh Valentine, Matt Giteau, Junior Pelesasa, Scott Staniforth, Drew Mitchell and assistant coaches John Mulvihill and Tom Fearn.

Of course, that was not to be the case. Three converted tries, including a terrific team try finished by Jimmy Cowan after the full

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Community Rugby

1st Grade Premiers – Cottesloe

2nd Grade Premiers – Associates

Community Rugby in Western Australia continued its growth in season 2009. Player registrations for the senior, women’s, junior’s and country competitions reported a healthy increase. This result was very pleasing as it ensures greater awareness of our game throughout the community. The implementation of the Experimental Law Variations saw some considerable changes to our game in 2009. Coaches and players embraced this challenge and as a consequence some entertaining Rugby resulted. Whilst the ELV’s made for a far more enjoyable game, considerable responsibility was placed on the Referees. Despite the number of law changes and interpretations, the Western Australian Rugby Union Referee’s Association and its members were very positive in their approach to this change.

Under 20 Premiers – Associates

Under 18 Premiers – Perth Bayswater

3rd Grade Premiers – Palmyra

3rd Grade Black Premiers – Kalamunda

4th Grade Gold Premiers – University

4th Grade Premiers – Wests Subiaco

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

RugbyWA and the Western Australian Junior Rugby Association continued to strengthen their commitment to developing Junior Rugby. This year Tilly Lloyd-Poole moved into the role of Junior Competition Coordinator. Her transition into this role was made incredibly easy due to the support of the WAJRU President, Julie Skiba. These two ladies with the assistance of Karen Hodson ensured that the Junior Competition ran smoothly all year.

Justin Shakeshaft moved in to the role of Senior Competitions Coordinator and handled the position with professionalism and finesse. Justin’s first role was to implement the new 3rd and 4th Grade Black and Gold Competitions. This was a new concept and the general feedback from our Clubs was very positive. The KWIK Premier Grade grand final was played at ME Bank Stadium, and this initiative proved very popular for the players, coaches and referees. Our Development staff, led by Brett Gallagher, were able to run Rugby programs in more schools than ever before. This targeted approach to development ensured that schools within the Junior Club catchment areas were best serviced. We also had success in regional areas. The areas of the South West, Goldfields and Newman all enjoyed excellent participation at the junior level. Naturally, our game would not exist without the support of the club volunteers. RugbyWA would like to extend our sincere thanks to all those people who contributed to our game in 2009. Your selfless efforts are the foundations on which Rugby continues to grow. I would also like to sincerely thank the Community Rugby staff for their ongoing support and commitment. Matt Tink Manager, Community Rugby

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Grade Tables Premier

3rd Grade Gold

Team

Bye

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BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

Team

Bye

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Palmyra Nedlands Cottesloe Wanneroo Associates Kalamunda Perth Bayswater Rockingham UWA West’s Subiaco

18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18

13 13 13 12 10 8 7 7 4 2

5 4 5 6 8 10 10 11 14 16

0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

569 527 507 545 515 525 402 363 368 290

332 331 298 452 455 422 461 525 508 827

171.39% 159.21% 170.13% 120.58% 113.19% 124.41% 87.20% 69.14% 72.44% 35.07%

12 9 9 11 11 7 5 4 3 4

4 2 1 1 4 3 2 2 4 3

16 11 10 12 15 10 7 6 7 7

68 65 62 60 55 42 37 34 23 15

Mandurah Joondalup Arks Nedlands Palmyra Cottesloe UWA Bunbury Midland Rockingham

17 18 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 12

14 12 12 13 11 7 4 2 2 1

3 3 3 4 5 9 13 15 15 8

0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 3

0 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0

667 681 523 538 354 256 214 189 102 70

99 168 142 187 217 389 512 587 788 355

673.74% 405.36% 368.31% 287.70% 163.13% 65.81% 41.80% 32.20% 12.94% 19.72%

14 11 9 9 6 5 1 2 0 1

3 1 2 1 2 0 3 4 0 1

17 12 11 10 8 5 4 6 0 2

78 72 71 67 57 38 25 19 13 6

Bye

Fft

Opp Fft

BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

Team

Bye

Fft

Opp Fft

BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

UWA Nedlands Arks Mandurah Palmyra Rockingham Cottesloe Bunbury Palmyra Blue Midland

16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 13 3

15 10 9 9 7 4 5 0 0 0

0 5 5 5 6 8 8 11 10 1

0 0 0 1 2 1 2 0 0 0

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0

0 0 0 0 0 3 1 3 2 2

1 1 2 1 1 1 0 3 1 0

551 411 574 454 382 283 301 163 99 0

186 210 230 184 181 233 309 455 659 96

296.24% 195.71% 249.57% 246.74% 211.05% 121.46% 97.41% 35.82% 15.02% 0.00%

10 8 6 6 5 2 3 0 0 0

0 2 2 2 3 5 1 2 0 0

10 10 8 8 8 7 4 2 0 0

85 65 64 61 55 40 38 22 15 0

4th Grade Gold

Reserve Team Nedlands Cottesloe Associates Kalamunda UWA Palmyra Wanneroo West’s Subiaco Rockingham Perth Bayswater

18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18

18 13 12 13 9 5 5 5 4 3

0 5 6 5 9 12 12 12 12 14

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0

533 466 564 461 394 422 212 264 236 255

192 246 262 292 373 423 486 451 568 514

277.60% 189.43% 215.27% 157.88% 105.63% 99.76% 43.62% 58.54% 41.55% 49.61%

11 10 12 8 8 5 1 0 2 2

0 5 1 1 4 5 1 3 3 5

11 15 13 9 12 10 2 3 5 7

83 67 61 61 48 32 27 25 23 21

Team

Bye

Fft

Opp Fft

BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

Team

Bye

Fft

Opp Fft

BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

UWA Associates Kalamunda West’s Subiaco Cottesloe Nedlands Perth Bayswater Arks Nedlands Blue Curtin Uni Wanneroo Joondalup

16 15 17 16 15 15 16 18 15 18 11 6

13 11 10 9 9 7 4 5 1 1 0 1

1 3 4 4 5 6 7 11 9 10 8 3

0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 3 1 2 3 3 2 0 1 0 1 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 6 3 2

2 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 0 0

575 605 486 435 470 377 293 304 175 98 88 31

125 181 158 152 202 192 289 381 432 695 451 179

460.00% 334.25% 307.59% 286.18% 232.67% 196.35% 101.38% 79.79% 40.51% 14.10% 19.51% 17.32%

6 7 6 6 7 5 2 5 1 0 0 0

1 1 4 1 1 2 3 2 2 0 1 0

7 8 10 7 8 7 5 7 3 0 1 0

79 72 67 65 64 60 41 37 22 9 6 4

Kalamunda Associates Curtin Uni Southern Lions Wanneroo Nedlands Joondalup Perth Bayswater Wests Subiaco

16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

15 15 11 8 8 6 5 1 1

1 1 5 7 7 10 11 14 14

0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

803 510 419 305 335 356 240 180 203

190 159 198 312 364 311 403 485 454

422.63% 320.75% 211.62% 97.76% 92.03% 114.47% 59.55% 37.11% 44.71%

15 9 8 2 4 6 3 0 0

0 0 4 4 1 4 4 3 2

15 9 12 6 5 10 7 3 2

85 79 66 50 49 44 37 19 18

Under 20’s

3rd Grade Black

Under 18’s Team

Bye

Fft

Opp Fft

BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

Perth Bayswater Associates Wanneroo Kalamunda Nedlands Rockingham Gold Palmyra Joondalup West’s Subiaco Southern Lions Rockingham Cottesloe

16 16 16 17 15 17 16 17 9 16 6 3

9 12 13 10 6 8 6 2 2 1 1 0

1 2 2 6 8 7 9 13 4 14 4 0

2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

2 2 2 1 3 1 2 1 0 2 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1 1 3

4 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0

463 649 532 454 365 332 333 201 118 163 60 0

142 138 156 189 230 305 310 609 265 616 235 75

326.06% 470.29% 341.03% 240.21% 158.70% 108.85% 107.42% 33.00% 44.53% 26.46% 25.53% 0.00%

7 10 10 6 4 4 5 2 2 1 1 0

1 0 0 2 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

8 10 10 8 6 5 6 3 2 1 1 0

78 75 74 58 47 47 42 21 15 15 5 0

Team

Bye

Fft

Opp Fft

BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

Perth Bayswater Cottesloe Kalamunda Wanneroo UWA Midland

14 14 14 14 14 10

13 9 6 6 2 0

0 3 6 8 11 8

0 0 0 0 0 0

1 1 1 1 1 0

0 0 1 0 1 2

1 2 1 0 0 0

759 678 240 358 126 17

36 85 228 302 777 625

2,108.33% 797.65% 105.26% 118.54% 16.22% 2.72%

12 9 4 5 2 0

0 2 0 2 0 0

12 11 4 7 2 0

74 62 38 36 15 0

Women’s

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

4th Grade Black Team

Bye

Fft

Opp Fft

BP 4t

BP<7p

Pts

Nedlands Wests Subiaco Perth Bayswater Kalamunda Curtin Uni Associates Wanneroo Southern Lions Joondalup Mandurah

18 17 17 17 18 17 17 17 18 12

17 12 10 8 9 9 7 4 2 0

0 3 7 6 8 8 9 12 16 9

0 2 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0

0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3

1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

505 395 399 363 290 334 261 265 149 75

128 237 234 231 160 271 370 390 509 331

394.53% 166.67% 170.51% 157.14% 181.25% 123.25% 70.54% 67.95% 29.27% 22.66%

12 6 6 4 5 6 2 3 2 1

0 1 4 3 5 1 0 3 1 2

12 7 10 7 10 7 2 6 3 3

85 64 55 53 51 48 38 29 11 3

Winners of 2009 Grand Finals Premier Cottesloe Reserve Grade Associates Under 20’s Associates Under 18’s Perth-Bayswater 3rd Grade Black Kalamunda 3rd Grade Gold Mandurah 4th Grade Black Wests Subiaco 4th Grade Gold University Women’s Perth-Bayswater

Award Winners PG Hampshire Award: RugbyWA Referee Award: RugbyWA Coach Award: Best Women’s Player: Best State Player: Most Improved Player: Most Outstanding Colt: Highest Points Scorer: Most Tries Scored: Club Championship: Healthway Champion Club: RugbyWA Life Member:

David Cloete (Cottesloe) Julian Pritchard Dave Ball (Palmyra) Puawai Hohepa (Perth Bayswater) Rebecca Clough (Cottesloe) Zane Houia (Nedlands) Ben Hales (Associates) David Cloete (Cottesloe) Tajhon Mailata (Palmyra) Nedlands RUFC Nedlands RUFC Greg Hunt RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WAJRU Report To my pleasant surprise this season has once again seen an increase in numbers of youngsters participating in our sport, which is extremely pleasing. WAJRU Executive Committee has worked well together and I want to thank each and every one of them for their contribution to the season. After 15 years of serving on this committee Stephen Carrick is retiring, he will be greatly missed especially his diplomacy skills. I have never worked on this committee without Stephen so a new era awaits me! Also retiring are Beverley McDougall and Freda Smith and I’d like to thank them for their contribution. Our relationship with RugbyWA has been a work in progress and defining of roles still needs work, though we continue to discuss the issue, this often happens with a change of personnel. Open and constant communication is essential to facilitate and develop the relationship. I believe that the general rugby participants have been satisfied overall with the way the competition has been run in 2009, and in a large part this is due to the success of the competition draw, which was delivered in a timely fashion, and remained unaltered except when teams withdrew. The Joey Carnivals were a new innovation and were very successful even though they were a fairly mammoth undertaking for the host clubs. I wish to thank ARKs and Perth Bayswater for their efforts in making the Joey Carnivals a success. The running of the venues was helped considerably by RugbyWA staff; Matt Tink and Tilly Lloyd-Poole at Britannia, Brett Gallagher at Lake Joondalup and Graham Cooper at Thomas Oval. I realise that this isn’t voluntary but the effort

WARURA Report is considerable and without which the venues would not run as well as they do. I would like to thank the RugbyWA staff who deals directly with the WAJRU’s participants; Tilly LloydPoole, Karen Hodson and Matt Tink, your effort is much appreciated. The highlight of the year for me was being lucky enough to attend the National Under 16 Championships in Sydney during October where our State Team exceeded expectations and came 5th, which is the highest placing a WA side has ever achieved. This places us very well for realistically achieving a top 4 finish in 2010. The team was awarded the Nick Farr-Jones Shield for winning the plate competition and Ross Dopson, our esteemed Manager, received the Nigel Stiffe Memorial Trophy which was well deserved. The Under 15’s participated in the NSW State Championships and finished 2nd, which is a very creditable result. The contribution by our volunteer coaches and managers is immeasurable and without their support our Elite Rugby teams could not participate. My thanks also go to Dwayne Nestor, Junior Elite Coach, who organises all of the State teams fixtures, trainings, etc. Last but not least I wish to thank the Club representatives for their support of the competition in 2009, without willing people this WAJRU competition would not function at all and the success is down to those volunteers who help allow children to participate in this great sport of ours. Julie Skiba President Western Australian Junior Rugby Union Inc

2009 was another successful season with a record number of games refereed by our members. Congratulations to all referees on yet another outstanding season. The feedback from the club presidents and coaches was on the whole complimentary and the standard of refereeing in the finals was applauded by all involved. Such compliments are satisfying and rewarding. 2009 was again a challenging year with the introduction of the ELVs in all grades. It will be interesting to see which laws we are to referee next year. It would be refreshing if we could enjoy some consistency in the laws for a few years. This season saw a number of notable successes, including: • Our first WA bred international referee when Julian Pritchard officiated in the World Cup qualifier between Samoa and Papua New Guinea. Congratulations Julian. • We saw a record number of first grade debutants this year, congratulations to all of them. • 2009 was a year in which we enjoyed the recruitment of a number of new senior referees who migrated to WA. We welcome them. Thanks to all our members who turned out each week. I would like to extend the Association’s and my personal special thanks to CAB stalwarts in Maurie Day and David Procopis for all the outstanding and tireless work they have done on the CAB over many years. I compliment this years CAB for the effective manner in which they managed the development of our members and efficiency of the appointment process. The Junior CAB also had an excellent year and special thanks to Julie and her team for the wonderful work they did during the season and the finals. The development of junior referees and their migration into senior ranks is pivotal for the renewal and growth of future referees.

address the problem. We are also working with the schools to address the problem in that competition. I also thank RugbyWA; Matt Tink and Justin Shakeshaft in particular for their support this year. Your Association continues to enjoy an excellent relationship with RugbyWA. Justin has advised that he will not be re-nominating for the Executive Committee. Our thanks to Justin for his efforts over the years. The support of our sponsors Argonaut and BGC is as always much appreciated as without their financial contributions we would struggle to support our membership. This is my last year as your President. Our Constitution appropriately limits the President’s term to a maximum of three years. I intend stand down from the Executive Committee and will not be nominating for any other position. I thank all members of the Executive Committee with whom I have worked with over the years. It has been a privilege to serve with all of you. I wish your incoming President and the new CAB every success and look forward to their fresh approach and energy. Charles Fear WARURA President

2009 saw the position of Referee Manager made redundant due to RugbyWA budget cuts. This resulted in the departure of Anthony O’Shea. On behalf of the Association and all members I thank Anthony for his efforts and support over many years and in particular for the support he gave me during my Presidency. I look forward to Anthony’s ongoing involvement with the whistle and referee coaching. It is concerning that Australian Rugby has succumbed to cutting the refereeing budget nationally, WA was not immune. RugbyWA has assured me and the Executive Committee that notwithstanding budget constraints and the loss of a full time Referee Manager they will continue to support the Association in every way possible. They regret the budget cut but I am aware that the cuts were unavoidable. We look forward to working with Brett Gallagher who has been appointed as RugbyWA’s new Education Manager with responsibility for referee education and accreditation. Referee abuse continues to be an ongoing issue albeit that there was some improvement this season. RugbyWA continues to support the referees in the rigorous manner with which they dealt with the various incidents. The clubs are very aware of the issue and RugbyWA through the Community Rugby Advisory Committee is doing their best to

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WASRU Report There are now four specialist Rugby Schools in WA who along with some of the stronger Schools play in Division 1 with the remainder and emerging Schools playing in a second division. This is working well and improvement in the numbers of Schools playing is growing. Girls/Ladies Rugby is making an impact on Schools Rugby with the introduction of a competition in 2010 already on the cards. Our State Schoolboys once again performed well in Geelong only to go down to Victoria in the final (home advantage blamed) We were pleased with the number of players selected in the combined states and very happy with the selection of Kyle Godwin as an Australian Schoolboy to go on tour to Ireland and the UK, which I believe is a first for WA. At the conclusion of season 2009 the results for the various competitions were as follows: The Welborn Cup, which was played under a new format in 2009, with a gala day for all open schools, while only one PSA School attended. Aranmore Catholic College defeated

WACRU Report Kolbe Catholic College on Subiaco Oval as a curtain raiser to an Emirates Western Force match. PSA Schools were unable to participate at large in the Welborn Cup because of sporting commitments in term one but will look at it again in 2010. Champion School in PSA was Hale School, the other schools performed well during the season, and there is a vast improvement in the standard of Rugby played in the PSA. Combined Schools and Colleges was once again dominated by Aranmore who won the grand finals in the Opens, Yr 10’s, Yr 9’s and were runners up to Thornlie High School in Yr 8’s. A big thankyou must go to Mitch Hardy and his team at RugbyWA who work hard to improve the standard of Rugby and also at the non-elite level to give the players a positive Rugby experience. Don McNamee WASRU President

Country Rugby has its ups and downs like any other sport and it was evident this year with the closure of a number mines and businesses throughout region. This has moved a lot of players and volunteers from one town to another, putting stress on some clubs and boosting others. The beauty of our sport is that we are resilient and with rugby being played in WA for over a 100 years and it will continue on for many more.

The teams that participated were: Bushwackers, Dunsborough, Boulder/WASM, Stormers, Esperance, Geraldton, Katanning and Collie. Other clubs present at the carnival but not fielding teams were: Albany, Dryandra Narrogin and Bunbury City Bulls. Kalgoorlie’s Bushwackers claimed the 2009 Country Carnival crown with a comprehensive 29-5 win over the Dunsborough Dungbeetles in the Grand Final in Esperance.

Goldfields The Goldfields competition had another successful year with 3 teams butting heads each week at Wallace Park. This year saw Boulder/WASM take a few wins away from the highly rated Bushwackers and Stormers. The Stormers again were the team to beat and successfully defended their title for a second year. Great Southern Unfortunately, Great Southern rugby has been hit hard by the economy and it has seen a number of players move out of the area. This has left only Katanning and Narrogin playing in the competition and to their credit continued to play good rugby through out the season. It was obvious who was going to be in the final and as normal, both teams put in a great effort with Katanning scoring 10 tries to Narrogin’s 2.

The success and interest being shown in the Country Carnival was reflected in the fact that four venues were nominated at the AGM to host next year’s tournament. Katanning has won the right to host the 2010 Carnival and preparation is well in advance for a great weekend. One of the highlights for 2009 was our Under 18’s coming together for the first time. Perth-Bayswater’s Under 18’s did not hold back and even though the score was one sided, the 18’s showed glimpses of good rugby and we look forward to developing our youth and giving them a pathway to higher levels of rugby I look forward to seeing you at Katanning in 2010. Ray Mills President

South West South West rugby keeps going from strength to strength each year, not only with the number of players but the quality of rugby. 2009 saw the dominance of Dunsbough wane as the Bunbury Bulls capped off a successful year by beating Dunsbough in finals 13-10. 2010 will see the inclusion of Katanning to the South West competition increasing the number of teams to 5. Katanning will continue to support Narrogin and Albany through out the year with occasional matches. WA Country Cup The WA Country Cup took a different approach this year with the South West taking on the Goldfields as a curtain raiser to the Emirates Western Force. The Goldfields came out strong and maintained a strangle hold on the game until changes were made from the bench and the game started to turn in South West’s favour. The Goldfields team started to tire late in the game allowing South West to come from behind and secure the victory. WA Country Cup will again be played against the two unions giving players a higher level of rugby each year. Country Carnival Eight teams from various country regions in WA descended upon Esperance for the tournament, with the Redbacks doing an outstanding job of hosting the event.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WAWRU Report 2009 has been an extremely successful season for Women’s Rugby throughout Western Australia, Australia and the world. With the WA State Team finishing fourth at the National Championships in July, the IRB holding the inaugural Women’s World Cup 7’s Tournament in Dubai during March and the inclusion of seven-a-side game into the Olympics, Women’s Rugby has never been stronger. The RugbyWA Women’s Union has great pride in our four current Wallaroo players, Debby Hodgkinson, Rebecca Clough, Shelly Matchan of Cottesloe and Stacey Kilmister of Perth Bayswater. Each of these ladies have represented our state with great honors. Shelly and Debby competed in the inaugural IRB World Cup 7’s tournament, Shelly scoring the winning try against New Zealand to win the Championship for Australia and Debby being named the Women’s Player of the Tournament. Debby was also part of the fifteen-a-side team that defeated Samoa 86-0 in the World Cup Qualifier Match in August, along with Rebecca Clough and Stacey Kilmister. Congratulations to you all for your success in 2009. It is also with great pride and privilege to congratulate Debby Hodgkinson on her individual accomplishments in 2009. Debby was not only awarded the IRB World Cup 7’s Player of the Tournament, but also received the IRB Women’s Personality of the Year. In October she was awarded the ARU Women’s Player of the Year and was honored and shocked when she was named the ARU 7’s Player of the Year Award in memory of the late Shawn Mackay, who had believed in Debby’s ability as a first class competitor. The introduction of Pre-Season Development Sessions were an asset to those players who attended in late March with the main focus on Scrum, Lineout, Tackle Contest and Kicking. Thank you to Matt Tink, Dwayne Nestor, Mitch Hardy and Gus Martyn for volunteering their time to develop Women’s Rugby. The Union again held their annual pre-season 7’s tournament, with seven matches played throughout the afternoon. Cottesloe retained the Championship defeating Perth Bayswater 32-5. This was an exceptional lead in to the 10’s tournament that followed. With Perth Bayswater unable to participate in the tournament, this gave Kalamunda a fighting chance to take the Championship from Cottesloe, only to lose the match in the second half. Cottesloe maintaining their unbeaten record for 2009 defeating Kalamunda 27-12. 2009 saw six clubs compete in the competition, Cottesloe, Kalamunda, Midland, Perth Bayswater, University and Wanneroo. Midland rejoined the competition after several years in round six and although they finished bottom of the table, their team enthusiasm and individual skill set increased each match. This was however a very imbalanced competition in 2009 with Perth Bayswater and Cottesloe dominating with both player numbers and player strength week by week. This is an issue that needs to be addressed with urgency for the future

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

of Women’s Rugby in Perth, not only so that the competition can be increased, but more importantly so that the current clubs can be sustained. It was also brought to the attention of the Union that the season is to some extent drawn out and playing three full rounds may not be in the best interest in the future. Perth Bayswater’s successful season finished with both the Minor and Major Premiership titles in an exciting and dominating Grand Final match defeating Cottesloe 32-0. Their season was very strong with the ability to dominate around the field from their hard working forward pack with Louise Smith, Fuarosa Time and Vanya Skellon to their slick and speedy backs, Stacey Kilmister, Sharnee Werahiko and Puawai Hohepa. Puawai Hohepa was voted Fairest & Best for the Women’s Club Competition in 2009. Puawai had an exceptional season at Flyhalf and her ability to control the match and lead her team mates on the field is a quality that every player strives for. This award is also known as the Sue Roberts Trophy. Sue Roberts donated this trophy many years back after all of her contributions to Women’s Rugby in Western Australia. RugbyWA Women’s Union would like to congratulate all Clubs for entering into the 2009 Competition and is looking forward to their return in 2010. A special thank you to all coaches, managers and volunteers in 2009, the competition would not be where it is today without your support and assistance. RugbyWA’s Community Rugby Department held a Schoolgirls 7’s Gala Day in November with schools from all around the Metro area competing for the Debby Hodgkinson Cup. This was the second year of this one day tournament and Thornlie Senior High School won the championship for the second year in a row. Thank you to Stacey Kilmister, Joy Wells and Debby Hodgkinson for attending this event. The talent and enthusiasm of the girls competing in the tournament was definitely a positive stepping stone for the future of Women’s Rugby. This is where the Union needs to provide support and assistance to both RugbyWA Community Rugby Department and the schools with interest in the game to develop a strong and regular schoolgirl’s competition.

The Championship Tournament was a success for the Western Amazons, who finished in 4th place. A tremendous win over Victoria 60-0 in game one of the tournament, the players and management staff were extremely proud of the efforts of the team. The team lost the next pool match against Sydney 29-0 and as disappointing as this was to the players, they had already improved in the national rankings from 2008. The Western Amazons competed in the 3rd & 4th place playoffs against the Brumbies of ACT and although losing the match 17-7 the Amazons should still be proud of their achievements at the tournament. Congratulations to Rebecca Clough on being awarded the 2009 State Player of the Year. Rebecca had a very successful season with a huge number of ‘Firsts’. First year playing rugby, first year selected into the WA State Team, first year being selected in the Wallaroos, first year playing a Test Match and first year of winning the State Player of the Year award. Thank you to the coaching and management staff that volunteered their skills, knowledge and time and worked exceptionally hard to pull the team together in the limited time that was available. Gus Martyn stepped up as Head Coach and his knowledge of the players from 2008 was a tremendous advantage to the team. Gus took on the role when no other candidate would and his ability to supply the players with the required plays, moves and game plan was a benefit to all. Also to Gareth Williams who assisted at all trainings but due to work commitments, could not travel with the team. Dwayne Nestor, who agreed to assist the team while on tour and provided game analysis to all players.

John Verity (Team Physio), who also had the knowledge of most of the players as this was his second year with the team. Finally, to the Team Manager, Dianne Scholes, whose willingness to assist the players and coaching staff with all off field tasks and duties was pleasing. Great efforts to all involved in the 2009 Western Amazons National Championships Tour. With exciting events already lined up on the 2010 Australian Women’s Rugby Calendar, including the ARU confirmation of the National Championships in early June and the Wallaroos travelling to the IRB Women’s World Cup in the United Kingdom in August, RugbyWA Women’s competition needs to align their calendar with all other states and the ARU. Although this will shorten the Club 15-a-side competition, it could give clubs the opportunity to develop their players through a 7-a-side and 10-a-side competition held while elite players are away at National Championships and Wallaroo duties. This would be to the benefit of all players in the competition. Thank you to the 2009 Committee Members who volunteered their time for Women’s Rugby. Debby Hodgkinson, Kate Stoney, Dianne Scholes, Bridie Guatta, Junior Muna, Dean Marshall, Herbie Kirkpatrick, Katherine Putz, Michelle Keegan and Louise Smith. Without your contributions, there would be no Women’s Rugby Competition in Perth. Glenda Martyn President RugbyWA Women’s Union 2009

An initial squad of 40 players from the club competition was successfully selected to participate in the 2009 State Training Squad, which would eventually be ‘cut’ to a 24 person travelling squad. Due to family or financial commitments the squad was rapidly depleted. There were also a number of players who did not want to represent their state at the Championships and this was disappointing to me and the Union. All players who committed to training and to the team travelled to the National Championships in July. With the crippling global financial crisis in full swing, the Union struggled with securing sponsorship for the team. Thank you to the Force 15 Foundation, Harvey Fresh and Aussie Home Loans. Without your support and assistance the tour would not have been possible. Fundraisers were held with the aid of the ARU and RugbyWA who donated signed memorabilia to raffle and the sales of chocolates. This minimised the required player levy to $500 that assisted towards all costs of the tour.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Junior Elite WA U15’s The WA U15’s toured to Sydney in July to participate in the NSW Regional Championships. This involved playing six games in three days. WA finished runners up behind Metro North after winning four and losing two extremely close matches. The WA players showed great skill, structure and discipline on the field, but more importantly won everyone’s respect off the field with exemplary behavior and sportsmanship. It was a pleasure to be involved with a team that did absolutely everything with professionalism and dignity. The feedback received from all those we encountered was glowing with praise. Squad: Kaneti Pita, Harry Scoble, Adrian Shanahan, Corey Thomas, Ross Haylett-Petty, Kane Koteka, Richard Hardwick ©, Rick Le Roux, Pat McCarthy, Steve Komene, Nick Chapman, Elliott Burka, Chance Peni, Brad Lacey, Luke Burton, Josh Eisentrager, Anthony Graham, Ryan Bharat, Alex Winter, Ben Read, Hohepa Galvin, Rob Tucker, Lukas Birch. Head Coach: Assistant Coach: Manager: Physio:

Dwayne Nestor Dean Carlisle Craig Fairhall Ben Mather

NSW Regional Championships: Runners Up GAME 1 V Metropolitan South Zone Met South 12 def WA 7 Tries: Steve Komene 1 Conversion: Luke Burton 1 Player of Game: Corey Thomas GAME 2 V Metropolitan West Zone WA 24 def Met West 3 Tries: Steve Komene, Lukas Birch, Chance Peni, Richard Hardwick 1 Conversions: Elliott Burka 2 Player of Game: Rick Le Roux

For his outstanding work, and presence over the past five years at this tournament, team manager, Ross Dopson, was awarded the Nigel Stiff Memorial Trophy as Manager of the Tournament. A very deserved winner.

V South Australia

V Northern Territory (Non-comp match)

Specific coaches will be allocated to the program with assistance from the Force coaches throughout the year.

Squad: Hemi Tuiavii, Richard Cooper, Oli Hoskins ©, Tom O’Day, Ross Haylett-Petty, Cory Garner, Matt Monteath, Rick Le Roux, Ethan Carlisle, Antini Brown, Daniel Long, Izzy Rehutai, Chance Peni, Cole Peppiatt, John McCabe, Ben Enright, Scott Tolmie, Jonathon Burley, Nick Sardinha, Kevin Bush, Scott Nichol, Hemi Chase, Kurt Penney.

GAME 4 (Final) Vic 17 def WA 12

V Victoria

Head Coach: Dwayne Nestor Assistant Coaches: Dean Carlisle Steve Montgomery S & C Coach: TBC Sports Trainer: TBC

Head Coach: Andy Cole Assistant Coach: Neil Zaltsman Manager: Ross Dopson Physio: Ben Mather

Gary Neugebauer, Mark Cornell, Oli Hoskins, Nathan Oakley, Taupiri Tauhini, Kyle Godwin, Heremaia Te Aute, John McCabe, Chris Johnson, Lorenzo De Villiers, Manasseh Gudgeon.

National Championships: 5th Place (Nick Farr-Jones Shield)

Head Coach:

GAME 1 V Queensland White Queensland White 65 def WA 13 Tries: Matt Monteath, Oli Hoskins 1 Conversion: Isaiah Rehutai 1

GAME 1 V NSW II NSW II 47 def Combined States 10

GAME 5 V NSW Country Gold WA 31 def Country Gold 0 Tries: Rick Le Roux 2, Chance Peni 2, Kane Koteka 1 Conversions: Luke Burton 3 Player of Game: Rick Le Roux

WA SCHOOLBOYS

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

GAME 1 WA 37 def SA 5

Squad: Lukas Birch, Luke Burton, James Cam, Kyle Cameron, Nicholas Chapman, Alex Christian, Tom Enright, Shane Gilham, Richard Hardwick, Cameron Knox, Kane Koteka, Tahumuri Manawatu, Pat McCarthy, Laken Mitchell, Alex Oakley, Jordan Paynter, Kurt Penney, Kaneti Pita, Isaiah Rehutai, Harry Scoble, Corey Thomas, Hemi Tuiavii, John Van Der Wielen, Nicholas Ward, Kyla Yoxall.

GAME 3 WA 35 def SA 0

GAME 3 V Victoria WA 43 def Victoria 10 Tries: John McCabe 2; Kurt Penney, Chance Peni, Rick Le Roux, Hemi Chase 1 Conversions: John McCabe 2, Ethan Carlisle 2

National Div II Championships: Runners Up

25 players have been invited into this years intake for the Junior Academy. They will commence in November with the program concluding in October 2010.

The WA U16’s also played a game against Erindale College Canberra.

GAME 4 V Metropolitan North Zone Met North 10 def WA 8 Tries: Luke Burton 1 Penalties: Luke Burton 1 Player of Game: Kaneti Pita

The WA U16’s once again participated in the National U16 Championships, this year in Sydney. It was the most successful WA U16 team winning the Nick Farr-Jones Shield

Head Coach: Dwayne Grace (Aranmore College) Assistant Coach: Willie Van Dyk (Kolbe College) Assistant Coach: Leon Felton (Wesley College) Manager: Alex Wood (Nedlands) Physio: Nicole Robb

With the successful results of this years U16’s, which consisted of nine Junior Academy members and six NTS members, we are looking to further improve on these results in 2010.

GAME 2 V Lloyd McDermott Development Team WA 17 def LMDT 7

GAME 2 WA 28 def ACT 20 Tries: Penalties:

WA U16’s

Croghan, Liam Burley, Nicholas Hoad, Ethan Carlisle, Jordan Smith, Jack Garrett

Kevin Bush was awarded the Best Team Man Award.

GAME 3 V NSW Country Black WA 12 def Country Black 0 Tries: Rick Le Roux, Ross Haylett-Petty 1 Conversions: Elliott Burka 1

GAME 6 V ACT Schools WA 22 def ACT 0 Tries: Rick Le Roux 2; Adrian Shanahan, Richard Hardwick 1 Conversions: Elliott Burka 1 Player of Game: Adrian Shanahan

in the repechage final (5th / 6th Play off). The team proved themselves to be a very resilient and focused group on the field with a come from behind win against ACT on Wednesday and then a dominant display against Victoria in the final. Congratulations must go to the coaches, Andy Cole and Neil Zaltsman for providing the team with the confidence to perform, and to Captain, Oli Hoskins, for his excellent leadership skills.

V ACT Chance Peni 2; Tom O’Day, Antini Brown, Hemi Chase 1 John McCabe 1

The WA Schoolboys finished runners up in the National Division II Championships held at Geelong Grammar, Victoria in July. Once again it was between WA and Victoria, as the two dominant teams of the tournament. Both teams provided the bulk of the Combined States representative team that came runners up in the National Division I Championships the following week. Special congratulations to Kyle Godwin who made the Australian Schoolboys. The Schoolboys also played games against Uppingham School UK, Erindale College Canberra and the ACT U17’s squad. Squad: Gary Neugebauer, Mark Cornell, Oli Hoskins, Lachlan Valentine, Kevin Ingram-Gillson, Manasseh Gudgeon, Nathan Oakley, Lorenzo De Villiers, Taupiri Tauhini, Kyle Godwin, Caillan Richards, Curtis Rona, Heremaia Te Aute, Shane Attard, John McCabe, Chris Johnson, Ryan Sands, Hayden

Combined States The following players made the Combined States squad for the National Division I Championships.

Steven Montgomery (Mercy College)

National Div I Championships: Runners Up

GAME 2 V NSW I Combined States 20 def NSW I 15 GAME 3 V Queensland II Combined States 17 def Qld II 15 GAME 4 (Final) V Queensland I Qld I 41 def Combined States 17 Australian Schoolboys Kyle Godwin

JUNIOR ACADEMY

NATIONAL TALENT SQUAD The NTS has concluded for 2009 with the players on holidays during October. During 2009 there were 13 NTS players with five players from the State U15’s given trials in July taking the total to 18. Kyle Godwin and Bruce Smith-Wright were graduated to the Senior Academy during the season while Oli Hoskins and John McCabe will graduate for the new Senior Academy program in November. The NTS players completed 10 hours per week of training during the off season in both strength and conditioning and skills development. This was reduced to approximately seven hours per week during the season to take into account club, school and representative rugby commitments. Squad: Kyle Godwin and Bruce Smith-Wright (graduated May 2009); Oli Hoskins and John McCabe (graduated November 2009); Mark Cornell, Lachlan Valentine, Nathan Oakley, Jordan Smith (exited September 2009); Jack Dawson (withdrew June 2009); Chris Johnson, Antini Brown (continuing); Chance Peni, Ethan Carlisle (trial Jan 2009); Rick Le Roux, Elliott Burka, Brad Lacey, Steve Komene, Adrian Shanahan (trial June 2009); Ross Hayett-Petty (trial November 2009).

The Junior Academy for 2009 commenced in October 2008 with 30 players. A relationship was developed with ECU Joondalup and Notre Dame University Fremantle whereby the Junior Academy players received Strength and Conditioning coaching from the Sports Science students, as well as skills coaching by RugbyWA coaches Gus Martyn, Ian Fowler, Tony Ball, and Dean Carlisle. The players had two S & C sessions and two skills sessions per week. This ran until May when the junior representative seasons commenced.

Skills Coach: S & C Coaches:

The 2009 / 2010 program has been developed to fall more in line with the NTS and Senior Academy programs. It will be centralized to RugbyWA with players completing up to eight hours of training over four days per week. We have found the best results have come from the current NTS program and as such we are going to endeavour to replicate that through the Junior Academy program. This allows for a seamless transition for graduating players from Junior Academy to NTS and ultimately Senior Academy and then the Force.

U14’s STATE CHAMPIONS: SOUTH

Dwayne Nestor Warren Andrews Chris Dorman

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS The 2009 State Championships were contested this year between North and South providing for a far better tournament than last years three region series. The results reflected much closer competition and a higher level of play.

U15’s STATE CHAMPIONS: SOUTH U16’s STATE CHAMPIONS: NORTH Dwayne Nestor Junior Elite Coach & NTS/Academy

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Finance Report Coming into 2009 we were very aware that our stakeholders wanted to view rugby in a rectangular arena and it was vital that we remained committed to delivering this. We hosted the Crusaders in a pre-season trial match at the then named Members Equity Stadium and the support was overwhelming. The message was clear: give us quality rugby on a rectangular field and we will support you. The financial impact in 2009 of playing in a non-rugby venue, together with the global financial crisis has been significant on our organisation. RugbyWA is very fortunate to have had continued financial support from our major sponsors and preferred suppliers during 2009 and we acknowledge the importance of these relationships. Unfortunately like many other industries, we were impacted by the global financial situation. We experienced a decline in our corporate hospitality support that has been a very strong financial element of our match day since we entered the competition in 2006. Our membership continued to decline which was a combination of the viewing experience and the economic impact that our supporters were experiencing. Our revenue drop of $2.9M in 2009 meant that we had to manage our costs very closely. We still pride ourselves in delivering a great experience to the rugby community whether

that is a 10 year old in the school ground learning how to pass the ball, a member sitting in the sea of blue cheering for the boys, sponsors being delivered the leverage expected from their investment into the brand, a junior player being selected in a national squad or your local rugby club winning the championship. Whilst we reduced our overall costs by $1.3M this year we still remained focused on supporting rugby in the community and were able to invest just under $1M back into grass roots rugby. The decision to move to what is now called ME Bank Stadium was a significant moment in history for Rugby in Western Australia. The rugby community rallied hard to win the bid for a Super14 team in this state and we were now moving to a rectangular field. The Government of Western Australia has supported us with a $2M interest free loan to assist with some temporary upgrades to the stadium to bring the venue up to SANZAR minimum levels. We have finished the year with a deficit result of $729,000 and we are committed to turn this around in 2010. We feel confident that we have made some strategic decisions that will continue to grow rugby in Western Australia both on and off the field. The finance team has been an enormous support to me during 2009; thank you Madelene, Dan and Damian. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a tough year and you have all worked really hard, I truly appreciate your efforts. Maryanne Wilson Chief Financial Officer

Proud sponsor of the Emirates Western Force ET Mining Solutions 501 Great Eastern Hwy, Redcliffe. WA. Phone: (+61) 8 9475 3800 Fax. (+61) 8 9479 1311 Email admin@et.net.au Web www.et.net.au

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Äą

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

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE STATE OF AFFAIRS

Your board members submit the financial report of the Western Australian Rugby Union (Inc.) (“RugbyWA” or “the Association”) for the year ended 31 December 2009.

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS

There have been no significant changes in the state of affairs.

BOARD MEMBERS The names of the board members throughout the year and at the date of this report are: Geoffrey Stooke OAM: Chairman Anthony Harvey: President Deceased September 2009 Terry Bradbury Resigned March 2009 Charles Fear Steve Fink Anthony Howarth Elected March 2009 David Redpath Russell Perry Vern Reid Resigned May 2009 Nathan Sharpe Appointed March 2009 Brent Stewart John Welborn Resigned March 2009, Appointed July 2009

Executives Greg Harris - Chief Executive Officer Vern Reid - Chief Executive Officer Maryanne Wilson - Chief Financial Officer

Resigned April 2009 Appointed May 2009

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS AND RESULTS Likely 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 inunreasonable prejudice to the association.

CORPORATE INFORMATION The financial report of Western Australian Rugby Union (Inc.) for the year ended 31 December 2009 was authorised for issue in accordance with a resolution of the board members on 15 February 2010. 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 Drive FLOREAT WA 6014 The nature of the operations and principal activities of the Association are described in the Director’s Report. The entity employed 75 employees as of 31 December 2009 (2008: 78 employees).

BOARD MEETINGS The 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 12 Anthony Harvey: President - Non-executive 6 8 Terry Bradbury - Non-executive 3 3 Charles Fear - Non-executive 12 12 Steve Fink - Non-executive 11 12 Anthony Howarth - Non-executive 8 9 David Redpath - Non-executive 10 12 Russell Perry - Non-executive 12 12 Vern Reid - Non-executive 5 5 Nathan Sharpe - Player Representative 6 10 Brent Stewart - Non-executive 7 12 John Welborn - Non-executive 4 5 John Welborn - Player Representative 3 3 Greg Harris - Chief Executive Officer Vern Reid - Chief Executive Officer Maryanne Wilson - Chief Financial Officer

The operating deficit for the financial year was $728,842. (2008: surplus $851,913). 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 2009 Annual Report.

5 7 11

5 7 12

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

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION AND PERFORMANCE The 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 OAM Dated: 15 February 2010 Perth

A - Number of meetings attended B - Reflects the number of meetings held during the time the Board member held office during the year.

REMUNERATION Non-executive directors do not receive remuneration from the Association.

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES The principal activities of the Association during the financial year were the operation and management of Rugby Union development in Western Australia.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AT 31 DECEMBER 2009

Note

REVENUE FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS OPERATING EXPENDITURE

2009

2008

17,537,242

20,463,265

Note

(6,931,850)

Cash and cash equivalents

5,932,254

7,715,898

Trade and other receivables

684,805

427,466

Inventory

51,383

14,110

Other current assets

(6,412,256)

Media services expenses

(286,480)

(277,735)

Community rugby expenses

(996,577)

(1,365,176)

Professional rugby expenses

(8,488,816)

(8,312,267)

Corporate services expenses

(2,081,955)

(2,724,324)

(728,842)

851,913

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS

Other comprehensive income

TOTAL ASSETS

Total comprehensive income for the period

(728,842)

851,913

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS

322,298

362,454

6,990,740

8,519,928

1,127,918

259,557

1,127,918

259,557

8,118,658

8,779,485

NON-CURRENT ASSETS Property, plant and equipment

2008

CURRENT ASSETS

Commercial services expenses

NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT)

2009

CURRENT LIABILITIES The accompanying notes form part of this financial report.

Trade and other payables

646,684

917,639

Unearned revenue

3,679,319

5,423,639

Employee entitlements

166,905

201,839

Non interest bearing liabilities

694,647

Interest bearing liabilities

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES

23,708

5,211,263

6,543,117

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Employee entitlements

91,764

82,043

Non interest bearing liabilities

1,305,353

Interest bearing liabilities

84,795

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

1,481,912

82,043

TOTAL LIABILITIES

6,693,175

6,625,160

NET ASSETS

1,425,483

2,154,325

1,425,483

2,154,325

1,425,483

2,154,325

MEMBERS’ FUNDS Accumulated surplus

The accompanying notes form part of this financial report.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) CASH FLOW STATEMENT YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

Note CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Receipts from members and sponsors Operating grants received Payments to suppliers and employees Interest received GST paid Net cash from operating activities

2009 $

2008 $

12,448,387 4,839,999 (19,831,776) 248,856 (538,715)

15,183,250 4,810,000 (20,160,556) 470,014 (863,309)

(2,833,249)

(560,601)

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

(950,395)

(91,483)

Net cash from/(used in) investing activities

(950,395)

(91,483)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from borrowings

2,000,000

Net cash from/(used in) financing activities

2,000,000

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

(1,783,644)

(645,738)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

7,715,898

8,361,636

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

5,932,254

7,715,898

Members Funds

Total

At 1 January 2009 Deficit for the period Other comprehensive income At 31 December 2009 At 1 January 2008 Surplus for the period Other comprehensive income At 31 December 2008

2,154,325 (728,842) - 1,425,483

2,154,325 (728,842) 1,425,483

1,302,412 851,913 - 2,154,325

1,302,412 851,913 2,154,325

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

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RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

(a) Basis of Preparation This 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 Compliance The 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 2009 and are outlined in the table below.

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

NOTE 1: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Reference Title Summary

Application Impact on date of Association standard* report

AASB 2008-6 Further Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from the Annual Improvements Project

This was the second omnibus of amendments issued by the IASB arising from the Annual Improvements Project.

1-Jul-09

AASB 2009-4 Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from the Annual Improvements Project [AASB 2 and AASB 138 and AASB Interpretations 9 & 16]

This Standard makes amendments to Australian Accounting Standards AASB 2 Share-based Payment and AASB 138 Intangible Assets and AASB Interpretations 9 Reassessment of Embedded Derivatives and 16 Hedges of a Net Investment in a Foreign Operation. These amendments are as a consequence of the annual improvements project. The amendments to some Standards result in accounting changes for presentation, recognition or measurement purposes, while some amendments that relate to terminology and editorial changes are expected to have no or minimal effect on accounting. The main amendment of relevance to Australian entities is that made to Interpretation 16 which allows qualifying hedge instruments to be held by any entity or entities within the group, including the foreign operation itself, as long as the designation, documentation and effectiveness requirements in AASB 139 that relate to a net investment hedge are satisfied. More hedging relationships will be eligible for hedge accounting as a result of the amendment.

1-Jul-09

Application date for Association

The Association has not yet determined the extent of the impact of the amendments if any.

1-Jan-10

The Association has not yet determined the extent of the impact of the amendments if any.

1-Jan-10

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

NOTE 1: STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (cont.) Reference Title Summary AASB 2009-5 Further Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards arising from the Annual Improvements Project [AASB 5, 8, 101, 107, 117, 118, 136 & 139]

AASB 2009-7 Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards [AASB 5,7,107,112,136 & 139 and Interpretation 17]

Application Impact on date of Association standard* report

1-Jan-10 The amendments to some Standards result in accounting changes for presentation, recognition or measurement purposes, while some amendments that relate to terminology and editorial changes are expected to have no or minimal effect on accounting except for the following: The amendment to AASB 117 removes the specific guidance on classifying land as a lease so that only the general guidance remains. Assessing land leases based on the general criteria may result in more land leases being classified as finance leases and if so, the type of asset which is to be recorded (intangible vs. property, plant and equipment) needs to be determined. The amendment to AASB 101 stipulates that the terms of a liability that could result, at anytime, in its settlement by the issuance of equity instruments at the option of the counterparty do not affect its classification. The amendment to AASB 107 explicitly states that only expenditure that results in a recognised asset can be classified as a cash flow from investing activities. The amendment to AASB 118 provides additional guidance to determine whether an entity is acting as a principal or as an agent. The features indicating an entity is acting as a principal are whether the entity: - has primary responsibility for providing the goods or service; - has inventory risk; - has discretion in establishing prices; - bears the credit risk. The amendment to AASB 136 clarifies that the largest unit permitted for allocating goodwill acquired in a business combination is the operating segment, as defined in IFRS 8 before aggregation for reporting purposes. The main change to AASB 139 clarifies that a prepayment option is considered closely related to the host contract when the exercise price of a prepayment option reimburses the lender up to the approximate present value of lost interest for the remaining term of the host contract. The other changes clarify the scope exemption for business combination contracts and provide clarification in relation to accounting for cash flow hedges.

The Association has not yet determined the extent of the impact of the amendments if any.

These comprise editorial amendments and are expected to have no major impact on the requirements of the amended pronouncements.

The Association has not yet determined the extent of the impact of the amendments if any.

1-Jul-09

Application date for Association 1-Jan-10

(c) Significant accounting judgments, estimates and assumptions The 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 amounts of certain assets and liabilities within the next annual reporting period are: Impairment of property, plant and equipment The 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 leave Liabilities 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 leave A liability for long service leave is recognised, and is measured as the present value of expected future payments to be made in respect of services provided by employees up to the reporting date. 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. (d) Revenue Recognition Revenue 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 Services Where 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. Interest Revenue 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 interest rate, which is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts through the expected life of the financial asset to the net carrying amount of the financial asset. Sale of Goods Revenue 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 rewards of ownership are considered passed to the buyer at the time of delivery of the goods to the customer. (e) Cash and cash equivalents Cash 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.

1-Jan-10

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

* Application date is for the annual reporting periods beginning on or after the date shown in the above table. 48

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

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.

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.

(g) Income Tax The 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 taxes Revenue, 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 Equipment Plant and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses.

(k) Trade and Other Payables Trade 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) Provisions Provisions 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 leave Liabilities 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.

Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the specific assets as follows: Furniture and fittings Leasehold improvements Motor vehicles Plant and equipment Website infrastructure

2009 2 to 10 years the lease term 7 years 2 to 15 years 3 years

2008 2 to 10 years the lease term 7 years 2 to 15 years 3 years

The assets’ residual values, useful lives and amortisation methods are reviewed and adjusted if appropriate, at each financial year end. (i) Impairment Assets 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 disposals An 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.

(ii) Long service leave The 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) Leases The 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 fulfillment 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 Lessee Finance 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 statement of comprehensive income on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

(j) Impairment of Assets Assets 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

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009 2009 $ NOTE 2: REVENUE Commercial Services 11,918,280 Community rugby 810,657 Professional rugby 4,511,819 Corporate services 296,486 17,537,242 NOTE 3: EXPENDITURE Bad debt expense Bad debt expense 152,941 152,941 Allowance for doubtful debt Allowance for doubtful debt recognised/(utilised) (100,000) (100,000) Finance costs Bank charges 65,411 65,411 Depreciation expense Depreciation 82,034 82,034 Employee benefits expense Wages and salaries 7,003,181 Superannuation 611,434 7,614,615 NOTE 4: CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS Cash at bank (i) 302,195 Term deposits (ii) 5,630,059 5,932,254 (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 to three months, depending on the immediate cash requirements of the association and earn interest at the respective short-term deposit rates. NOTE 5: TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES Trade debtors (i) 684,805 Allowance for doubtful debt - 684,805 (i) Trade receivables are non-interest bearing and are generally on 30-90 day terms. An allowance for doubtful debts is made when there is objective evidence that a trade receivable is impaired. An allowance for doubtful debt of nil (2008: $100,000) has been recognised by the Assoication in the current year. As at 31 December 2009 $34,806 (5%) of trade receivables was greater than 90 days compared to $171,290 (32%) at 31 December 2008. Payment terms on these amounts have not been re-negotiated. However amounts that are for hospitality will have access withheld until payment is received.

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RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009 2008 $ 14,830,553 622,285 4,497,392 513,036 20,463,265

400,000 400,000 100,000 100,000

97,687 97,687 146,459 146,459 7,513,488 612,692 8,126,180

207,291 7,508,607 7,715,898

527,466 (100,000) 427,466

NOTE 6: INVENTORIES At cost NOTE 7: OTHER CURRENT ASSETS Deferred costs Prepayments

2009 $

2008 $

51,383 51,383

14,110 14,110

228,207 94,091 322,298

268,891 93,563 362,454

170,110 (165,404) 4,706

166,474 (164,017) 2,457

661,627 (468,603) 193,024

603,934 (411,298) 192,636

13,997 (11,677) 2,320

13,996 (8,879) 5,117

Website infrastructure - cost 48,758 Less accumulated depreciation (35,874) 12,884 Leased plant and equipment - cost 58,596 Less accumulated depreciation (58,596) -

35,310 (24,517) 10,793

Motor vehicles - cost Less accumulated depreciation

41,150 (34,121) 7,029

41,150 (31,530) 9,620

Leased Motor vehicles - cost Less accumulated depreciation

109,930 (1,427) 108,503

Construction work-in-progress

799,452

33,767

Total property plant and equipment

1,127,918

259,557

Reconciliations Leasehold improvements Carrying amount at beginning of year Additions Depreciation Carrying amount at end of year

2,457 3,636 (1,387) 4,706

35,790 (33,333) 2,457

NOTE 8: PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT Leasehold improvements - cost Less accumulated depreciation Plant and equipment - cost Less accumulated depreciation Furniture and fittings - cost Less accumulated depreciation

58,596 (53,429) 5,167

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

NOTE 8: PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (cont.) Plant and equipment Carrying amount at beginning of year Additions Disposals Depreciation Carrying amount at end of year

2009 $

2008 $

192,636 57,693 - (57,305) 193,024

222,041 57,715 (6,352) (80,768) 192,636

Furniture and fittings Carrying amount at beginning of year Depreciation Carrying amount at end of year

5,117 (2,797) 2,320

7,916 (2,799) 5,117

Website infrastructure Carrying amount at beginning of year Additions Depreciation Carrying amount at end of year

10,793 13,448 (11,357) 12,884

22,477 (11,684) 10,793

Leased plant and equipment Carrying amount at beginning of year Depreciation Carrying amount at end of year

5,169 (5,169) -

20,444 (15,277) 5,167

Motor vehicles Carrying amount at beginning of year Depreciation Carrying amount at end of year

9,620 (2,591) 7,029

12,212 (2,592) 9,620

Leased Motor vehicles Carrying amount at beginning of year Additions Depreciation Carrying amount at end of year

- 109,930 (1,427) 108,503

Construction work-in progress Carrying amount at beginning of year Additions Carrying amount at end of year

33,767 765,685 799,452

33,767 33,767

Total property plant and equipment

1,127,918

259,557

354,260 292,424 646,684

552,895 364,744 917,639

NOTE 9: TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES Trade payables (i) Other payables (ii) (i) Trade payables are non-interest bearing and are normally settled on 30 day terms. (ii) Other payables are non-trade payables, are non-interest bearing and have an average term of one month.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

NOTE 10: UNEARNED REVENUE Unearned membership revenue Unearned corporate hospitality revenue Unearned sponsorship/event revenue

2009 $

2008 $

2,356,829 1,314,380 8,110 3,679,319

3,063,519 2,298,152 61,968 5,423,639

NOTE 11: EMPLOYEE ENTITLEMENTS Current Employee entitlements

166,905 166,905

201,839 201,839

Non current Employee entitlements

91,764 91,764

82,043 82,043

NOTE 12: NON INTEREST BEARING LIABILITIES Current WA Government loan (i) Deferred revenue

148,172 546,475 694,647

1,305,353 1,305,353

NOTE 13: INTEREST BEARING LIABILITIES Current Lease liability (Note 17) Less unexpired lease charges

33,547 (9,839) 23,708

Non current Lease liability (Note 17) Less unexpired lease charges

97,092 (12,297) 84,795

NOTE 14: MEMBERS’ FUNDS Accumulated surplus/(deficit) Balance at beginning of year Add: Surplus for the year Balance at end of year

2,154,325 (728,842) 1,425,483

1,302,412 851,913 2,154,325

Non current WA Government loan (i) WA Government loan is an interest free loan from the Western Australian Government for the term of 8 years.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009 NOTE 15: CASH FLOW STATEMENT RECONCILIATION Reconciliation of surplus to net cash provided by operating activities Net surplus/(deficit) for the period

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009 2009 $

2008 $

(728,842)

851,913

Add/(less) non-cash items: Depreciation

82,034

146,459

Before change in assets and liabilities

(646,808)

998,372

Change in assets and liabilities during the financial period (Increase) / decrease in receivables (Increase) / decrease in other current assets (Increase) / decrease in inventories Increase / (decrease) in unearned revenue Increase / (decrease) in payables Increase / (decrease) in employee entitlements Increase / (decrease) in interest bearing liabilities Net cash provided by operating activities

(257,339) 40,156 (37,273) (1,744,320) (270,956) (25,213) 108,504 (2,833,249)

103,440 259,948 13,210 (1,603,744) (255,681) (76,146) (560,601)

NOTE 16: SEGMENT INFORMATION The Association operates solely within the Sporting Industry of Australia.

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RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

60,000 700,000 1,240,000 2,000,000

NOTE 18: RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES Members of the Board The 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, A Howarth, R Perry, D Redpath, V Reid, N Sharpe, B Stewart, J Welborn The following related party transactions occurred during the year - consulting fees totalling $6,006 has been paid to Terry Bradbury. - market research costs totalling $69,630 have been paid to Synovate Pty Ltd, Brent Stewart is the chairman and chief executive of Synovate Pty Ltd.

M Earsman, M Hardy, G Harris, N Horrocks, S Lee, J Mitchell, V Reid, M Tink, M White, M Wilson 39,850 79,700 119,550

Finance Leases The Association has entered into commercial leases on certain motor vehicles. There are no restrictions placed upon the lessee by entering into these leases.

Lease liabilities provided for in the financial statements Current Non current

2008 $

NOTE 19: KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL DISCLOSURES (i) Details of Key Management Personnel Key management personnel of the association during the financial year were:

Future minimum rentals payable under non-cancellable operating leases as at 31 December 2009 are as follows:

Within one year After one year but not more than five years Less amounts representing finance charges present value of minimum lease payments Present value of minimum lease payments

Within one year After one year but not more than five years After more than five years

2009 $

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.

NOTE 17: EXPENDITURE COMMITMENTS Operating Leases The Association has entered into commercial leases on certain motor vehicles. These leases have a life of three years with no renewal option included in the contract. There are no restrictions placed upon the lessee by entering into these leases.

Within one year After one year but not more than five years

Western Australian government loan The Association has a contractual obligation to pay back the 8 year interest free loan.

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.

1,252,092

1,114,255

33,000 8,635

32,000 7,755

There have been no transactions and balances with key management personnel and their related parties during the year. 33,547 97,092 (22,136) 108,503

23,708 84,795 108,503

NOTE 20: 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 * taxation advice

NOTE 21: SUBSEQUENT EVENTS There 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.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

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WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2009

NOTE 22: 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.

Concentration of credit risk The 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.

The Association uses different methods to measure and manage different types of risks to which it is exposed. These include monitoring levles 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.

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

The Board reviews and agrees policies for managing each of these risks as summariesed 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. Financial Instruments (a) Financial assets Cash Total Financial Assets

Floating interest rate 2009 2008 $ $ 5,932,254 5,932,254

(b) Financial liabilities Interest bearing liabilities Total Financial Liabilities

7,715,898 7,715,898

108,503 108,503

- -

Weighted average effective interest rate 2009 2008 % % 5.21 -

6.398 -

10.58 -

The table delow details the interest rate sensitivity analyses of the Association at the reporting date, holding all other variables constant. Financial Instruments Risk Variable Sensitivity Interest Rate + 1.0 % - 1.0 %

Effect On: Profit 2009 66,517 (66,517)

Effect On: Equity 2009 66,517 (66,517)

Profit 2008 77,782 (77,782)

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

Liquidity Risk Prudent 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. Year ended 31 December 2009 Financial assets Cash & cash equivalents Trade & other receivables Financial liabilities Trade & other payables Lease Government loan

<6 months

6-12 months

1-5 years

>5 years

Total

5,932,254 684,805 6,617,059

- - -

5,932,254 684,805 6,617,059

646,684 - - 646,684

- 63,558 60,000 123,558

- 164,495 700,000 864,495

- - 1,240,000 1,240,000

646,684 228,053 2,000,000 2,874,737

Equity 2008 77,782 (77,782)

(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 exposures The 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.

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RUGBY UNION (INC.) DIRECTOR’S DECLARATION 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 2009 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 Stooke Chairman Perth, 15 February 2010

RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

Staff 2009 RugbyWA Board

Back row (L to R): S Fink, C Fear, B Stewart, M Wilson (Secretar y), A Howarth, D Redpath, R Perr y, J Welborn Front row (L to R): V Reid (Chief Executive Officer), G M Stooke OAM CitWA (Chairman) *N Sharpe (absent)

RWA Employee of the year Colin Richardson

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RugbyWA 2009 Annual Report

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