Happy New Year All!
Seems like only yesterday we welcomed in the 2022 New Year, there was plenty of excitement and anticipation for that year would hold and by gosh did it deliver!
Now, we find ourselves once again at the start of a new year with a new season on the horizon and an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation for what is coming in 2023.
The last couple of months we have been hard at work getting ready for the new season, this includes making key changes to our club leadership and management, working on a solid retention and recruitment strategy, and working with our amazing partners to work on securing the clubs financial future.
As mentioned, we have made some key leadership and management changes, see some of the key ones below;
- BRAD HARRISON, President – We congratulate and welcome our new Club President Brad Harrison, Brad takes over from Matt Glascott who stood down at the end of last season. Brad joined our board in 2021 after previously being President of Gordon Junior Rugby and a Member of our Friends of Gordon Foundation. click here to learn more about our new president
- ACE NAATI, General Manager – We also welcomed a New General Manager in Ace Naati who has taken over from Grant Pisani. Ace was previously the club’s Team Operations Manager and 1st Grade Manager. He has been with the club for the last 16 years, progressing from a player in colts and grade to a coach of various teams, Team Manager, Lower Grades Coordinator and Operations Manager.
- JOSH MITCHELL, Pathways Director – We were pleased to welcome Josh Mitchell back in the middle of 2022. Josh took on the newly created role of Pathways Director, a role focusing on our local juniors’ development and building participation in the game at the grassroots level, and strengthening representation pathways. Josh will also be leading our Women 7s Program fostering the development of Women’s Rugby in the Gordon District.
- TAI GLASSIE, Club Coach – We welcome back one of Gordon’s Sons Tai Glassie, Tai has taken on the role of Club Coach. Tai will oversee all Rugby Programs working with the Head Coaches of each to ensure we have synchronicity across the programs. Tai will also be critical in the management of many of our transitioning colts to grade players as we continue to develop and grow our young playing group.
- EVIE HOROMIA, Head Coach – Women’s 15s – Wallaroo and Australian Women’s Rugby Great Evie Horomia will take over as Head Coach of the Women’s 15s Program. after the immense success of the 2022 Jack Scott Cup Season our championship women’s team will look to continue their growth. Evie will be kicking off her tenure with the First Ever Australian Women’s Club Championship Game, where we will take on QLD’s Premiers Bond Uni for the title, we are excited about the season ahead for our women’s team.
- NICK BROWN, Head Coach – Women’s 7s – Gordon Rugby and Gordon Juniors Stalwart Nick Brown has taken over as Head Coach of the women’s 7s program, working with Josh Mitchell, Nick will look to continue the great work done by Chris Cooper in developing our Women’s 7s program. Nick brings with him plenty of experience coaching our Juniors across School Level Rugby (Riverview), Colts and Girls Junior 7s, with plenty of local talent keen to be involved we are excited about the future.
(in our next newsletter, we will break down all our coaching and Staff Positions)
On the player front as is the case each year there has been plenty of movement across our teams as we said goodbye to some and welcomed some new players to our ranks, some key updates on the player front
- In Grade, we welcome Waratah’s Prop Tiaan Tauakipulu, a powerhouse that will bolster our front-row stocks. we also welcome back Harry Emery, the dynamic Half-Back who returns for the 2023 season and looks to build on an impressive showing in 2022 and strengthens our halfback unit.
- In Colts, Dellacruz Patia will be back in 2023, an exciting young flyhalf that continues to impress. we welcome young gun Harry Darling; the young backrower is another exciting prospect in both the 15s and 7s formats.
- In Women 15s, we have some exciting recruits to bolster the squad including Katalina Paenga-Amosa, sister of wallaby Brandon Paenga-Amosa, an exciting young hooker who has previously featured for the Australian school girls’ sevens team and Sydney Representative sides, she will be one to watch in 2023.
- In Women’s 7s, we are pleased to welcome a host of new and returning local talent, including young stars such as Emma Vandervelde, who is currently training with the NSW SuperW squad and Aussie 7s development squads, Ruby Nicholas, Sevens gun out of Pymble Ladies College and Lindfield Juniors, an exciting prospect who is also training with the Aussie 7s Development Squads.
Our Monthly meat raffle is back! so you get your tickets. thanks again to Campbells Meats for your support in supplying our meat trays again in 2023.
Coming Soon…
- Sponsor Spotlight, next week we will be launching a series where we get to know our sponsors, what they do and their connections to Gordon and the wonderful game of rugby, so look out for those emails starting next week!
- Player Profiles, get to know the playing group, next week you will get the know the highlanders that will don the tartan in 2023.
- Save the date – Friday, May 19th we will be hosting the GRFC Annual Lunch at Dockside Cocklebay Wharf, more details to come over the coming weeks.
There is plenty to be excited about in 2023, stay tuned, make sure your email alerts are on, and mark our email as favorites.
Stags up!
– Ace –
Photo Collage of the Week:
The Sky Blue stags are hard at work, Mahe, Thomas, Joey, Ola, Tiaan, and Harrison training the house down as they prep for the upcoming Super Rugby Trials and Season.
if you are interested in being involved with the club?
as a coach, manager, player, volunteer, or even just a water runner,
let us know!!
Contact generalmanager@gordonrugby.com.au.