2024 RUPA Newsletter - The Advantage Line

THEADVANTAGELINE RUPANewsletter

WELCOME TO THE RUPA NEWSLETTER

The RUPA Advantage Line Newsletter is distributed to RUPA’s entire network of past and present members for updates on latest RUPA news, upcoming events, player support services and Rugbyrelated milestones

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Professional RUPA Rugby Player Induction Camp 2023ProudlyPresentedbyBuildcorp

WaratahsPlayerDevelopmentManagerCharlotte AnneveldwithVuateKarawalevu(Waratahs)

MESSAGEFROM RUPACEO

TheAdvantageLineNewsletterisaplatform toinformandengagemultiplelevelsofRUPA stakeholderswhoareallinvestedin maximisingandsupportingthePlayer Journey.

The environment you operate in is a HighPerformance vehicle with many related parts that produce an output. Putting the moving parts together can be difficult and many times seem lonely RUPA works to support you on your journey to move forward collectively as a connected, trusted and informed group of people

We hope these newsletters will not only inform but inspire Players to utilise the suite of support services available to create valuable advantages. RUPA will assist Players, both past and present, in creating opportunities for themselves that will be relevant on and off the field

Go well and we look forward to sharing and supporting the many valued and meaningful stories from all areas of our membership as 2024 builds as a year that will be defined by the actions and engagement of everyone in the Australian Rugby ecosystem

ClickheretohearmorefromGoog

Wallaby#770andRUPACEO JustinHarrison

CampbellFisher Chairman

JustinHarrison CEO

PennyRansom Director

DavidPorecki President

HughSinclair WaratahsDirector

DominiqueduToit Women’sRugbySevens Director

HenryHutchison Men’sRugbySevens Director

CaderynNeville BrumbiesDirector

EmilyChancellor Women’sXV’sDirector

FraserMcReight RedsDirector

AndrewKellaway RebelsDirector

MichaelWells ForceDirector

PLAYERDEVELOPMENT MANAGERS

RUPA’s Player Development Managers (PDM’s) are the shopfront delivery to players for all things related to The Advantage Line and Player Development, equipping players with a toolbox of resources to assist their off-field development.

CharlotteAnneveld WaratahsPDM

ScottHancock WesternForcePDM

AlishaReber RugbySevensand WallaroosPDM

RobinDuff BrumbiesPDM

HayleyCronin RedsPDM

MoanaLeilua RebelsPDM

Through the 6th Collective Bargaining Agreement, RUPA has presence across many committees The below diagram outlines the relationship between each committee.

https://ruparugby/

THEADVANTAGELINEJAMESHOLBECK

The Advantage Line Player Development Program provides core skills for life across our 6 Pillars of Player Development For each of the RUPA pillars, there is a foundational set of outcomes that PDM’s drive in each of their clubs. The launching pad of the program starts at the induction camp for first year contracted players. The induction process is designed to increase a players capacity to adapt to their new high-performance environment.

At the 2023 Induction Camp, 100% of players both felt more aware of how RUPA supports them and also felt more aware of their end of year goals (see more in the Induction section on page 12).

The Advantage Line program focuses on creating skills for life that underpin being better rugby players and better people. Part of this is creating wellrounded individuals who are able to understand what they would like their lives to look like, and then allowing the program to provide the skills and support to help each person move towards their own goals. Individual goals are not just set within rugby but helping players to envision what a good life looks like to them away from rugby. From as early as the induction process, they are asked to consider the values they would like to hold in driving their life forward, and develop strategies to the challenges that lay ahead in highperformance environments.

Wallaby#737,formerRedsandWesternForce PDMandRUPAPlayerDevelopmentGeneral Manager

THEADVANTAGELINE

The Advantage Line ensures that every player:

Is provided with financial management skillsfrom Financial Partners BDO to enable them to make the most of their money.

Receives regular mental health awareness training and coping skills to deal with the challenges of high-performance environments.

Has access to a level of complimentary psychological support to deal with issues around mental health, gambling, alcohol, disordered eating, etc

Has access to a training and education fund to encourage an attitude of building a life away from rugby

Has a support person, through the PDM, embedded within the team who remains an independent and confidential resource.

Is provided with cultural awareness training to enable environments that drive a sense of belonging for people from all cultures.

Is provided with the opportunity to develop goal-setting skills that help form healthy habits and drive a vision for rugby & life.

Has access to a career professional from Career and Education Partners Robert Walters to cover career and vocational development.

https://ruparugby/

HenryO’Donnell(WesternForce)

FelixKalapuandMarleyPearce(WesternForce)

INDUCTION CAMP

The 2023 Professional Rugby Player Induction Camp - proudly presented by Buildcorp, was held in November at the Holiday Inn Potts Point over a 3 day period, including a day out at Rugby AU Head Quarters. The Induction Camp taught players valuable and insightful skills into becoming better people on and off the field through an educational lense.

With over 15 RUPA inductees, staff, commercial partners and special guests, the 2023 induction camp was an absolute triumph with 100% of inductees stating that they strongly feel supported by RUPA in their career

‘Just knowing that there is an organisation for players, set up by players, to help us be better people and set us up for life after rugby and giving us the tools we need’

Papillon Sevele - Western Force

‘It is good to know that they are there to support us off field so we can focus more on rugby’

Lachlan Shaw - ACT Brumbies

ACTBrumbiesPlayerDevelopmentManager RobinDuffwithRUPAInducteeLachlanShaw (Brumbies)

PapillonSevele(WesternForce)andMarley Pearce(WesternForce)atRugbyAUHead Quarters

INDUCTION CAMP PLAYER DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS

MEDIA AND SPORT - NICK MCARDLE (STAN SPORT)

Stan Sport Host, Nick McArdle, delivered a session to the inductees on the role that broadcasting services play in connecting fans and players.

Nick highlighted the relationship between media and athletes, emphasising the ‘partnership’ nature where showcasing the athlete is often in their best interests

For many of the RUPA inductees, 2024 will be their first time on live camera, so it is vital that players are instilled with valuable interview skills and resources to feel more comfortable.

FINANCIAL LITERACY- BDO

RUPA’s long standing official accounting and audit partner, BDO, delivered an interactive session on the basics of financial literacy as an athlete and the role of BDO in supporting athletes in their financial journey.

Will Tuffley and Kelly Kennedy from BDO have been longstanding supporters of The Advantage Line, presenting to RUPA inductees and player groups each year

Will and Kelly stressed the importance of maintaining financial health, the benefits of saving, tax maintenance, superannuation, investment opportunities and debt avoidance.

INDUCTION CAMP PLAYER DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS

CULTURAL AWARENESS - MATTHEW HODGSON AND MOANA LEILUA

Wallaby #841 and General Manager at Western Force, Matt Hodgson, delivered an insightful session into his indigenous culture and how this shaped him as a professional athlete and more so, a family man and now Rugby Administrator.

Player Development Manager for Melbourne Rebels, Moana Leilua, explained the importance of culture and how players can explore their values to ensure they align to promote cohesive and effective team work.

MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING - ROBIN DUFF

Player Development Manager for the Brumbies, Robin Duff, presented a meaningful session on the importance of managing mental health as a professional athlete and strategies to improve overall wellbeing. Robin highlighted that managing mental wellbeing is just as importance as physical health and equipped players with mindfulness strategies to improve overall wellbeing. Areas of wellbeing awareness that were covered included maintaining life balance, resilience and identity throughout the player journey.

INDUCTION CAMP PLAYER DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS

CAREER DEVELOPMENT - ANDREW HANSON (ROBERT WALTERS)

Andrew Hanson, Managing Director of RUPA’s recently appointed official career and education partner, Robert Walters, delivered a session on the importance of building vocational skills outside of rugby to assist with the eventual transition process into new careers

Andrew highlighted that Robert Walters will provide players with tools to help them prepare for life after rugby into a new career including CV development, networking skills, LinkedIn support, interview tips, time management and navigating the job market to fulfil their potential.

BRAND BUILDING - VICKIE SAUNDERS

Vickie Saunders, from The Brand Builders, delivered a session to the players on understanding their unique brand image and story as a professional athlete, as well as the role a player has in many sporting fans lives

Players were asked to reflect on their interests, beliefs, values, passions and memories Vickie then explained that each interest and memory are key elements of an individual’s brand.

INDUCTION CAMP - SURVEY RESULTS

At the end of the camp, RUPA Inductees were asked to fill out a feedback survey on the biggest Player Development takeaways from the camp. Over 80% of Inductees found the Financial Literacy Session from BDO the most insightful, with many finding Branding, Career Education, Mental Health and Cultural Conversations useful components.

100% Playersfeelmore awareofhowRUPA cansupportyou duringyourcareer?

92% Doyoufeelthecamp wassuccessfulin helpingplayersgetto knoweachother?

86%

Doyoufeellikeyou knowmoreabout yourselfafterthe camp?

92% Doyoufeelmore awareofwhatyou wanttoachievebythe endoftheyear?

90% Doyoufeelmore preparedtodealwith setbacksandfinding healthycoping strategies?

90%

DoyoufeelRUPAhas providedyouwith strategies& informationthatwillbe usefulforyourlifeand career?

2023 ANNUAL RUGBY PLAYERS LUNCHPRESENTED BY BDO

The 2023 Annual Rugby Players Lunch, proudly presented by BDO, was held at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Thursday November 16. The Lunch recognises the remarkable talents that define Australian rugby legends and is an opportunity for current players to network with past players and the many supporters of the game. Click here to watch the 2023 Annual Lunch Wrap up.

James Slipper - Medal for Excellence - Presented by BDO

Ashley Marsters - Inaugural Women’s Medal for ExcellencePresented by Buildcorp

Charlotte Caslick - Women’s Sevens Players’ PlayerPresented by Taylors Wine

Dietrich Roache - Men’s Sevens Players’ Player - Presented by Gallagher Insurance

Tom Robertson - Academic Achievement Award - Presented by Robert Walters

Sharni Smale - Community Service Award - Citation Legal (formerly FCB)

Max Jorgensen - Newcomer of the Year - Presented by Stone and Wood

2024 RUPA ADVANTAGE LINE ROADSHOW

The RUPA Roadshows serve as a unique opportunity for RUPA staff to connect with players and relevant rugby bodies to spread awareness on RUPA’s vital support services. In addition, staff work alongside players in collaboration to increase understanding on what is most important to their career and lives

Topics that were covered included the fundamentality of RUPA’s role in protecting the longevity of player welfare through RUPA’s Player Career-Ending Insurance Scheme. Players heard from past Rugby Sevens and Brumbies player Tom Cusack, who in 2021, suffered from an illness which unfortunately ended his professional sporting career. Tom highlighted the importance of the insurance scheme in safe-guarding associated financial and welfare risks from careerending injury and creating peace of mind through the process

Goog and Jimmy elaborated on the many Player Support Services that are available to players through the Advantage Line Program This includes a new partnership initiative with Robert Walters. Robert Walters offer players specialised one-on-one sessions to develop vocational skills in their off-field career, including: CV writing, LinkedIn support, networking skills, interview skills and career development plans. To read more about RUPA Player Support S i li k h

2024 RUPA ROADSHOW

RUPA’s presentation included providing players with an update on World Rugby’s introduction of Instrumented Mouth Guards (IMG’s) as evolution to the Head Injury Assessment protocols Read below for a summary from World Rugby:

To read more click here

Instrumented mouthguards (iMG) (i.e., mouthguards embedded with sensors) are now commercially available and are used across rugby. Their use provides insight into head acceleration event frequency and magnitude during training and match-play, which holds promise in informing the management of chronic load 3,4. The potential to signal high-magnitude head impact incidents causing possible concussive events, warranting an off-field assessment, serves as a complementary objective measure alongside the current methods of identification by match officials, team doctors, and independent match-day doctors through direct observation and video review.

-World Rugby

RUPA extends its appreciation to each Club for their enthusiastic participation and engagement in these catchups and we look forward to continuing to work as a collaborative, connected and informed group of people

2024 ATTACKING THE ADVANTAGE LINE CONFERENCE

The 2024 RUPA Attacking the Advantage Line Conference allowed RUPA Staff to consolidate a transformative journey towards player development and personal growth. The Strategy Day is a unique opportunity for Player Development Managers to come together, learn from each other, and collectively work towards enhancing the support services available to RUPA Members The workshops asked PDM’s to reflect on player feedback and half-yearly reports and consider how the program’s success is better facilitated and measured.

Topics covered included a wellbeing session for crafting life now and beyond sport from Director of the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology at the Centre for Positive Psychology & lead researcher in the International Wellbeing Study, Associate Professor, Aaron Jarden. Additionally, an integrity session was held with Amy Stewart Thorp (Head of Integrity at Rugby AU) to collaborate ideas on better educating and supporting players to make better decisions. Other areas included player transition, player resource servicing, and setting team goals and collaborative practice These sessions are designed to consolidate the tools and insights needed to continue to support Rugby Union Players on and off the field.

Special thanks to the Australian Cricket Association for hosting our Strategy Day

The Advantage Line Newsletters will be sent out to the RUPA Community at the end of each quarter. Stay tuned for many valuable stories of the player journey from all areas of our membership. For more info or to submit a story for inclusion on the RUPA Newsletter, please contact: newsletter@rupa.com.au