Community Engagement Programme

One of the Club's primary purposes is to maintain a community function. Over the years we have promoted as many communities as possible under the banner of Sport for All. We regularly engage with Paralympics Australia, The Big Issue Community Street Football, Silent Sports, the Lord's Taverners and the Clontarf Academies to name but a few.

At the recent Captain's & Advisory Board Dinner I outlined some more medium term goals, looking beyond the end of this Parliament. Over the next four years we will develop programmes of engagement around the following:

Women's Sport

Pacific Islander Sport

Frontline Workers through the Recognition Sports Festival

Empowerment of  young people to build the skills, confidence and resilience they need to support their communities and be ready for the world through the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

Please reach out with ideas and suggestions to promote this engagement and note two initial initiatives below.

Sport Advisory Board Appointments

As part of the longer term plan to deliver on the Club's objectives a Sport Advisory Board has been formed to advise and help shape the direction of the Club.

I am pleased to announce the first appointments, with more to follow:

Kim Brennan AM  Rowing Olympic Gold Medallist 2016, World Champion 2013, 2015. Chair AOC Athletes Commission

Mal Meninga AM Rugby League, Head Coach Australia 17 Caps, Player 46 Caps. Queensland Coach 30 Caps, Player 32 Caps Rugby League Immortal.

Amy Duggan Football Australia Matilda's 27 Caps Director Football Australia, Sports Presenter

Phil Kearns Rugby Australia Wallabies 67 Caps Captain 10 World Cup 1991, 1999. Executive Director Rugby World Cup 2027 Bid 

Kate Carpenter Netball, Head Coach, Papua New Guinea 1997/8, Fiji 2014-2016 The Capital Spirit 2019

Justin Harrison Rugby Australia 34 Caps Brumbies, Waratahs, Ulster, Bath, Narbonne. CEO Rugby Union Players Association

Carrie Graf AM Basketball Head Coach Australia 2009-12, Phoenix Mercury 2004-05, Olympic Silver Medallist  2000 WNBL 1983-1989

Michael Roeger Athletics World Champion Gold Medalist Paralympic Games medalist, T46 marathon World Record holder

Lucille Baille Basketball Australian Opal Captain Canberra Capitals WNBL 377 games CEO Physical Activity Foundation

I know that they are looking forward to playing a role in the Club and it's activities, meeting members and promoting the values of sport.

Captain's & Advisory Board Dinner

The Community Engagement Programme and Sport Advisory Board were formally announced at the Dinner held on the Monday of budget week. Members were privileged to hear from advisory board member Phil Kearns Executive Director Rugby World Cup 2027 Bid on the progress of the bid just two weeks before it's official launch. We also welcomed former Club Chair Hon Gary Nairn AO in his role as Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.