The Annual General Meeting of the NSW Rugby League last week reported a 2024 season to be proud of with record participation numbers, a resolution of outstanding funding issues with the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) and the launch of an Infrastructure Fund for grassroots facilities.
John Anderson OAM (director since 2019) and Joe Kelly (2023) were elected unopposed to continue their roles as directors of NSWRL and they join continuing elected directors Bob Walsh (2019) and the Hon. Kevin Greene AM (2022).
Subsequent to the AGM, Terry Brady (2019) was reappointed to the role of expert director and Tarsha Gale was newly appointed as an expert director.
Caroyln Campbell, an expert director of NSWRL since 2023, was appointed as Chair and Anderson continues in the role of Deputy Chair (since 2022).
Campbell has spent 35 years in the national sporting landscape including roles with basketball, hockey and an 18-year stint as CEO of Netball NSW. She was also manager of the Hockeyroos during their golden era and is a former international, captaining the Australian Under 21s hockey team.
She is currently the Chair of Hockey One (the elite hockey league), and a director of Volleyball Australia and Bankstown Sports Club Inc, and a former Sport NSW Chair and Venues NSW Director.
Anderson said: “Carolyn’s elite sporting credentials and outstanding administrative career make her ideally placed to lead NSWRL in the coming years.”
Campbell said: “It is an incredible time to be joining the organisation in this capacity as highlighted at the AGM with the wonderful achievements that were documented and the continued growth on and off the field.
“My time on the Board has enabled me to gain valuable insights into the game, the business of Rugby League and the genuine passion for the Blues throughout the community across the entire state. I am incredibly honoured to be appointed Chair.”
Campbell will be the first female Chair in the history of the NSWRL, while Gale will be the first former NSW women’s Rugby League player to serve on the NSWRL Board.
Gale was the first NSW women’s captain and a former Australian captain, and was last year inducted into the NRL Hall of Fame. The NSWRL’s Under 19s women’s pathways competition is named in her honour, as the Westpac Tarsha Gale Cup.
Anderson said: “When I approached Tarsha to ask if she was interested in joining the Board the excited nature of her response told me straight away she was exactly the type of person we were looking for.”
Gale said: “I have always had a great passion for Rugby League as a player and more recently as a spectator. I am excited to watch the expansion in all areas of our great game.
“Being appointed to the Board is a great honour and an incredible opportunity to be involved with the decision-making process that will continue the growth of the game. The future of Rugby League in NSW looks exciting.”
Anderson also paid tribute to outgoing Chair Paul Conlon, who was first appointed to the role in 2023.
Anderson said: “I want to thank Paul for his service to the organisation. He leaves a great legacy from his tenure with NSW Rugby League, highlighted by the win in Origin last year and the resolution of the funding dispute with the ARLC.”
