Australian Rugby Sevens Captain and RUPA board member, Henry Hutchison, has recently completed the Sports Governance Education Program, delivered in partnership with iSport, marking another important step in his professional and personal development journey.
Henry Hutchison said:
“I am grateful to RUPA and iSport for putting me through this course, and I will continue to upskill and develop myself through other courses and programs provided through RUPA. I am passionate about representing Australian Rugby Union Players, and doing this course has made me more confident to take forward new ideas and new ways of thinking to help grow the game, on and off the field.”
RUPA’s Sports Governance Education Program was developed by iSport CEO and sports business professional, Dr Dave Arthur. The three-part short course addresses many of the challenges faced by professional players as they embark on board membership, and enables them to build the core foundational skills to effectively represent playing groups.
Dr Dave Arthur said:
“I built this program based on some hard won, practical experience to address challenges and issues faced by new RUPA Board members, and to equip them to oversee and contribute to RUPA in a meaningful, sustainable and effective manner.”
The program is contextualised to sport and business generally but is tailored to RUPA throughout. It is delivered online, 'lecture' free and contains a range of videos, readings and materials as well as pertinent activities, knowledge checks, case studies and additional resources.
Dave feels the differentiating factor is the unlimited one on one sessions he holds with participants:
“I love these sessions as it gives us an opportunity to connect and of course the chance to discuss relevant governance issues that arise in an open and non-judgmental way. We work our way through diverse situations such as decision-making, conflicts of interest, policy making and even personal brand and confidence”.
The program finishes by applying what has been learned and integrating it with the Australian Sport Commission’s Sport Governance Framework.
The program is available to any member who is either serving on the RUPA Board or who is thinking of standing for these important positions. On completion, all participants are armed with a deeper knowledge of governance but most importantly a range of practical skills that will allow them to immediately better understand, lead and manage RUPA and sit confidently on any similar Board.
Henry Hutchison said:
“I gathered a much better understanding of my true responsibilities as a board member of RUPA and representing all players in the Australian Rugby Ecosystem. I believe it is crucial for all board members to undertake this course, so we can represent all players in a more effective way.”
RUPA CEO and Wallaby #770, Justin Harrison says:
“Henry’s completion of the iSport Governance course is a testament to his commitment to leadership both on and off the field. Governance education is critical in ensuring players have a meaningful voice in the future of our game, and Henry’s diligence in engaging at this level reflects his commitment to serving the broader playing group with integrity and insight. We will continue to provide RUPA Board Directors with this opportunity and to have Henry contributing to the RUPA Board with a deeper understanding of player-related governance moves the whole organisation forward.”
For further details contact Dave on dave.arthur@isport.edu.au or 0422267813
iSport offers a range of practical short courses in the business of sport - check out the iSport website here: iSport
