Friends of RUPA and NSW Waratahs Networking Evening
The NSW Waratahs players gathered at the Robert Walters Sydney office for an invaluable networking event. These networking sessions are designed to provide players with tools and connections for navigating career options for life after rugby. With over 10 players, the event brought together professionals from a variety of industries, including finance, construction, recruitment, real estate, and more.
As part of RUPA’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the long-term success of its members, the event was crafted to open doors for players, introducing them to industry leaders who could offer insights into potential career opportunities.
The evening was led by RUPA CEO and Wallaby #770 Justin Harrison, who hosted a panel alongside guest speakers Josephine Sukkar AM (Buildcorp), Cam Crawford (Parasol), and Rob Kruger (Robert Walters) who shared their professional advice on creating connections. They highlighted the importance of leveraging the skills developed in rugby such as leadership, teamwork, and adaptability, and the transferability of this into new professional environments.
Following the panel discussion, the players took part in networking with the industry leaders. This informal yet impactful portion allowed the players to meet one-on-one with professionals across various sectors, ask questions about career paths, and seek advice on building their post-rugby careers. The atmosphere was positive as each player had the chance to interact directly with the experts, many of whom offered mentorship and guidance.
Networking is one of the most powerful tools for athletes transitioning to life beyond sport. For the Waratahs players, this networking session was about developing connections and understanding how to translate the skills they honed during their rugby careers into the business world. Engaging directly with professionals gave them the chance to ask questions about the realities of different industries, gain insights into various career paths, and receive advice on how to navigate potential challenges.
"Having the opportunity to talk to and get to know extremely successful individuals who are experts in their field is something that I am really grateful for. A career post rugby is something that all players need to consider no matter what point of their career they are at and having the networking even put on by RUPA is something that I think all players should get involved in moving forward." - Fergus Lee Warner
"The 2nd edition of RUPA/Waratahs networking evening at Robert Walters was a brilliant event with a lot of heavy hitters from a range of industries who all want to help athletes in their careers outside of rugby. To be able to have informal, stand up conversations made it easy for players to speak with everyone in the room." - Hugh Sinclair
"I truely believe it’s who you know not what you know in this world and the networking night was an opportunity for me to meet those people." - Miles Amatosero
Many thanks to the Waratahs Board members and the many incredible industry professionals who generously gave their time to support and mentor the players:
Clayton Eveleigh - BDO
Leigh Birtles- Crestone Wealth Management
Racheal Kellaway – Bank of Queensland
Greg Boyle – Bank of Queensland
Cameron Crawford – Parasol Wealth
Karen Penrose - Director Waratahs Board
Mike Partington – DLL
Daniel Eames – DLL
Tom Kellaway - Metrics Credit Partners
Aaron Bird – Ebury
Tom Millner – Contact Asset Management
Jordan Sukkar- Buildcorp
Josephine Sukkar AM– Buildcorp
Tony Sukkar AM - Buildcorp
Kris Viner- Robert Walters
Robert Kruger- Robert Walters
Sarah Gillard- Robert Walters
Richard Harry- Goodman
Thomas McGregor- Scyne Advisory
Jason Mclean – Metcash
Paul Dee – Metcash
Luke Hartman – Metro Property Development
Andrew Staude – Whitehaven Coal
Special thanks to the amazing Robert Walters staff for hosting such a great event.
