Rugby Australia advises of financial rebound with $8.2 million surplus

Rugby Australia has reported a significant financial turnaround achieving a surplus of $8.2 million for 2022 - its first in four years.

Having suffered a $27.1 million deficit just two years ago, Rugby Australia chairman, Hamish McLennan praised the dedication of the organisation's team in overcoming the challenges thrown up by the covid pandemic.

Speaking at its annual general meeting on Wednesday, McLennan advised "to turn this thing around in such a short time is a great testament to Andy (Marinos, Chief Executive) and the team at Rugby Australia, as well as the resilience of our game.”

The rebound is attributed to 31% year-on-year revenue growth ($30.6 million), primarily due a full season of match activity and events.

Matchday revenue experienced an impressive 85% increase, with Wallabies Tests witnessing the highest attendance since the 2013 British and Irish Lions Tour.

Growth in participation was also a highlight of the year with key areas such as schools, clubs, and events experiencing significant increases. The largest of these, the schools program, saw a 40% increase in participation over 2021. The Get Into Rugby program and female participation in club rugby also enjoyed growth, with increases of 20% and 9% respectively.

Rugby Sevens experienced substantial growth in 2022, driven by the success of the Australian men's and women's teams. Schools and clubs saw participation increases of 36% and 32% respectively, demonstrating the impact of the teams' visibility and success on the grassroots level.

Rugby Australia's partnership with Nine Entertainment saw a 21% increase in average audience for the six home Wallabies Tests, along with a 58% increase in Stan Sport viewership during the England series. The social channels also experienced growth, up 32% in followers and a 264% leap in engagement.

The organisation's commercial program saw a 22% uplift due to upgraded partnerships, new sponsors, and innovations like geo-targeted LED and virtual pitch signage. Sponsorship revenue of $29 million was reported for the year, up 30% on the previous period.

The commercial program had seen one of its best years in 2021 and continued to thrive in 2022 with a 22% increase in revenue. Major partners such as Cadbury Mondelez, eToro, Santos, Land Rover, and Buildcorp expanded their investments. Cadbury Mondelez continued to promote both the Wallabies and Wallaroos across various media channels and retail outlets.

The Super Rugby Pacific tournament, backed by Harvey Norman, FedEx, and Gilbert, kicked off in February as Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby committed to the long-term future of the competition.

Asics launched new jerseys for the Wallabies, Wallaroos, and Australian Sevens teams, with the latter featuring the Wallaby mark on the chest for the first time.

The Australian Sevens program's continued success paved the way for a new front of shirt partner, ISPS Handa, on the men's and women's team jerseys for the 2022/2023 campaign. This partnership enabled governing body to increase its commitment to Wheelchair Rugby Australia.

Aon also increased their investment in the women's Sevens program, focusing on the playing pathway and the Aon Next Gen Series, which began in 2022 and will continue into 2023.

Last year saw Rugby Australia use a parallel advertising LED and virtual pitch branding system during the Wallabies series against England in July, becoming the first Australian rights holder to do so. The organisation sold geo-targeted LED and virtual pitch branding to multiple brands worldwide, resulting in a significant increase in revenue.

Although beer brand, Stone & Wood did not renew its partnership, Rugby Australia welcomed back Taylor's Wines to support both the Wallabies and Wallaroos. RM Williams also returned to the roster, supplying gold boots to the teams and launching a new Wallabies-license range for 2023.

Commenting on the results, Rugby Australia Chief Executive, Andy Marinos stated "getting that balance right has been difficult; however, we are now rewarded with being in a strong position as we move forward to this year's Rugby World Cup, the 2025 Lions tour, and our home Rugby World Cups in 2027 and 2029."

The sporting body has also announced that Wallabies legend, Joe Roff will be its new President, succeeding David Codey.

Images: Pete Samu wears the Wallabies First Nations jersey (top, credit: Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Rugby Australia) and Hamish McLennan (below, credit: Stuart Walmsley for Rugby Australia).