Squash Australia extends Chief Executive Robert Donaghue's role through to LA28 Games

Squash Australia has announced that Chief Executive Robert Donaghue will continue to lead the organisation through until December 2028, taking his tenure beyond the sport’s debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Advising that the Board was delighted to continue its partnership with Donaghue as the organisation enters an exciting period of growth for the sport, Squash Australia President, Matt Schmidt stated “Rob has been instrumental in driving transformation and unity across the squash community since joining in 2021.

“His leadership has positioned Squash Australia strongly on the national and international stage. With the World Masters Championships in Perth in 2026, and squash’s debut on the Olympic program in Los Angeles in 2028, Rob’s vision and experience will be crucial in maximising these once-in-a-generation opportunities.”

Since joining Squash Australia in January 2021, Donaghue has overseen a period of renewal and growth, strengthening partnerships with states and territories and other key stakeholders, delivering on the 2022-2026 strategic plan, and driving key organisational reviews to modernise operations and better engage the squash community.

Commenting on his extension, Donaghue said he was proud of the progress made so far and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.

“It’s an honour to continue leading Squash Australia at such a pivotal time for the sport.

“The inclusion of squash in the LA28 Olympic Games is a landmark moment that our community has been working towards for decades.

“With Australia being awarded the hosting rights for marquee events such as the World Masters Championships, along with the Squash Australian Open being one of only seven ‘Gold’ status events on the PSA Squash Tour, we have a golden runway to inspire the next generation of players and continue to elevate squash’s profile both in Australia and around the world.

“We have also delivered on key grassroots initiatives with the development of the Squash Stars participation program, enhancement of our digital systems, to the alignment of our coach and referee education programs to the international framework, that have laid strong foundations for us to build on over the next three years.”

Emphasising the importance of collaboration across the sport, Donaghue added “the progress we’ve made is thanks to the collective efforts of our states, territories, athletes, coaches, referees, volunteers, and supporters.

“Together, we have worked hard to re-engage and re-energise the sport, and I’m looking forward to building on this momentum as we head towards LA28 and beyond.”

Image: Robert Donaghue. Credit: Squash Australia.