Rugby Union South Australia

Rugby Union SAs Annual Awards was held 15th August and was a celebration of the inclusive and diverse rugby community that we have in South Australia, from women, culture and abilities with coaches, players, volunteers and administrators all attending.

Phil Benger is a stalwart not just of SA Rugby Referees but of Rugby SA. His passion for seeing referees succeed is contagious. Always up for a chat, Phil has given us some insights as to why he is still involved.

FAREWELL CHRIS GRAHAM 😭 Chris will finish up with Rugby SA at the conclusion of the Southern States Championships. He has a strong passion for rugby and seeing rugby (and our players) succeed in South Australia. His involvement with Rugby SA may be short, but he has left lasting impressions throughout South Australia, wanting to leave the game in a better place than when he began. You will be missed, Christopher.

From sweeping his local competition 10 times over to tackling Argentina alongside a legendary Wallabies trio, there's not much John Fidock hasn't done in South Australian rugby.

Paul Brown's love with rugby union and Barossa Rugby Club began when he was 30. As a Youth Leader, he encouraged the youth at his local church to get involved in sports, and they, in turn, encouraged him to play.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 💙 A huge thank you to Sport SA and Rugby Union South Australia for their support and to the club for participating in our Monkey See Monkey Do program. With their help, 99 participants of all ages were able to take part and be impacted by this powerful initiative. Through Sam’s story, we educate and empower players about the consequences of violence, fostering a generation that will say ❌ NO to violence and ✅ YES to mateship, both on and off the field. #MonkeySeeMonkeyDo #ViolencePrevention #YouthEmpowerment #CommunitySupport #SammyDFoundation

Morag Hamill, a vital member of the Crippled Crows, joined the team through her connections with Billy and Carol Brown and has been serving as their Secretary since 2017.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 💙👏 Shoutout to the players, coaches and parents for welcoming our team and playing a important role in ending violence on and off the field! What a awesome turn out - over 50 participants! Many thanks to our mates at Sport SA for supporting Rugby Union South Australia to co fund fund this important program and helping us foster a community that says ❌ NO to violence and ✅ YES to mateship. #ViolencePrevention #EndBullying #BullyingAwareness #PositiveBehavior #YouthEmpowerment Rugby Union South Australia [Image description: Education team member Tristan presenting our Monkey See Monkey Do program]

Vanessa van Dongen's enthusiasm with getting Junior players excited about rugby, is contagious. She started with Elizabeth Rugby Club 7 years ago by getting involved with the junior committee as the junior coordinator.

Bob Aitken is a stalwart of Onkaparinga Rugby Union Club. His dedication and commitment to his beloved Onkas began in the early 1980s as a player, when Onkaparinga was based at O’Sullivans Beach.