Emerging Players Programs

WA Emerging Players Program
Role: Strategic Program Lead & Pathways Integrator
Organisation: RugbyWA High Performance Unit

The WA Emerging Players Program (EPP) is RugbyWA’s flagship high-performance pathway for identifying, nurturing, and preparing the next generation of elite rugby talent across Western Australia. I played a strategic leadership role in aligning the program with both community engagement and professional development goals, ensuring it operated not just as a high-performance system, but as a culturally aware, community-connected pipeline.

🔹 My Contributions:
Worked across participation, coaching, and performance units to ensure alignment from grassroots to elite levels.

Contributed to the program’s curriculum and athlete development model, incorporating holistic player development frameworks (physical, mental, cultural, and leadership).

Facilitated alignment with school programs, junior clubs, and the Western Force Academy to ensure continuous progression and retention.

Strengthened regional integration by introducing outreach and scouting models for country zones.

Mentored selected athletes on personal development planning, goal setting, and balancing dual careers (education + sport).

🔹 Development Outcomes:
Program served as a key feeder to Western Force U18s and national pathway squads.

Helped identify and accelerate First Nations and regional athlete development through inclusion-focused scouting and support.

Delivered an uplift in coaching quality by embedding key technical modules into junior and school-based environments.

Introduced Leadership Pods within the program, pairing senior EPP members with younger athletes to foster mentorship and peer accountability.

🔹 Strategic Legacy:
Created pathway transparency between schools, clubs, and performance units.

Enhanced coach education via knowledge-sharing across EPP and RugbyWA’s community coaching workforce.

Positioned RugbyWA as a talent development hub aligned with Western Force and Rugby Australia.

Supported WA’s vision to become a net exporter of rugby talent, particularly from non-traditional and regional markets.

✅ Key Achievements:
Integrated WA’s high-performance and participation teams to strengthen talent pipelines

Helped deliver elite development opportunities to regional and underrepresented players

Supported the creation of holistic athlete development models

Enhanced cross-level alignment with schools, clubs, and national high-performance units

Embedded values-driven leadership and mentorship into the EPP structure