Angus Bruxner elected as NSWRU Honorary Life Member
The Rugby Club Foundation congratulates its Chairman, Angus Bruxner on his election as an Honorary Life Member of the NSW Rugby Union at the Union’s Annual General Meeting held on 29 April 2026.
The nomination of Angus for this prestigious position was proposed by the NSW Rugby Union Honorary Life Members and seconded by the NSW Suburban Rugby Union (Subbies).
NSW Rugby Union Honorary Life Members Ron Graham AM and Dick Hart spoke magnificently in support of the nomination.
Subbies Chairman, Luke McCormack delivered the below speech in support of the nomination:
"It’s a real privilege to stand here and recognise someone who has given so much of his time, energy, and passion to the game we all care about - Angus Bruxner.
Angus’s involvement with The Rugby Club goes all the way back to 1996. But what stands out isn’t just the length of time - it’s what he’s done with it. Within a couple of years, he was already stepping up to the Board, and not long after that, into leadership roles that would shape the future of the organisation.
He served as Vice President, then President, and during that time helped guide the Club through one of the most significant periods in its history. When the time came to make the tough calls - including the sale of Rugby Place - Angus didn’t step back. He leaned in. He helped lead that process with care and conviction, always focused on what was best for the game in the long term.
That mindset resulted in the transition to The Rugby Club Foundation in 2017, where he continues to serve as Chair. Amazingly, the Foundation injects $500K into grassroots every year, and as at today, this totals well over $3.2M.
What could have been the end of something became the start of something new - and stronger - because of leadership like his.
But what I think people admire most about Angus is that his contribution hasn’t just been at the Board table.
He’s been there at the grassroots - week in, week out.
As one of the founding members of Sydney Harlequins Rugby Football Club, Angus didn’t just help start a club - he helped build a community. Whether as President (which he has been for well over half the life of the club), team manager, or even running the sideline as ground marshal, he’s done whatever’s needed. No job too big, no job too small.
And that says a lot about the kind of person he is.
That same commitment extends to his work with the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union, where he’s taken on the role of Treasurer and continues to support the competition in very practical ways - always available - including giving up his time during finals to help things run smoothly.
Across all of this, Angus has never sought recognition. He’s just quietly got on with it - leading, contributing, and supporting others.
And that’s why today matters.
Because people like Angus are the backbone of our game. They’re the ones who keep things moving, who make the hard decisions, and who still turn up on the weekend to turn a sausage or help pack up the cones.
Angus - on behalf of everyone here - thank you. For your leadership, your commitment, and everything you’ve given to rugby over so many years.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed, and I could not think of a more worthy recipient of Life Membership of the NSW Rugby Union."
In accepting his Honorary Life Membership from NSW Rugby Union Chairman Tony Crawford, Angus delivered the following speech, highlighting that he regards the honour of being awarded Honorary Life Membership not only as a personal accolade but even more as recognition of the dedication and efforts of all his Rugby colleagues at The Rugby Club Foundation, Subbies and the Sydney Harlequins Rugby Football Club:
“I have been fortunate to experience four significant and rewarding events in my life.
Firstly, my enduring marriage to my wonderful wife Marjorie, the 54th anniversary of which we celebrated last Sunday 26 April.
This memorable event was followed by the birth of our son Tim in 1982 and our daughter Kate in 1985.
The most recent joyful event experienced by my entire family has been the birth of Kate’s daughter, and our first grandchild, Eleanor on 24 February last.
The fifth major event in my life has occurred this evening and I feel extremely gratified and privileged to have been awarded Honorary Life Membership of the NSW Rugby Union.
I was astonished when firstly Tony Crawford, and then Luke McCormack, telephoned me on 20 February to advise that I had been nominated for life membership. I then felt even more surprised and humbled when I considered the names of the esteemed group of current and past NSW Rugby Life Members and the contributions they have each made to Rugby.
At the outset I want to thank NSW Rugby Union Life Members Dick Hart and Ron Graham for having initiated the life membership nomination process, and their fellow NSW Rugby Union Life Members for supporting the nomination.
I also express my sincere gratitude to Luke McCormack, Tim Richards, and all members of the Subbies Board for having supported the nomination.
Recognising the key role which our long suffering partners play in our lives I have concluded that Marj is more deserving of this significant accolade than I am. Marj – I thank you for your love and patience in allowing me to commit my time and passion to Rugby, the game we all love and enjoy.
While the awarding of life membership is immensely gratifying from my personal viewpoint, I also regard it as being in recognition of the dedication displayed and the hard work undertaken by all of my Rugby colleagues attached to the Rugby entities with which I am privileged to be associated, namely The Rugby Club Foundation, the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union, and the Sydney Harlequins Rugby Football Club.
Firstly, it recognises The Rugby Club and now The Rugby Club Foundation for the significant role it fulfils pursuing its strategic vision of ‘Sharing the Spirit of the Game’ and thereby nurturing grassroots Rugby.
The Foundation would and could not function, and I could not undertake my duties as chairman, without the loyalty and support which I receive from Lisa Kane as our indispensable Business Operations Manager, and Pete Whittington, Owen Finegan, Stu Dickinson (each of whom I thank for being present this evening), Stirling Mortlock, Paula Ward, Rob Bradley, Adam Freier, and James Maxwell as my fellow members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. I sincerely thank each of them for their friendship and dependability, and for the passionate and exemplary manner in which they discharge their roles with the Foundation.
The awarding of life membership also recognises the essential role which Subbies Rugby fulfils as the heart and soul of the senior level of grassroots Rugby in metropolitan Sydney.
Subbies Rugby also would and could not function without the dedication and integrity which Tim Richards, Luke McCormack, Chris Moloney, Andrew McWhannell, Colin Baggott (each of whom I also thank for being present this evening), John Slender, Nick Sykes, Jess Macqueen, Tom Chancellor, and Hamish Bayliss apply to fulfilling their roles as directors of Subbies Rugby. As enthusiastic servants of the game, they exemplify the true meaning of the spirit of Rugby, and I thank each of them for their camaraderie and the support they provide to me as a fellow Subbies director.
Sydney Harlequins is the Subbies Club with which I have been involved since it was established from within The Rugby Club in 2004.
The bond which exists between Sydney Harlequins and The Rugby Club, and now the Foundation, will endure forever and is something of which I continue to be extremely proud to be a part of.
The awarding of this life membership is therefore an honour of which I believe Sydney Harlequins can also feel justly proud. As each of the eight Quins who are present this evening (namely Rohan Aalders, Max Bound, Niall Fry, Anik Ray, Iain Byrne, Tom Taylor, Sam Gribble, and Will Kwok) has made a vital contribution to creating the unique culture and camaraderie which exists within Sydney Harlequins, I wanted them to be present to share in this auspicious occasion.
It is an incontrovertible fact that a close historical association has always existed between The Rugby Club and the New South Wales Rugby Union.
The concept of establishing a Rugby Club first surfaced on 9 October 1943 when the New South Wales Rugby Union appointed a provisional committee to investigate whether the idea was feasible and then moved as swiftly as wartime privations allowed.
In June 1944 Judge Leslie Herron, later Sir Leslie Herron, Chief Justice of New South Wales, and also the grandfather of New South Wales Rugby Union Chair Tony Crawford, issued a letter which was circulated to all Rugby enthusiasts in New South Wales regarding the formation of the Rugby Club of New South Wales under the direction of the New South Wales Rugby Union.
On 29 August 1945, the Club was incorporated as Rugby Union Club.
The Rugby Club Foundation is therefore currently celebrating the 80th anniversary of the establishment of The Rugby Club.
The historical relationship between The Rugby Club and the New South Wales Rugby Union is clearly supported by the following facts.
The original establishment of The Rugby Club was entirely motivated and implemented by persons associated with the New South Wales Rugby Union and with New South Wales Rugby.
The Club was therefore effectively formed by the New South Wales Rugby Union and Sir Leslie Herron, the President of the New South Wales Rugby Union, was the founding President of the Club. It is also pertinent to note that the Foundation’s ‘Sir Leslie Herron Rugby Scholarships’ are named in honour of Sir Leslie.
The original Constitution of The Rugby Club and the current Constitution of The Rugby Club Foundation are inextricably linked with the New South Wales Rugby Union and with the game of "Rugby" as adopted by the New South Wales Rugby Union.
Always promoted as being ‘The Home of the True Spirt of Rugby’, The Rugby Club provided accommodation for the New South Wales Rugby Union up until 1991.
During the past 80 years The Rugby Club and now The Rugby Club Foundation have played a significant role in the consolidation of the game of Rugby and in spreading and strengthening the influence of the game throughout Australia.
Having regard to the special relationship which exists between The Rugby Club Foundation and the New South Wales Rugby I therefore thank Tony Crawford and the Board of the New South Wales Rugby Union for having accepted and presented my nomination for life membership for approval at this annual general meeting of the Union.
Finally, I thank the members of the Union for resolving to bestow this significant honour upon me by way of special resolution. I can assure all of you that the honour is far beyond special to me. “
