Succession planning for management committees at Rugby clubs is crucial. With a reliance on volunteers, without a clear plan for leadership transition, clubs can face instability or even risk collapse. Here are the key reasons why it’s so important:

Ensures the club keeps running smoothly when committee members step down. Prevents disruption in areas like finances, compliance, and competition management.

Long-term committee members often hold valuable “institutional knowledge” about how things work. Succession planning provides time to mentor and train incoming volunteers, so this knowledge isn’t lost.

Without planned turnover, the same small group of people often ends up carrying the load for too long. Bringing in new people shares the workload, keeps energy levels up, and helps retain volunteers.

A planned approach allows clubs to actively recruit younger members, women, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, or those with specific skills (finance, marketing, governance). This strengthens the club’s ability to adapt and grow.

Many community clubs are incorporated associations or not-for-profits with legal obligations. Strong succession planning makes sure there are always capable people in roles like President, Treasurer, and Secretary to meet regulatory requirements.

Sponsors, local councils, and grant providers prefer to support clubs that demonstrate stability and forward planning. Shows the club is sustainable and won’t fold when a few key people move on.

With a pipeline of future leaders, the club can focus on strategic initiatives (e.g. growing junior programs, upgrading facilities) rather than scrambling just to fill committee seats each year.

In short: succession planning reduces risk, protects the club’s future, and helps create a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable sporting environment for the community.

A few practical steps to help succession plan are:

• Identify future leaders early – encourage and mentor volunteers, players, or parents who show interest or skills that could suit committee roles.
• Create understudy or “assistant” roles – e.g. Assistant Treasurer or Vice-President, so people can learn the ropes before taking on the main role.
• Rotate responsibilities – spread tasks across subcommittees or working groups so knowledge is shared and not concentrated with one person.
• Document processes – keep clear records, role descriptions, handover notes, and timelines for key tasks (registrations, reporting, grant applications).
• Offer training and support – connect volunteers to governance workshops, online courses, or mentoring from regional/state sporting bodies.
• Set term limits or review periods – encourage healthy turnover so new people have opportunities to step in.
• Actively recruit – approach parents, former players, or community members with specific skills (finance, IT, marketing, legal, fundraising).
• Celebrate and recognise volunteers – showing appreciation encourages more people to step up when leadership changes.

Download - Management Committee Handover Checklist