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Volunteers are an integral part of rugby clubs, with most clubs being run entirely through volunteer effort.  Recruiting new volunteers can feel like a daunting task, so see below for some quick tips on recruiting volunteers:

Research consistently shows this is the most effective method. Identify a specific person, ask them for a specific role, and explain exactly why you think they'd be great at it. Generic "we need volunteers" announcements rarely convert.

Your existing community is your best source of new volunteers. Players transitioning out of active play, parents of junior players looking to stay involved, and lapsed members who still love the club.

Host a dedicated volunteer recruitment event — ideally tied to a home game or community BBQ. Use these to showcase roles in action, let prospective volunteers meet the people they'd be working with, and capture contact details via a simple sign-in sheet.

Use your club's Instagram and Facebook to share authentic volunteer stories, behind-the-scenes content, and specific role callouts. Video content — even a 30-second phone clip — outperforms text posts. Tag existing volunteers and ask them to share.

Partner with local universities and TAFEs to offer placement hours or portfolio experience. Sport management, marketing, nursing, and education students can fill key roles while building practical skills. Link to any applicable community service or professional development frameworks.

A plan doesn't need to be complex. Work through these five steps before you begin promoting any roles — it will save time, reduce volunteer drop-off, and ensure you're asking the right people for the right things.

1. Audit what you have - and what you need

Map every current role in your club against the person holding it. Identify where a single volunteer is carrying too much, where roles have been vacant, and where the club's growth plans require new capability.

2. Break big roles into smaller, shared tasks

A full committee role can feel like too big a commitment. Consider splitting large responsibilities into subgroups or task-based roles — a social media team of three people beats one person burning out. This dramatically widens your potential volunteer pool.

3. Write clear, attractive role descriptions

Vague asks get vague responses. A good role description names the time commitment, the specific tasks, the skills required, and critically, the impact. Include what the volunteer will 

4. Identify your best recruitment sources

In order of typical conversion: (1) direct personal ask, (2) existing members and parents, (3) ex-players returning to the club, (4) local community networks and businesses, (5) university students seeking skills and DofE-equivalent experience, (6) digital channels (social media, Seek Volunteer).

5. Safer Recruitment — screen appropriately

All volunteers working with children or vulnerable people must hold a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) relevant to their state or territory. Align with your Member Union's child safeguarding policy before a volunteer starts in any junior role.

Rugby Australia Child Safeguarding Policy

 — confirm your state's WWCC requirements with your CDM.

There are plenty of great resources available on recruiting volunteers including:

Recruiting Volunteers

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