A former Killara junior, Phil was a dedicated administrator of the junior game for a total of six years. He joined the NSWJRU Board as the Chairman of Metropolitan Western Zone in 1997 (out of Beecroft Cherrybrook club) and after an extremely short apprenticeship he was elected to the role of President of NSW Juniors in 1998when the then President Wayne Brown stepped down. Phil proceeded to lead the NSW Juniors Board as President for a total of five years until the end of the2002 season. It should be noted that five years is the equal second longest term that someone has served as President that we have on record (post 1980).

Over this period of 1998-2002, Phil was also the Juniors delegate to the NSW Rugby Union Board as well as a NSW delegate to the Australian Junior Rugby Union (AJRU).

Some of the highlights of Phil’s contribution to NSW Juniors include the restructuring of the NSWJRU committee in 1999 – which reflected the re-establishment of SJRU in1998 and the Metropolitan Zones being represented by SJRU on the NSWJRU Committee. He also oversaw the naming of the City vs Country trophies in 1998 to the names we celebrate today (Gavin, Tuynman, Ella and Brial Trophies). Phil also holds a special place in history as the most recent NSWJRU President to oversee a Wallabies World Cup victory in 1999 and to experience the positive effects this had on the junior game.    

Phil’s time as President did come with the usual obstacles of funding, pathways, politics and affiliation issues normally associated with junior rugby – but it is clear that he was a dedicated and passionate rugby man whom served the game to the best of his ability.

Phil also was a member of NSW & Eastwood District Referees plus a referee coach with NSW. He also worked at Trinity Grammar as development director whilst president and was for a time MIC rugby and a CAS selector.

After his time at NSWJRU he moved to Hong Kong and joined their Referees coaching and administration board and later qualified as a level 2 referee coach.  He was also involved in Hong Kong 7s looking after the assistant refs for a couple of years.

A move to NZ in 2009 meant little time for rugby after three years at Bible College then 8 years as a Presbyterian Minister but he remains a rugby nut. He has now settled back in Australia around the Hawkes Nest area.

1997 MWZ Chair

1998 Pres NSWJRU, Delegate NSWRU, Delegate to AJRU    

1999 Pres NSWJRU, Delegate NSWRU, Delegate to AJRU    

2000 Pres NSWJRU, Delegate NSWRU, Delegate to AJRU    

2001 Pres NSWJRU, Delegate NSWRU, Delegate to AJRU    

2002 Pres NSWJRU, Delegate NSWRU, Delegate to AJRU

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