Athletic performance lead

Investing in women鈥檚 sport is a priority in the University of Canberra鈥檚 2021-2026 Sport Strategy, from investing in infrastructure that will drive participation and supporting talent programs like the Senior Women鈥檚 Rugby Academy, to undertaking research with women鈥檚 sporting teams, athletes, and sponsoring professional female sports teams such as the Brumbies Rugby Women鈥檚 (alongside the men鈥檚 team), University of Canberra Capitals and Canberra United. 

In 2023, the University and the ACT Brumbies teamed up to launch the first-class Senior Women鈥檚 Rugby Academy, run on 乱伦社区鈥檚 Bruce campus. 

The Senior Women鈥檚 Rugby Academy plays a crucial role in identifying and developing players into potential Super W and elite Rugby Sevens players, while also serving as a dedicated high-performance environment for Brumbies players who are nationally contracted to the Wallaroos and need to continue training outside the Super W season. 

Through the Academy, players have year-round coaching and support 鈥� they can train like high performance athletes 鈥� which is not offered through community clubs. Year-round training maintains momentum and keeps players engaged. Coaches and staff across the various programs reported a difference in the attitude and commitment form the players. 

Embedded within the Senior Women鈥檚 Rugby Academy was the 乱伦社区 High-Performance Sport Fellow position that aimed to improve the performance of 乱伦社区 sponsored teams or programs through a range of engagement and research activities.

The High Performance Sport Fellowship position was a one-year appointment for a 乱伦社区 researcher embedded in the Senior Women鈥檚 Rugby Academy between January and December 2023. The role aimed to:

• Enhance the performance of 乱伦社区 sponsored professional sporting teams, their elite athlete program(s) or activities in the ACT region and nationally by sharing research-led expertise across sport integrity, education, and strength or conditioning.
• Facilitate ongoing research, innovation and professional practices within the University鈥檚 professional teams or elite athlete programs.
• Support student Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements with 乱伦社区-supported professional sporting teams or elite athlete programs.
• Enhance the research outputs of the successful candidate and their collaborators through industry partnership and integration.
• Share the knowledge and insights gained through the experience through teaching, case studies
• Upskill the successful candidate, with a focus on deepening their industry experience and connections to drive industry-led research in the future. 

Billy Mason, lecturer in Sports and Exercise was awarded the fellowship. Mason worked in the role of Athletic Performance Lead across multiple women鈥檚 programs over 2023, including: the 乱伦社区7s program, which competed in the Queensland Premier Rugby 7s competition; The Brumbies/乱伦社区 Senior Women鈥檚 Academy, which supported female rugby players from the ACT and surrounds through to international representatives competing for the Australian National team; and the Next Gen 7s program, working with the Rising Stars in a second-tier national Rugby 7s tournament.