RUGBY LEAGUE: The Warwick and District Junior Rugby League will elect an independent management committee to manage junior rugby league in 2017 and future seasons.

In a positive step for junior rugby league in the region, all affiliated clubs voted unanimously to appoint an independent management committee of eight persons, three office bearers and five directors, who are independent of the local club executives to help manage and co-ordinate the functions of the competition.

QRL Central Division manager Glenn Ottaway was invited to complete a presentation to club delegates on how and why this new structure would benefit the WDJRL competition going forward.

Ottaway explained that the QRL Central Division was keen for leagues in the region to adopt changes as suggested in recent Australian Sports Commission research.

"The ASC research has identified an effective board should be structured to reflect the operating environment facing a sporting organisation,” Ottaway said.

"For example, best practice suggests that a board comprising say five to nine directors, with a sufficient blend of independent directors who have necessary expertise and skills. However the persons elected should be broadly reflective of any organisations stakeholders but not at the expense of the skill mix needed to manage things effectively.”

The WDJRL has confirmed that at their upcoming AGM that a Management Committee of three office bearers and five independent committee members would be elected to help co-ordinate and run the competition in 2017 and beyond.

Elected persons would still work closely with club delegates to seek their thoughts and opinions prior to making major decisions. The direction and decisions would be made up by what is best for the game, rather than what may be best for a club.

Current WDJRL chairman Dave Landers is very pleased with the decision.

"I think this is a wonderful step forward for the WDJRL and ensures that we are adopting a more contemporary governance model, which will enable long term planning, establishing a more strategic direction for the league, with committee members being responsible for specific portfolios,” he said.

"It will hopefully ensure that we are being more proactive rather than reactive. Sometimes we tend to live with issues or problems that may arise, rather than implementing positive change for our local competition.”

Hopefully this change will help the WDJRL to continue to provide a great product for children in our region to play and enjoy.

The upcoming WDJRL AGM will be held in Millmerran on Saturday at 1.30pm at the Mill Inn Tavern.

If anyone has an interest in the development of junior rugby league in the region you are encouraged to contact WDJRL Secretary Rob Weaver on 0409211433 to obtain a nomination form and a copy of the role descriptions. Alternatively you can visit the website http://www.wdjrl.com.au/ for more detailed information.