From humble beginnings on a block of dirt in Kanwal, the Wyong Leagues Group has grown over the past 50 years into a network of 10 clubs.
Monday, March 6, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Wyong Rugby League Club, the founding venue of what would later be part of one of the most successful organisations of its kind in Australia, the Wyong Leagues Group.
Group Marketing Manager, Keith Cameron said the Group now had 10 venues – seven of them on the Central Coast – audited assets of $125M with zero debt and employed well over 300 people in NSW.
“After opening Wyong Rugby League Club in 1973, it took several years to build and consolidate its position as one of the most popular venues on the Central Coast,” he said.
“As often happens in business, a successful formula can be translated into success in other locations and it was this thinking that led in 2001 to the Group turning its attention to expansion via amalgamation,” Cameron said.
The first to join the Wyong Leagues Group was Wallarah Bay Recreation Club in 2001, followed by Wyong Bowling Club in 2002, Budgewoi Soccer Club in 2004, Canton Beach Sports Club in 2008, Goulburn Railway Bowling Club in 2009, Avoca Beach Bowling Club in 2011, Bateau Bay Bowling Club in 2015 and Diggers Woolgoolga and Safety Beach Golf Club on the North Coast in 2020.
“One principle has always been key in ensuring both a smooth transition into the fold for the new club and to ensure their success by retaining the most positive individual characteristics of each of the venues and to demonstrate the value of being part of the Group,” Cameron said.
“The logic is that the members of each of the Clubs have remained loyal, sometimes for many years, because they feel a strong sense of ownership of what they rightly see as their club.
“Acknowledging this has proved to be a winning philosophy, as is evidenced by the growth experienced over the past 50 years,” Cameron said.
The Wyong Leagues Group claims its positioning as “Bringing Communities Together”, which Cameron says is not just a marketing slogan.
“Each club in the Group is individually, and collectively, a highly active participant in the communities in which they operate and provides extensive financial support to local sports teams and charities.
“In addition, as a Group, the Wyong Roos Foundation gives financial support to local charities whose primary focus is supporting those facing hardship within the community,” Cameron said.
Source: Wyong Leagues Group