The board of Wyong Leagues Group and Cootamundra Country Club have unanimously agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as the next steps toward completing their amalgamation. The MOU is the final step in the process that details how the amalgamation will work before members of both groups vote on the amalgamation proceeding. The voting is scheduled to take place in late May. Following this, a submission for approval will made to the Office of Liquor and Gaming in June. When the amalgamation is finalised, all staff and golf pro contractors will be offered positions as part of the new ..read more

Rich Bihag, sous chef from the Polish Club in Ashfield, is among 32 professional chefs that have been selected to compete for the title of 2024 Chef of the Year. “This year we had a record number of entries from around Australia and the quality was top notch,” according to competition director Peter Wright. “That made it very hard for the judges to select the top 32 who will be competing live in the finals. We went for experience and also selected across a range of regions and industry sectors to mix it up.” Other chefs that have been named finalists include LeeAnne Mohr from Surfair Beach Hot ..read more

NSW Rugby League (NSWRL) has acknowledged that licensed clubs provided $100 million in funding to the community and $60 million to junior rugby league clubs in 2023. Thousands of junior rugby league participants in the state benefit through a range of initiatives including registration and insurance subsidies, shorts and socks rebates, and referees fees. For instance, Wyong Leagues Group provided $2 million in funding for all rugby league administration, operations, and facilities; as well as $250,000 in funding through subsidies including $100 off registration or $100 reimbursement for player ..read more

ANZAC Day is a day for the country to unite, pause, reflect, and express deep gratitude to past and present personnel for their unwavering sacrifice. With 25 April just around the corner, RSL clubs and their sub-branches are frantically organising events – from Dawn Services to impactful displays of poppies – to mark the commemorative day. One common goal they all share is to impart these ANZAC Day traditions to the next generation. “Commemorative events such as Anzac Day are a rich part of our history. It is essential that we educate and inform younger generations about Anzac Day an ..read more

Over the years, I’ve witnessed many executive chefs start a new role at a club. This is followed by much fanfare and promotional investment as many of these chefs are high-profile and very skilled. But suddenly, they’re gone like a puff of wind. This is often because club managers and directors are itching for change and improvements to have happened yesterday. The initial pressure and demands piled onto the new recruit are always very high. This often results in the new executive chef attempting to solve all the problems simultaneously while creating multiple menus for different food and beve ..read more

The annual the Nestlé Golden Chef’s Hat Award competition is back. The award is an exciting opportunity for young chefs to not only elevate their culinary skills and open doors to new career opportunities, but also be in the running to win over $30,000 in prizes. From May, more than 120 participants are expected to compete in metro and regional cook-offs across Australia and New Zealand to become a finalist. In September, 12 finalists will battle it out at the grand final at Melbourne’s Fine Food Australia Expo. Held over two heats in front of a live audience, the national winner will be named ..read more

St George Leagues Club inches closer to receiving local council approval to go ahead with its major renovation plans that are expected to cost the club somewhere between $50-$60 million. Under the proposed plans, the club will build a new entrance to the foyer and reconfigure the ground floor layout to accommodate a new kitchen, new bars, and a separate dining, lounge, and sports lounge. A large 14-metre-deep alfresco balcony suitable for 240 people will also be added to the front of the building.   The first floor will be stripped back to create multiple function rooms with new bar ..read more

Vikings Group expects to invest $36 million under new plans that have been lodged with the Queanbeyan and Palerang Regional Council to establish Club Jerrabomberra on the border of ACT and NSW, as part of the emerging North Poplars area. Speaking with Club Management, Vikings Group CEO Anthony Hill said the decision to build Club Jerrabomberra is part of Viking’s wider plans to grow its core business and diversify geographically. Viking Groups currently owns and operates four clubs across the ACT. Club Jerrabomberra will be the group’s first to be located in NSW. “The Jerrabomberra Poplars sit ..read more

Mounties, Gosford RSL and Wenty Leagues have been named among the 139 finalists of ClubsNSW’s 2024 Clubs & Community Awards. The annual awards recognise the social contributions made by clubs in their local areas across nine categories: arts, culture and entertainment; education; emergency services; fostering grassroots sport; health care; heart of the community; mental wellbeing; social inclusion; and environmental sustainability. ClubsNSW CEO Rebecca Riant said she was thrilled by the record number of finalists and the quality of submissions this year. “We received submissions from clubs ..read more

Australia’s financial crime watchdog AUSTRAC has reinforced that one of its key priorities this year is to stamp out criminals exploiting the clubs and pubs sector.  It comes off the back of AUSTRAC announcing at the end of last year that its regulatory priorities for 2024 will be to focus on the money laundering risks faced by businesses – particularly across the banking, gambling, and remittance sectors, which face higher risks – and help them to understand, mitigate and manage these risks. “AUSTRAC’s Regulatory priorities for 2024 calls out the gambling sector as an enduring ..read more