Churchie Swim Club in turmoil after mass exodus of staff, members

The mass exodus has continued at the imploding Churchie Swim Club, as more young swimmers quit in protest over the decision by the elite school to outsource its swim program, with fees increasing significantly.

Liam Smith and Richard Sleight, former coaches of Churchie Swim Club, in happier times in late 2023. Photo: supplied.

The mass exodus continues at the imploding Churchie Swim Club, as more young swimmers quit in protest over the decision by the elite Anglican Church Grammar School to outsource its swim program.

The decision, slammed by one insider as “a shameless money grab”, has resulted in the departure of high-performing head coach Richard Sleight and assistant head coach Liam Smith.

On Monday when the club opened for 2025, not only were all 17 members of the national squad absent but all but one member of the 32-strong state team.

The teams delivered their best-ever performances in the 2024 national and state titles.

The exit of the top swimmers follows the club’s committee resigning over the school’s appointment of Rackley’s Swim Team to run Churchie’s aquatic program.

“It’s a shameless money grab,” said a former committee member.

Richard Sleight and Liam Smith hug on the final night of the 2024 state swimming championships, December 20, on the Gold Coast. Picture Supplied

Under the former regime, swimmers were paying $165 a month to be trained by Mr Sleight, Mr Smith and their small support team.

Now, under Rackley’s and new head coach Zoe Baker, fees have jumped to $240 a month.

As The Courier-Mail has exclusively reported, the Churchie Swim Club’s elite athletes have joined other clubs, including those based at Brisbane Grammar School, Nudgee College and St Peter’s.

Parents and former committee members are furious over the appointment of Rackley’s, which runs learn-to-swim programs in large public pools across Brisbane.

A Churchie Swim Club Instagram post that has since been deleted.

A Churchie Instagram post that has since been deleted.

“There has been zero consultation, it’s absolutely disgraceful,” said one ex-committee member.

Other parents said Churchie had “blown up their swimming base” and “lost their mind”.

A fiery Instagram post last week on the Churchie Swim Club account accused the school of “ripping the heart out of” the club.

The post, since removed by the school on Instagram but remaining of on Facebook, said it was an “end of an era” as the club “reflected on what we are about to lose”.

One father told this newspaper the swim club had “gone from strength to strength” under Mr Sleight, previously national age head coach at St Peter’s, and Mr Smith.

“Not keeping Richard and Liam is lunacy; it is a death blow,” he said.

“All the national squad has left, and others who came to the club purely because of Richard are going too.”

Under Mr Sleight and Mr Smith, who both began at Churchie in late 2023, the club placed 9th in the nationals in April 2024, up from 36th the previous year.

And at the state titles in December, it also ranked 9th and fielded 32 competitors, its largest contingent ever.

Mr Sleight’s Linkedin profile lists him as “recently made redundant”.

Both men, as well as Anglican Church Grammar School, were contacted for comment.

The school announced the appointment of Rackley in October 2024, and The Courier-Mail understands Mr Sleight and Mr Smith were told to reapply for their jobs.

Zoe Baker, who has represented Great Britain and New Zealand in swimming, has been appointed the new head coach, with the overarching Churchie Aquatics program now renamed Rackley’s East Brisbane.

Ms Baker was head coach at St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls in Perth from November 2023 and at Peel Aquatics in WA from April 2022.

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Originally published as Churchie Swim Club in turmoil after mass exodus of staff, members