NT Rugby Union CEO Tamie Needham steps down after two years

NT RUGBY Union CEO Tamie Needham has stepped down after two years in the job

Tamie Needham steps down from Nt Rugby Union CEO role after two years

NT RUGBY Union CEO Tamie Needham has stepped down after two years in the role.

Needham took up the role in August 2018 to become the first female CEO of the NT code and has dedicated her time to building the game in the Top End.

That growth has seen the junior competition bolstered by MacKillop Saints and the returning Jabiru Bushmice, the first club Needham ever coached at.

But one of Needham’s proudest highlights was the revitalisation of the Hottest 7s launched in a new November window and at a new venue.

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The CEO also saw the Darwin competition returned to the wet season while securing a master planning grant to rejuvenate Rugby Park, which will involve new seating and shower cubicles.

“It’s been a fantastic opportunity for me which has been challenging, exciting and rewarding in equal parts,” Needham told the NT News.

“I’ve been on leave without pay from my government job for the past two years to do this job and right now the security of a permanent job is rather important to me so I’m making a return.

“Rugby union in the NT is currently in an exciting period of change and I’m excited to see what returning to a wet season competition will look like.

“We really had strong commitment from all the clubs and stakeholders in making that move back and now there is a real keenness to getting back into it.

“I’m not leaving rugby. My husband and children still play and I’m probably not going to be able to help myself in getting involved once again.”

NTRU president Denys Stedman had been incredibly impressed with how Needham had performed in the role since 2018.

“She’s been exemplary in the role, absolutely fantastic, really helped get the NTRU back on its feet,” Stedman said.

“The board and I were disappointed to hear that she wouldn’t be able to stay on any longer.

“She was incredibly hard working putting in many hours while being knowledgeable about the game and the people in the game up here, it’s those qualities we will be looking for in the next CEO.”

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The rugby union clubs will return to play in October with Darwin Dragons aiming to take a third title after winning the 2020 A-grade competition.