Supporting the next step: Career development with the NSW Waratahs

As part of our partnership with Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA), we recently delivered a tailored career development series for the NSW Waratahs, designed to equip players with the tools and confidence to plan for life beyond rugby.

Held over three sessions at NSW Rugby Union headquarters, the series covered:

• Beyond the field – building soft skills and networking with confidence
• Marketing yourself – shaping your personal brand
• CV & LinkedIn essentials – establishing a strong professional presence

Led by members of the Robert Walters team – Andrew Hanson, Robert Kruger, Alison Newsome, Sarah Gillard and Dan Connors – the sessions were designed to be practical, relatable and immediately actionable. From navigating LinkedIn to understanding how to position their unique strengths in interviews, players walked away with a clear starting point for their career planning journey.

“It was a privilege to support the NSW Waratahs through this career development series. These players bring incredible dedication and discipline to their sport – traits that translate strongly to life after rugby. We’ve already seen some take proactive steps in shaping their professional futures, and we look forward to supporting them along the way.”
– Andrew Hanson, Managing Director – NSW, Robert Walters

Waratahs player Archer Holz shared his experience:

“The recent professional development sessions with Robert Walters were an excellent chance for us as players to take a look at life outside of rugby and start planning for our next career stage. The Robert Walters staff were super helpful and informative, giving us a better perspective on how we can maximise our platform as players and understand the value we can offer as professional athletes. I personally cannot thank Andrew and the team enough and look forward to connecting with them in the future to continue to develop and grow.”

As RUPA’s official recruitment partner, Robert Walters is proud to support both current and former players in building successful careers beyond sport. Through workshops, mentoring and personalised guidance, we help athletes translate their experience into opportunities across a range of industries. Learn more about our partnership here.