Long term supporters of Women’s Rugby and founders of Buildcorp, Josephine and Tony Sukkar, were this weekend recognised with the inaugural Women’s Australian Club Championship match between Bond University and Gordon seeing the two clubs contest the Sukkar Cup.
Bond University claimed a 29-26 win in the final stages of the match, with winger Dianne Waight scoring a hat-trick of tries to secure the win for the Bull Sharks.
The Sukkar family through Buildcorp have been supporting Rugby from the grassroots level through to the professional game, beginning their sponsorship of Sydney University Rugby Club over 30 years ago. Buildcorp have been mainstays in the Queensland Premier Rugby scene as sponsors of the University of Queensland Rugby Club, and have been heavily involved as partners with Queensland Rugby Union recently, working on the Ballymore redevelopment.
Buildcorp have been valued sponsors of Australia’s national Women’s XV side – the Buildcorp Wallaroos – while also sponsoring the Super W competition, showing support at all levels of Rugby.
While the Sukkar’s have been to many Australian Club Championship matches in previous years with both Sydney University and University of Queensland featuring heavily, this weekend is the first time the Queensland Premier Rugby and Jack Scott Cup premiers have gone head-to-head, with Bond University and Gordon contesting the Sukkar Cup.
“Tony and I are humbled and honoured by this recognition.” said Josephine Sukkar AM, Principal Buildcorp.
“Our passion over the last 32 years has and remains the investment in Club Rugby. The Clubs are the heart of our Rugby community, the base of the pyramid if you like, where strong and skilled men and women learn and hone their skills, with some going on to higher honours. We are delighted to see the inclusion of the women in the Australian Club Championships.
"The fair and equal participation of men and women at Buildcorp is something that we continually strive for, so for that reason we are very proud of the creation of the Buildcorp Super W, a national competition sitting firmly alongside the Super Rugby. Prior to the Super W, Australian women were selected directly from Clubs around the country into the national side, playing against other women who were often fully contracted. The Super W, with its recently announced contracting of players has been the essential and missing pathway the women needed. While we recognise we are still on a journey, we are grateful to every Club in the country who has invested their time, dollars and energy to ensure every young Australian man or woman who wants to participate in our great game can do so, in an inclusive and safe environment.
“We want to thank David Hanham, Queensland Rugby Union, Rugby Australia and Wests Bulldogs Rugby for this great honour. We are so grateful and touched by this generous gesture.”
QRU CEO David Hanham believes that the acknowledgement of the Sukkar’s is fitting given their long-standing support of the Women’s game.
“Both Josephine and Tony have been dedicated to the growth of Women’s Rugby in Australia from the grassroots through to the professional game over a number of decades,” said Hanham.
“Through Buildcorp, the Sukkar’s have been able to sponsor Rugby clubs, the Buildcorp Wallaroos, the Super W competition and with Ballymore soon to be the home of Women’s Rugby in Australia, we’ve been proud to partner with Buildcorp on the National Rugby Training Centre as part of the Ballymore redevelopment.
“This weekend will be a great celebration of club Rugby and significant recognition for the contribution of the Sukkar family to our Rugby community.”
