Sea Eagles Sports Business Academy gives students a behind-the-scenes look at elite sport

The Academy combines the Diploma of Sport with the Diploma of Leadership and Management (SIS50321/BSB50420), providing students with a blend of classroom learning and real-world industry exposure inside one of the NRL’s most recognised sporting organisations.

Throughout the first two academic terms of the course, students participated in a range of experiences designed to showcase the breadth of career opportunities that exist within professional sport beyond the playing field.

Sea Eagles Chief Operating Officer Adam Catchpole recently delivered a masterclass exploring the commercial and operational side of rugby league, covering areas such as salary cap management, recruitment, player contracts, football department expenditure and match day operations.

Head of Performance Jon Clarke also provided students with an interactive session focused on leadership, coaching, networking and high-performance culture, giving students an insight into the mindset and relationship-building skills required within elite sporting environments.

Beyond the classroom, students have continued to gain practical industry experience across areas including gameday logistics, digital media and photography, membership operations, community activations and corporate match day experiences.

Sea Eagles Head of Education and Foundation Tim Gee said the Academy was designed to immerse students in the realities of working within professional sport.

“One of the biggest strengths of the Sports Business Academy is the level of genuine industry exposure students receive from day one,” Gee said.

“They’re not just sitting in a classroom learning about sport, they’re experiencing firsthand how a professional sporting organisation operates across high performance, commercial operations, membership, media and community engagement.”

Gee said the partnership with TAFE Queensland was helping students build both industry capability and professional networks.

“The partnership with TAFE Queensland allows us to create an environment where students can build both practical skills and professional networks whilst being immersed within the Sea Eagles organisation and culture,” he said.

“What’s been really pleasing is seeing students develop confidence through the practical experiences. Whether it’s assisting on gameday, supporting community programs or hearing directly from senior staff within the club, those experiences help students better understand the wide range of career pathways that exist within the sporting industry.”

TAFE Queensland Manager of the Academy of Sport, Don Harley, said the program was designed to provide students with authentic and practical exposure to the sports industry.

“The Sports Business Academy is about giving students genuine insight into how modern sporting organisations operate behind the scenes,” Harley said.

“Importantly, students are not just learning theory. They are developing practical industry capability, building professional networks and gaining real-world experience across multiple areas of the sporting industry.”

The Academy continues to attract students from a diverse range of backgrounds and career interests, including high performance sport, athlete wellbeing, coaching, sports marketing, strength and conditioning and commercial operations.

Gee said the Academy was helping students better understand the breadth of opportunities available within the sports industry.

“The Academy is designed to help students turn their passion for sport into real career opportunities,” he said.

“Importantly, it also gives them an understanding of the professionalism, communication and leadership skills required to work within elite sport environments.”

Further industry experiences are planned in coming months, including sports integrity workshops, careers in sport presentations and coaching and refereeing courses.