Rugby Australia
A dynamic learning and qualification management system to support lifelong learning within Rugby Australia.
Rugby Australia is the national governing body for the sport in Australia and a member of World Rugby, Oceania Rugby, and SANZAAR.
Rugby Australia oversees the development and expansion of the sport nationwide and supports the growth and progression of players, members, coaches, and referees.
“etrainu has provided Rugby Australia with a unique solution to a modern coaching approach, enabling our coaches and match officials to be the best they can be in their chosen environment.”
Michael Magripilis, Head of Community Coaching at Rugby Australia
Providing easy access to education pathways
Tracking and reporting on course accreditations had become an ongoing challenge for Rugby Australia. Before partnering with etrainu, the process was time-consuming and difficult to manage, making it hard to guide coaches and match officials through their accreditation pathways.
“Being able to track and monitor where people are at and drive them through the accreditation pathway was always a challenge," said Graham Cooper, Head of Match Officials.
Without a reliable system in place, Rugby Australia risked coaches and officials stagnating, as they lacked the structured support needed to continue developing and progressing within the sport.
Access to quality education was another challenge. While a program existed, delivering consistent and effective training across Australia proved difficult.
With education playing such a critical role in both individual development and overall performance, there was a clear need to provide engaging, accessible, and scalable learning pathways.
Rugby Xplorer: creating clearer development pathways
Rugby Australia set out to create a learning experience that felt familiar and engaging for coaches and match officials, one that reflected the journey they wanted every member to take.
To achieve this, they needed a modern platform that mirrored their values, structure, and vision for development.
Enter Rugby Xplorer.
Powered by etrainu’s Learning Management System (LMS) and Qualifications functionality, Rugby Xplorer delivers a seamless, rugby-specific learning experience.
The platform brings Rugby Australia’s education framework to life, aligning with their rules, pathways, and accreditation processes.
As one of the first adopters of etrainu’s Qualifications, Rugby Australia gained the ability to support long-term, structured learning for their community.
Learners can log in to the platform and see their entire development journey: what they’ve completed, what’s next, and what’s required to maintain or renew certifications. This visibility encourages ongoing engagement and builds confidence.
Qualifications has enabled Rugby Australia to build prerequisites, CPD activities, and renewal cycles into the system, making it all the easier to track progress and grow.
More engagement and excitement
Rugby Australia has already felt the impacts of such a dynamic platform, with around 1,600 of their match officials engaging with the learning in the first few months of adopting etrainu’s LMS. At the time of writing, Rugby Australia has around 1,700-1,800 match officials in the program, so the uptake of 1,600 officials was hugely successful.
The driving force behind this engagement and early adoption was the coaches' and officials' eagerness to learn and the appeal of a new, visually appealing, easy-to-use, interactive platform. Early feedback from coaches and officials shows that these learners enjoy the user experience and engage well with the platform and content.
Looking ahead, Rugby Australia anticipates significant long-term benefits from using their LMS and Qualifications.
But the true measure of success will be seen on the field.
By elevating their coaching and match official education programs, Rugby Australia expects the improved learning experience—delivered through the LMS and Qualifications—to translate into better performance across all levels of the game.
Stronger education leads to more confident coaches, sharper officials, and ultimately, better outcomes for players.
