It is with regret we announce that Head Coach, Sean Hedger departs SUFC after just one season.
Sean who has spent the best part of the last two decades coaching around Australia and overseas, has decided now is the time to return home to Kingscliff and spend some much-needed time with his wife and young children. Sean will continue his career in Rugby, having recently been appointed as the Director of Rugby at the International Rugby Academy of Australia (IRAA).
SUFC were extremely lucky to have Sean at the helm for the 2022 season, in which we reclaimed the coveted Club Championship and won the Shute Shield Premiership with one of the most inexperienced teams in our history, in one of the tightest competitions in years. For his efforts, Sean was awarded the 2022 Shute Shield Coach of the Year along with his good friend, Bubba Coleman from Hunter Wildfires.
Director of Rugby, Nick Ryan had nothing but praise for Sean’s tenure at the Club, “Sean did an incredible job navigating many challenges, on and off the field in 2022 and achieved a memorable premiership in the Club’s history based around his ability to connect and bring people together. He will always be hugely regarded and have a home at SUFC”.
In response, Sean had this to say on his time at SUFC “I would like to thank everyone at SUFC for making 2022 such a memorable season. To have been the Head Coach at such a prestigious Club is a huge honour and something I will always treasure.
The playing group at SUFC is a really special group of people. The senior leadership group, led by Jack McCalman are a fine example of men, who have the success of their team and club as their No. 1 priority. I have never worked with a group of harder working players in my 20+ years of coaching.
Not just the hardest working, but they are also the tightest, most connected group. Many of these players have been at SUFC since Colts and their love and care for the Club is genuine.
I would like to in particular thank my coaching staff; Mark Bakewell, Damien Hill, Laurie Weeks, Brian Smith and Tristian Sharp. The knowledge and experience possessed by this group made my coaching life at SUFC a dream come true. All of these coaches are outstanding in their field and SUFC is lucky to have them involved.
My time at SUFC ranks as my No.1 coaching experience, not only because we won the Shute Shield, but because of the friendships formed and the lessons learnt. In the hardest and closest Shute Shield in living memory, and one of the wettest years on record in Sydney, we managed to find a way to win and have a lot of fun at the same time!
It has been an absolute pleasure to be involved with the Club. Up the Students!”
We would like to thank Sean for his tireless efforts throughout the year and wish him all the best with his new role at IRAA and his return to Kingscliff.
The incoming Head Coach will be announced shortly.