AN end of an era for three stalwart supporters and volunteers of Philippine Rugby has been announced at Philippine Rugby’s annual general meeting. Three long-standing trustees have called their time at PRFU. Steve Payne, Tim Kong and Bill Bailey have all opened up avenues for a new generation of community volunteers to help support Philippine Rugby and pave the way forward.
It was in 2011 when Steve Payne first supported Philippine Rugby, he was a national team sponsor for the national women’s and men’s teams and was later elected to the Board of Trustees in 2012. Steve’s role for the Union had been a significant boost to Philippine Rugby with his business acumen, strategic direction and financial contributions which allowed rugby in the Philippines to prosper through a generation of success.
“It’s been both a challenging & rewarding 10 years on the board & I feel my efforts have greatly benefited rugby in the Philippines in all areas as a whole, aside just from the financial support. COVID has changed our world (& rugby). As the old guard steps down, it’s time for others to take the lead on the board in tackling these challenges, as well as continuing to build unity within the clubs. I wish the new board & the rugby community every success in the future & I would like to thank those who understand & supported me during my term” shared Payne.
For the past decade, it has been known Steve Payne had a positive influence on rugby development and operations in the Philippines. His knowledge of providing best practices for the Union to be run as a business has helped the PRFU to operate efficiently and effectively. Payne provided a significant investment and interest in national programs over the years and more recently local development and competitions to ensure the local rugby community had a platform to thrive. Payne also contributed to making the Union transition into a professional office environment and set standards for accounting procedures that assisted the union greatly.
Another tremendous volunteer who calls time for PRFU is William ‘Bill’ Bailey. Bailey was co-opted in 2012 to step in and later was officially elected to the role of Treasurer from 2012 to 2021. Bailey has also played an integral role in Philippine Rugby, most importantly managing the Union’s finances for close to a decade as well as having an oversight role in relation to compliance and contract law.
“When I took over as Treasurer of PRFU back in 2012 I am not sure I could ever have imagined that I would hold or support that role for more than a decade! It’s been quite the ride, and I can look back with a sense of satisfaction on what we have achieved both on and off the field. I wish the new board every success for the years ahead and look forward to following future achievements in this wonderful game at both grassroots and national teams levels.” Bailey shares.
