Robert Donaghue to lead Squash Australia through until Victoria 2026

Squash Australia is pleased to announce that Robert Donaghue will continue to serve as the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer for another four years. 

“We are delighted to officially extend Rob’s position as CEO of Squash Australia,” said the President of Squash Australia, Joanne Brodie, adding that she was pleased that Donaghue agreed to keep leading the organisation until 2026.

“Looking towards the long-term future of Squash Australia, Rob and his team will continue to build on the foundations built over the last 18-months, ahead of the 2023 World Junior Championships and the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria,” Brodie said. 

After joining Squash Australia in January 2021, Donaghue led the organisation through a period of change and renewal, strengthening the relationship with states and territories and focusing on improving the communication and collaboration with all stakeholders.

“The Squash community has been really welcoming. They have been open to looking at things differently, supporting ambitious and bold plans and enthusiastic about getting the sport back to where it should be,” Donaghue said.

Working collaboratively with all stakeholders has been key for Donaghue to identify where the biggest organisational challenges were and how to build the tools and programs to address them.

“Over the last 18 months, our team has undertaken projects which I believe are crucial for the development of a sport that has a proud heritage and an exciting future ahead. An organisational review, national marketing & communications review, national competitions & events review and the appointment of Revolutionise Sport & Squash Levels as our technology partners are just some of the important projects delivered. Those and other strategic priorities which were identified at the start of my tenure as CEO created a blueprint of collaboration with the states and other stakeholders which we will be able to use in the future, helping us use our collective resources more efficiently and effectively than we were previously.” 

A senior executive with over 15 year’s experience in the sports industry, Donaghue said it was an easy decision to continue as CEO of Squash Australia, and he is grateful to the Squash Australia Board for renewing their trust in his leadership. 

“I am really excited about the future of the organisation and the sport in Australia. There are plenty of opportunities originating from the work we have done so far. In terms of upcoming events, having the 2023 World Junior Championships and the 2026 Commonwealth Games on home soil, plus the return of the Australian Open to the World Tour. This creates some amazing opportunities to showcase the sport at the highest level and build a legacy for the squash community. It will also allow us to broaden the appeal of the sport and get more people involved. We want to inspire the next generation of squash players and get more people playing our great sport, more often.”

Having launched a new strategic plan in July, Squash Australia now has a roadmap to drive the development of the sport moving forward. Donaghue thinks the next four years will be key to ensuring the opportunities identified in the strategic plan are realised, setting the organisation up for the next decade and beyond. 

“There is a real focus on the ‘green and gold runway’ with Victoria 2026 and Brisbane 2032 creating once-in-a-generation opportunities for Australian sport. Squash is now in a great position to be able to take advantage of this unique opportunity. All the states and territories were involved in the planning, and all stakeholders are aligned in terms of where the sport is headed in the next four years. We have been able to implement a cohesive, united approach to the principles behind our strategy and this is very important for the organisation and the sport moving forward,” Donaghue said.