Ian Robilliard OAM Bows Out After Remarkable Career

Ian began his journey as a gifted athlete — excelling in both basketball and rugby union — before transitioning into coaching and, ultimately, administration and leadership roles within the regional sport landscape. 

As founding Managing Director of Central Coast Academy of Sport (CCAS), Ian established an Academy that quickly became a benchmark for regional athlete development across NSW. 

Under his stewardship, the Academy introduced structured athlete pathways, secured strong community and corporate partnerships, and opened opportunities that had previously been beyond reach for many aspiring athletes on the Central Coast.

His influence extended beyond the Central Coast. Over the years, Moose helped drive collaboration across the broader Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) network statewide, contributing to the evolution of the Academy Games and raising the standard of regional sport development. 

Throughout his tenure there’s also been a successful enduring relationship between RAS and the NSW club industry. 

ClubsNSW entered as naming partner in the Academy Games in 2006, and its investment has grown in tandem with the event’s expansion. Since that partnership began, ClubsNSW has contributed well over half a million dollars to the Games.

Alongside that, local member clubs have played a vital role, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into the statewide Academies over many years, helping fund programs, coaching, facilities and athlete support services.

In recognition of his outstanding services to sport — as an athlete, coach and administrator — Ian was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2017.

In more recent years, Ian championed a move to a centralised operating model for the Regional Academies of Sport, a structural reform that strengthened governance, improved collaboration across regions and enhanced the network’s capacity to support athletes throughout NSW.

As he steps aside, Ian “Moose” Robilliard OAM leaves behind a legacy built on passion, commitment and community — a legacy reinforced by the thousands of athletes whose lives and careers he helped shape.