Redevelopment Signals New Era for the Hunter

Cessnock Leagues Club is currently undergoing a major redevelopment that will effectively double the size of the venue and elevate its position within the growing Hunter region.

“It’s a long time in the making,” Paul says on the ClubLIFE Podcast in a new episode released today.

The redevelopment will shift the Club from what he describes as a “medium sized regional club to something of a little bit more significant”. 

But while construction is the headline, Paul says an evolution has been underway for decades.

Founded in 1980 after members of the Cessnock Goannas sought greater financial security for the now famous rugby league club, the venue has grown from a traditional leagues club into a diversified hospitality group.

Today, the Club supports not just rugby league but a wide range of sporting and community organisations.

“Our purpose is to promote not just rugby league but sporting pursuits in the Cessnock area and support the Cessnock community,” Paul says.

For Paul, however, the defining feature of a successful regional club is not governance frameworks or redevelopment budgets — it is connection.

“Club business in regions — you’ve really got to know people and it’s all about personalities and conversations and relationships,” he says.

Maintaining strong relationships also extends to elected representatives.

“If we expect them to stand behind us or back us in, if we’re faced with challenging legislation or changes within our markets, then they’ve got to understand our business better,” Paul says. 

“We don’t do a great job of blowing our own trumpet. People still don’t understand the difference between a pub and a club.

“On the shopfront side, we all look the same, but it’s fundamentally different.  No one person benefits when a club goes well — the wider community benefits.” 

Those relationships will become even more important as the industry navigates any potential future headwinds.

“I think obviously compliance and having gaming machines is a privilege,” says Paul. 

“With that privilege comes responsibility. We’ve got to act responsibly around that.”

After nearly three decades in the industry, Paul has seen multiple reform cycles and understands that adaptation is essential. It all started in his home town at Club Maitland City.

“I was only there maybe three to six months and I was offered a trainee managership. I was quite a young manager — I think I was about 26 or 27 as CEO there, which was a little bit early,” he says.

“The opportunities were there and the support that I had from the Board was certainly appreciated.

“I was working towards being an architect, but then this club work started getting a bit serious. I started really enjoying the diversity of the work and working with people.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Paul also discusses the Group’s amalgamation challenges, why he enjoys serving on industry boards and whether or not he’d be open to a new challenge at a different club.

Click on the link below to hear the full interview with Paul Cousins in Episode 21 of the ClubLIFE Podcast, which is also available via ClubLIFE.com.au, Apple, Spotify and wherever else you get your podcasts.

If you have a suggestion on who might make an interesting guest for a future ClubLIFE Podcast episode, get in touch with the team by emailing [email protected].