General
Applying for the NSW Rugby World Cup Legacy Grant Program is a simple process using the SmartyGrants platform. The application can be found here.
Before you apply, please read the Program Guidelines and related materials to make sure you understand all the relevant requirements. You can find the relevant information here.
Applications for both categories must be lodged by 1pm, Monday 16 February 2026.
All categories must lodge their application via the Office of Sport’s SmartyGrants platform.
Yes, applicants may submit applications in two categories.
Category 1: applicants are limited to one (1) application and will not be granted less than $25,000 or more than $150,000 total.
Category 2: applicants may submit up to two (2) applications. Applicants must prioritise their projects in order of preference. Applicants will not be granted less than $5,000 or more than $20,000 per project.
Staged components of a larger facility development are eligible, provided the stage being applied for meets the program criteria. The budget, total project cost and scope in your application should only relate to the stage the grant relates to, it should not include the total project cost of the larger development.
Late applications can only be made where an applicant has started an application in SmartyGrants prior to the closing date/time. If for some unforeseen reason you are not able to lodge your application on time, you must contact the Office of Sport (grants@sport.nsw.gov.au) at the earliest possible time and within one hour of the closing date/time.
A late application will only be considered where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process. The final determination on whether a late application will be accepted will be made by the Grant Assessment Panel supported by a probity advisor. Full details of the Office of Sport’s policy on late applications and late supporting documentation can be found in the Program Guidelines.
- Category 1: Infrastructure: Projects should commence from June 2026 and must be completed by June 2028.
- Category 2: Participation: Projects commence within 3 months of the notification to successful applicants and must be completed by December 2027.
The Program aims to improve Rugby facilities and support infrastructure, increase participation opportunities, and improve player pathways. Funds can be used for constructing new or upgrading existing Rugby facilities that demonstrate inclusive and accessible design and maximise community participation (Category 1). Funds can be used to support increased Rugby new or enhanced participation programs, competitions or tournaments (Category 2).
Scan any hard copy letters or quotes and save them as a PDF. These can then be uploaded in the relevant sections of your application in SmartyGrants.
If any document is not available prior to the closing date/time and you would like to submit this for consideration you must contact grants@sport.nsw.gov.au. Any decision in relation to the acceptance of late supporting documentation will be at the absolute discretion of the Office of Sport.
Late supporting documentation will only be accepted for applications already submitted in SmartyGrants before the closing date and time and will only be considered where its acceptance would not compromise the integrity and competitiveness of the process. The final determination on whether a late supporting document will be accepted will be made by the Grant Assessment Panel supported by a probity advisor.
Physical onsite works are commencement of project construction. These works include, but are not limited to, early works construction packages, site clearing and demolition, earthworks or building works. You should not commence works until a Funding Agreement has been executed (signed by both parties). Any costs incurred prior to execution of the Funding Agreement are undertaken at the applicants own risk.
The Office of Sport staff are available to provide advice to applicants on interpretation of the Program Guidelines including types of projects eligible for funding. Staff can also provide advice relating to the online application process. However, staff cannot provide advice that may be perceived as providing an unfair advantage to one applicant over another.
No. The Office Sport personnel cannot review or provide feedback on any grant applications.
All applicants will be advised of outcomes in writing from May 2026 onwards.
Financial and co-contribution
Category 1: Is for projects focused on planning for future construction, with a grant request between $25,000 and $150,000. These projects are understood to be pre-construction, so completion date refers to completion of the project’s deliverables (documentation to support a building approval application), the assessment criteria requirements are also proportionate and appropriate for the category.
Category 2: Is for projects involving an off-the-shelf (ready to accept quote/order) purchase with a single fixed-price quote that includes all delivery and installation costs, and a grant request between $5,000 and $20,000.
Projects must align with the program’s key objectives. Refer to the Program Guidelines to confirm eligibility under each category for examples of eligible projects under each category, assessment criteria and the appropriate supporting documentation for each category.
No. Applicants that do not have an ABN must provide a signed ATO Statement by Supplier form that can be downloaded from the Australian Tax Office website.
Organisations registered for GST: exclude GST from the amount of funding requested in your project budget. GST will be paid to your organisation if successful.
Organisations not registered for GST: include GST in the costs for your project budget. Please ensure that the quotes you receive are inclusive of GST that will be charged by trades or suppliers.
You can determine if your organisation is registered for GST by looking at your ABN details. If you do not have an ABN, you are not registered for GST.
Your organisation’s treasurer should have a certificate of incorporation, or you can search for your incorporated status with:
Category 1: applicants will not be granted less than $25,000 or more than $150,000 total, applicants are limited to one (1) application.
Category 2: applicants will not be granted less than $5,000 or more than $20,000 per project, applicants may submit up to two (2) applications. Applicants must prioritise their projects in order of preference and therefore will not be funded more than $40,000.
The budget, total project cost and scope in your application should only relate to the stage the grant relates to, it should not include the total project cost of the larger development.
Contingency refers to additional project funding that will only be used if the actual project costs exceed the expected total project cost. As a guide, contingency amounts proposed should be relevant to the size and complexity of the project.
Any application that includes contingency must state whether the contingency will be funded by the awarded grant, by a financial co-contribution from the applicant, or a combination of both.
Any unspent contingency funded by the awarded grant must be returned to Office of Sport. If contingency is to be provided by the applicant, any unspent contingency at the end of the project will remain with the applicant organisation.
The Office of Sport will not cover any cost of project overruns beyond the agreed contingency. Any costs that exceed the expected total project cost must be covered by the grant recipient.
Category 1: Applicants must provide a contingency of at least 5%, and up to 20% of the total project cost.
Category 2: Provide a contingency if required based on the project type (optional).
Discounts are not permitted as in-kind support or considered a financial co-contribution.
Grant funding from Federal Government or Council are permitted as a financial co-contribution. Applicants should ensure the contributions to the project are not greater than the Total Project cost and the scope items or deliverables within the project can be aligned to the relevant funding source.
Project scope
Universal Design is about creating an inclusive society and built environment. It helps everyone participate in activities, attend sporting and recreation facilities and makes them feel that they belong. In general, it is not a type of product, building style or even a set of standards – it is a design thinking process.That means Universal Design can be applied to anything and everything that is designed, programmed, or participated in throughout our everyday lives and environments. Resources are provided to improve understanding, or we recommend you consult a design professional.
For further information see:
NSW Government Architect - Urban Design for Regional NSW
What is Universal Design | Centre for Excellence in Universal Design
Inclusive and accessible facilities consider Universal Design in their approach. Refer to the Universal Design Australia for more information.
More progressed project designs give greater level of confidence in project cost, risk profile and delivery schedule and will be looked upon favorably. Applicants are encouraged to identify what approvals are required for their project as early as possible so they can prepare the correct plans for construction projects and evidence commencement by their planned date.
Assessment criteria and announcement
Eligible applications will be assessed against the Program’s objectives and assessment criteria in the Program Guidelines.
Applications in category 1 should provide a signed landowner’s consent from the landowner or appropriate authorised organisation for the specified project. For example, projects located on public or Crown Land, the local Council is often the land manager with delegation to provide owner’s consent. All landowners’ consent should be on the Office of Sport template (under supporting documents). NOTE that letters with “in principle” support are not sufficient to fully demonstrate landowner consent for the purpose of assessment. The Office may set aside applications that cannot appropriately evidence landowner consent.
Category 1: You should evidence you have all necessary approvals to commence construction. This includes Development Application approval or demonstrating that a Development Application is not required and provide alternative permissions such as such as REF, Complying Development Certificate, etc. Failure to provide evidence in relation to planning consent may result in an application being set aside from further consideration at the Office of Sport’s absolute discretion.
A letter from the applicant organisation is not sufficient to demonstrate that a Development Application is not required for the project. Evidence should be provided by the relevant planning authority. The evidence must clearly include the scope of the project and why construction approval is not required.
Applicants are encouraged to consult Your guide to the DA process - Planning.nsw.gov.au to confirm whether the project requires a Development Application, a Complying Development Certificate or an exempt development. Submit the approval or a letter from an authorised Council delegate confirming the project is an exempt development.
Projects that increase opportunities for women and girls, people with disability, First Nations peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and LGBTQIA+ people will be prioritised during the merit assessment. To demonstrate your project caters to these groups, identify how these groups were specifically considered in relevant areas of the merit criteria and include any evidence of this. This may include how they were consulted during the planning and needs identification phase, how the proposed design is inclusive of these groups, what existing relationship you have with these groups or how you will build a relationship, how participation from these groups will be activated etc.
Individuals, groups, Rugby organisations or deliverers who are not affiliated by NSWRU and/or ACT&SNSWRU and do not supply a letter of support from either NSWRU or ACT&SNSWRU as part of their application will be deemed ineligible.
To demonstrate project need, you may consider the following:
- Photos of existing condition to show level of dilapidation or inadequacy
- Surveys taken from community groups, club members, participants etc. that highlight the need
- Letters of support from community groups or expected users to support the need
- Any other related evidence that supports the need.
No. The application process is competitive. It is possible the program will be oversubscribed. Applications that score highest on the Program’s merit assessment criteria will be funded. Generally, these applications best meet the objectives of the program, can demonstrate value for money and low risk associated with the project’s deliverability. They do this by including all mandatory or highly desired evidence and as much of the desired evidence as they can with the application.
There are no appeals for unsuccessful applications under the Program. Feedback on your application will be provided with the grant outcome notification letter.
Requirement of funded projects
Please refer to section 5 of the Program Guidelines for an overview of these requirements.
If you have been successful in receiving a grant from the Office of Sport and need to change the contact details, please send your updated details to grants@sport.nsw.gov.au and identify the grant program and your grant number and we will make the amendments for you.
All successful applicants will receive detailed information about how they must acknowledge NSW Government funding for the project. Projects funded will typically require a statement of funding acknowledgment in the applicant’s annual reports and media releases; and a statement and the NSW Government logo included on temporary and permanent building signage. Successful applicants will receive full guidelines, logos and signage template files.
Further details about acknowledgment of NSW Government funding for infrastructure projects can be found here.
The NSW Government reserves the right to be involved in media opportunities and speaking engagements relating to the funded project. Funding recipients must ensure that any media opportunities, speaking engagements and signage relating to the Program or project are discussed with, and approved in advance by, Office of Sport.
The Office of Sport acknowledges that things may occur that will impact grant recipients and projects at any time. Any variation requested by a successful applicant to a project that constitutes a change to the original application will require a revised assessment of the application to determine whether the project should still be funded in accordance with the program guidelines.
Any variation to the project as detailed in the application form must be agreed to in writing by the Office of Sport and may require Minister approval. In these circumstances, the grant recipients should request a variation via SmartyGrants. Requests for variations to the terms and conditions or changes to the project will only be considered in limited circumstances.
Applicants are encouraged to ensure that their application provides accurate cost and timelines to reduce the need for variations.
Refer to section 5.5 in the Program Guidelines for more information.
If you are provided a grant, it is your responsibility to put in place adequate controls to prevent fraud and corruption and avoid negligence. This requirement is stipulated in the funding agreement terms and conditions.
Fraud is defined by the Independent Commission Against Corruption as “dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by deception or other means”, and corruption as “deliberate or intentional wrongdoing, not negligence or a mistake”. Grant recipients may experience fraud, corruption or negligence when dealing with contractors in the project, or within their own organisation or its governance. In general, negligence can be defined as the failure to take proper care over or for something.
Appropriate management of procurement processes, the management of contracts and contractors, the establishment of appropriate project management practices (including governance and oversight), and the declaration and management of conflicts of interest are common controls used to prevent or control such incidents. The Office of Sport does not cover the loss of project funding due to fraud, corruption or negligence on behalf of the grant recipient which may also result in the termination of a funding agreement for a grant.
If you experience fraud, corruption or negligence, you should notify the Office of Sport. The Office of Sport can help your organisation work any variations required, except additional funding, to manage the impact on the project.
Fraud and corruption should always be reported to the police. More information about reporting fraud and corruption can be found at:
https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/frauds_and_scams
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/report-fraud
https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/buying-products-and-services/scams