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Starting a Sports Club

Don't see a sports club listed on our clubs page and want to start one up? You have come to the right place!

La Trobe Sport do have strict requirements on starting a club - this is to ensure all clubs affiliating with La Trobe Sport & La Trobe University are sustainable. 

Process & Requirements

Phase 1 - Initial Scoping 

1. Please ensure the club does not already exist, or a club that is similar exists. Check out our Sports Clubs page to ensure we don't already have that sport!

2. Please ensure the National Sporting Organisation (NSO) for your sport is recognised by the Australian Sports Commision (ASC) through the Australian Sports Directory.

3. After you have confirmed that, please email Hayden Atherton (h.atherton@latrobe.edu.au) expressing your interest to form a new sports club. You will receive more information through email, however, the process and requirements are summarised from point 4 onwards.

Phase 2 - Meeting Requirements

4. The club must have at least 20 people interested in signing up to the club, with 10 of those being current La Trobe University Students. You must have the details, including full name, email, and contact number for each person interested in joining the club, as well as the student number for each of the students interested. 

  • Pending your club, and timing of expression of interest, you may be eligible in attending one of many sport club promotion days to help gather interest in your club

5. The club must have a list of aims and objectives to submit to La Trobe Sport. These must not conflict with La Trobe University or La Trobe Sport.

6. The club must, out of the list of 20 interested, provide a list of at least 4 people who would be elected in a committee role. At least 2 of these must be staff, students, or alumni.

  • It is a requirement that all committees have a makeup of at least 50% staff, students, or alumni.

7. The club must create a financial plan, and have this ready to submit to La Trobe Sport.

  • The club must have a financial plan that is sustainable, and does not rely on La Trobe Sport support for at least the first year of operation.

8. The club must provide a membership model to La Trobe Sport, including costs, inclusions, and finiancial implications.

9. The club must then submit a Club Proposal to La Trobe Sport. The Proposal form will be provided to the club after the initial consultation. This proposal will factor in most of points 4 - 8 above. 

Phase 3 - Pre-approval

10. La Trobe Sport will review the application, and determine an outcome. The application will be reviewed by the Representative Sport Officer, and the Senior Manager, La Trobe Sport. The application may be - 

  • Pre-approved - The club has been approved to exist, on the basis of them following the requirements set from point 11
  • Rejected - The club has been rejected, the club may not put another application in for at least 3 months
  • Rejected, however, more information needed - The club are required to fix, or amend some parts of the application. 

11. If pre-approved, the club must ensure the following is done. If the following is not done, the club will be unable to sign the affiliaton agreement. The club must not exist in any capacity, or operate under the assumption of affiliation unless the affiliation agreement has been signed:

  • The club's AGM must be advertised and all members given 21 days’ notice so that all interested students have the opportunity to attend. It must then be attended by a minimum of 10 La Trobe University students.
  • A club constitution must be developed and approved by La Trobe Sport detailing the standard rules of the club, which all members must abide by.
  • The club shall become an incorporated association by voting to do so at the AGM. This will involve meeting the requirements of incorporation as outlined by Consumer Affairs Victoria.
  • The club must provide a list of voted committee members, as well as AGM minutes.

Phase 4 - Affiliation

12. Once all elements have been completed, we will get you to sign an affiliation agreement, as well as provide you with further resources to ensure you can thrive as a club!