Twenty-five years ago, regional Australia wasn’t part of the major events conversation. Families travelled to capital cities for sport, attracted by better facilities and bigger experiences, while metro audiences stayed close to home for convenience.

Then came a shift in thinking. In the wake of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, SMA Directors Craig Gibson, then a Sports Unit Manager for the Coffs Harbour City Council and Rick Sleeman, Director of Rugby at IMG, saw an opportunity that other people had missed: What if major events didn’t have to stay in capital cities?

Riding the wave of the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic legacy and a reenergised regional confidence, they launched a bold concept — relocating the Australia national rugby union team, the Wallabies, to a permanent training base camp at Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour.

At the time, the Wallabies were world champions, building towards another World Cup campaign in 2003. Their move sparked something powerful. The Coffs Coast came alive, gaining global attention and earning its place as the “Home of the Wallabies.” More importantly, it built a reputation for Coffs Harbour of delivering world-class events.

Success followed success. National events began shifting to the region — from the Australian Touch Championships to NRL trial matches, Beach Volleyball Tour events and the National Triathlon Championships. Coffs transformed into the thriving sporting and events hub it still is today.

This wasn’t just a win for one region — it was proof of valuable concept. What began as an idea to boost regional Australia became the blueprint for what became known as the Sports Decentralisation Program — a model that reshaped how Australia thinks about hosting events.

Today, bringing major events, camps and conferences to regional destinations is standard practice. It drives tourism, strengthens local economies and energises communities across the country.

But 25 years ago, it was just an idea — powered by vision, good relationships and the belief that regional Australia could deliver.

That belief is where SMA began.