Griffith Business School undergraduate and lifetime fan of the North Queensland Cowboys, Liam Faithful, has just landed a dream job with the National Rugby League (NRL).
Liam starts work at the end of June as a sales and membership consultant for the Cowboys in the NRL’s Fan Relationship Management Centre (FRMC) in Sydney.
The role will bring him even closer to the game he loves after spending the past four months as an intern with the Brisbane Broncos.
“It’s pretty exciting to be given this opportunity,” said Liam, who this semester completes a Bachelor of Sports Management and Marketing double degree.
“I love league and have been a Cowboys supporter all my life, so I couldn’t have asked for a better start.”
The Mt Isa local’s grassroots connections with North Queensland have helped him score the NRL role which will target memberships and group ticket sales for last year’s premiership team.
He will be among a staff of more than 30 in the FRMC, which assigns two people to each NRL club to foster membership growth and community engagement.
The new role also will involve closer ties with his home turf as he attends all home games by the Cowboys, as well as club membership events and other NRL events in the region, as part of the job.
Liam has already chalked up a deal of experience in the industry after early encouragement from Griffith Business School Lecturer, Dr Caroline Riot.
“A couple of years ago she impressed upon us the importance of going out and getting experience before we graduate, so I was lucky to get an internship as an operations assistant with the Queensland Reds for 12 months,” he said.
“I integrated a lot of what I learned in my sports management degree in that role and was able to apply that knowledge in a pressure environment.”
Last year, Liam also applied to join the NRL Business Academy program, which led to a six-month internship with the Broncos.
“That’s given me experience in various fields such as memberships, events and community engagement,” he said.
“The Brisbane Broncos organisation also has taught me a lot about professionalism and the ability to build relationships with consumers. They also gave me a great deal of assistance and encouragement when I was applying for the job with the NRL.
“Without them, I’m convinced I wouldn’t have this opportunity to forward my career, so I am very grateful.”
Dr Riot said she was pleased to seehighly motivated students such as Liam receiving recognition in industry for their proactivity and commitment to work placements.
“Liam is a great example of our highly engaged students in the sport management program who are looking to make a difference to communities and organisations through sport,” she said.
“This story demonstrates how our work integrated learning opportunities and internships facilitate the success of our students.”