Wagga RSL has appointed Wayne Mutton as its new general manager, following the retirement of Andrew Bell after 27 years in the role.
Mutton has been with the club since 2016, initially joining as duty manager before taking on the role of HR manager in 2019.
“It’s one of those opportunities that doesn’t come around a lot, and the time felt right. I felt like I had done some learnings in the last eight years and prior to that at a pub. It was just a good opportunity,” Mutton said.
Since starting in the role last month, Mutton acknowledged, “It’s been a whirlwind – there’s a lot to do, and there’s a lot you don’t realise until you’re in the chair”, adding “the response has been fantastic, and it’s more just getting into the nitty-gritty of the role”.
One of Mutton’s initial priorities will be overseeing the club’s ongoing renovations.
“We’ve just completed stage one, and we’re now in stage two,” he said, highlighting the second stage of renovations includes the development of a new outdoor gaming area, a bar, and a deck overlooking the bowling greens and racecourse, which will accommodate up to 100 people.
According to Mutton, the renovations are part of a broader plan to maximise the club’s space and improve member facilities.
“The club’s always been kept up to date. It was always modern anyway. It is a nice club. But this is the next step,” he said.
“The outdoor gaming was lacking, sadly, and we have a wonderful outlook. We just had a lot of space that was tied in non-customer access areas, like storage. It’s about making more use of our spaces. As we get busier and more popular, it’ll be a real asset to the club moving forward.”
Before joining Wagga RSL, Mutton worked in the pub industry but said he enjoys the community-oriented focus of working in the club sector.
“Pubs were incredibly fun, but I was also a lot younger,” he said.
“The club is really community-focused … [and] there’s a different pressure. Everything we do really needs to be based around our members and providing an environment they’re really comfortable with.”
He continued, “In the club space, the groups that make use of the club are really the highlight, like the ladies who come in for sewing, knitting, or playing cards, and community groups who come in to do adult Lego. We’ve just got the space to allow people to do that, whereas in a pub, you just don’t have that area”.
As the industry faces increasing compliance challenges, particularly with the introduction of cashless gaming, Mutton recognises the importance of managing these changes.
“We’ve got 170 staff, which contributes significantly to the local community. We need to be aware of the broader impact and the responsibilities that come with our position in the community,” he said.