Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) remains committed to Australia’s reconciliation journey, establishing a Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Group (RAPAG) that met for the first time today in Melbourne. 

Victoria 1994 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kyle Vander-Kuyp chairs the group and is joined by alumni Katie Sigsworth, also a Victoria 1994 silver medallist, and Cassie Woods (nee McCall), Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist. 

Four-time Commonwealth Games representative and three-time Australian team Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti AM is also a member of the group, alongside CGA board member Jayne Ferguson and independent advisors Karen Milward and Craig Williams. 

Travis Couch will serve as a subject matter expert after being Manager of Executive Operations at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he gave direct advice on various matters including the GC2018 Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). 

Dean Heta rounds out the advisory group, having recently been appointed to the First Peoples Engagement Branch of the Victoria 2026 Organising Committee.

The establishment of the RAPAG follows the launch of the RAP in 2022, with the RAPAG to provide CGA with guidance and advice specific to its RAP deliverables and related initiatives across the sphere of reconciliation and areas of a cultural nature.  

For Vander-Kuyp, a proud Worimi and Yuin man and four-time Commonwealth Games representative, the establishment of the RAPAG strengthens CGA’s dedication to the recognition and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in its everyday operations. 

“It’s fantastic to be here today to have our first Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Group, working off the RAP that was launched last year and all the great leadership and inclusion that was in Birmingham too,” Vander-Kuyp said. 

“I’m very excited to be chairing the committee, and I feel honoured and privileged to be part of a great line-up of Indigenous leaders and Commonwealth Games Australia leaders. I’m excited to see where we can go with our RAP.” 

Commonwealth Games Australia CEO Craig Phillips AM noted the development of the RAPAG as a crucial step of the continuing journey of reconciliation, and one that is vital to the CGA’s strategic priority of ‘Connecting with Communities’. 

“Sport can be a powerful tool to unite and inspire communities, and the establishment of the RAPAG is a milestone in Commonwealth Games Australia’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation, bringing together people of all cultures and backgrounds” Phillips said. 

“The working group were instrumental in launching our RAP in 2022 and it is our aim to embed the five dimensions of reconciliation – – historical acceptance; race relations; equality and equity; institutional integrity and unity – into all that we do as an organisation.” 

“The contribution of First Nations peoples to the Commonwealth Games Movement is something to be proud of, both on and off the field of play, and we are committed to building on our initial RAP to further connect with and positively contribute to our communities.” 

“We look forward to working with the RAPAG to deliver this next chapter.” 

Commonwealth Games Australia Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Group 

Kyle Vander-Kuyp (Chair)
A proud Worimi and Yuin man, Vander-Kuyp is one of Australia’s greatest male hurdlers who competed at four Commonwealth Games (Auckland 1990, Victoria 1994, Kuala Lumpur 1998, and Melbourne 2006) winning a silver medal in the men’s 4x100m relay at the 1994 Games. Kyle still holds the Australian 110m hurdles record of 13.29, which he set in Goteborg, Sweden in 1995. He has also recently been appointed to the Athletics Australia RAPAG. 

Katie Mitchell Sigsworth
A proud Worimi woman, Katie Mitchell Sigsworth won the silver medal as part of Australia’s rhythmic gymnastics team at the Victoria 1994 Commonwealth Games. Katie is currently the High-Performance project coordinator on the Gymnastics Australia RG Commission and was a team member at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

Cassie Woods (nee McCall)
Cassie Woods holds a distinct place in Australia’s Commonwealth Games history as the nation’s sole female archery medallist, after winning bronze in the compound bow (individual) event at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games. 

Steve Moneghetti AM
A four-time Commonwealth Games medallist and legend of Australian athletics., post his athletic career, Moneghetti was named mayor of the Commonwealth Games Village in 2006, a popular appointment, before being appointed as the Australian team’s Chef de Mission at the Delhi, Glasgow, and Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Moneghetti has served on numerous boards including Commonwealth Games Australia and Sport Australia and was chair of the Victorian Institute of Sport. He also chaired the Commonwealth Games Australia RAP Working Group. 

Jayne Ferguson
Jayne’s business career spans over 30 years with extensive experience as a General Manager, Marketing Director, and Digital Director. She was previously the General Manager Women’s Lifestyle and Entertainment at Bauer Media for six years and led brands such as the Australian Women’s Weekly. She is currently a Partner in a consultancy practice Edit’d, providing specialist advice in brand strategy and development, content planning, website review and development, social media planning and marketing plans. Jayne is a member of the Commonwealth Games Australia Board and Brand and Marketing Committee. 

Karen Milward
A proud Yorta Yorta woman, Karen established Karen Milward Consulting and has extensive experience in the development of Reconciliation Action Plans for sporting organisations, including Athletics Australia, Netball Australia and VicSport, in addition to councils, government and other commercial and not-for-profit organisations. She was appointed in 2020 to lead the development of the CGA RAP.  

Craig Williams
A proud Yugambeh man, Williams is a founding director of the Yugambeh Region Aboriginal Corporation Alliance and was part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander working group as chairperson that set up Netball Queensland’s first RAP.  

Travis Couch
Travis Couch was the Manager Executive Operations for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. Travis provided direct advice to the CEO and the executive management team on a variety of matters relating to the delivery of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018). A key focus area was the creation and implementation of the GC2018 Reconciliation Action Plan, a first for any multi-sport Games. 

Dean Heta
A proud Wiradjuri man, Heta joins as a subject matter expert following his recent appointment to as the Victorian 2026 Commonwealth Games Manager of Reconciliation Action Plan within the First Peoples Engagement Branch of the organising committee, and with Couch, will assist the RAPAG in its deliberations as required.