Ahead of tonight's 2026 Rugby Australia Awards in Sydney, the governing body has unveiled the Peter Meagher Spirit of Rugby Award, named after the Randwick club legend.
The award will be presented annually to community members who uphold the values, passion and dedication for which ‘Marzo’ was synonymous.
Follow all the action from the 2026 Rugby Australia Awards at Rugby.com.au
A dedicated Detective Sergeant with over four decades in the NSW Police Force, Meagher was a well-loved member of the Randwick rugby community, serving the club across several decades as both First Grade Manager and loyal club volunteer, also working as a referee.
Meagher was tragically killed during the Bondi terror attacks in December, and is remembered by the Australian Rugby community for his selfless, decades-long contributions to the game.
His name will now be remembered as an embodiment of the community aspect of rugby, recognising those across the sport who contributed to it in the same ways he did.
“Marzo embodied the very best of rugby – selfless, passionate and deeply dedicated to the game we love and the people who play it,” Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh said.
“He will be forever missed by the Australian Rugby community, and especially at Randwick, where he continued the Meagher family’s rich and proud history of uplifting the Galloping Greens.
“In honour of his tremendous legacy to the game, we are proud to strike a medal in his honour – the Peter Meagher Spirit of Rugby Award – which will be awarded annually to those who walk the same path of pride and passion as ‘Marzo’ did for the community game.
“We are grateful to Peter’s family, including his wife Virginia, for supporting this initiative. And we thank our first Rugby World Cup-winning captain Nick Farr-Jones, after whom the medal was originally named, for his full and unequivocal support in ensuring Marzo’s contribution to rugby will forever be remembered.”
The 2026 Rugby Australia Awards, which will be held in Sydney this evening, will celebrate the best of Australian Rugby from the grassroots to the professional game.
Among the awards presented will include the John Eales Medal, won last year by Len Ikitau, the Wallaroos Player of the Year, currently held by Tabua Tuinakauvadra, and the Shaun Mackay Men’s and Women’s Sevens Players of the Year.
Leading players from Super Rugby, National Pathways and Community Rugby will also be honoured.
