UQ Rugby Benefit Lunch in New York City

Location: Manhattan Manor, 201 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019, United States.

Captain's table: US$7,500*
Includes invitation to the pre-event function. Captain's Table for nine guests with your choice of panel member.
US$500 of the overall table cost will be tax deductible.

Platinum table: US$3,500*
Includes invitation to the pre-event function. Premium Table for nine guests with a panel member.
US$500 of the overall table cost will be tax deductible.

Purchase your tickets or table today!

For the full list of premium table benefits, please download the 2022 Partnership Proposal.

Panellists

Adam Freier
Chief Executive Officer, LA Gilitinis and former Wallaby
Adam Freier’s professional Rugby began Canberra in 2000 for the Brumbies, as part of the Super Rugby title in 2001. He then returned to his home state of New South Wales for eight seasons, where he captained the team, before a move to the Melbourne Rebels from 2011-2012. 

At 22, Freier debuted for the Wallabies playing a total of 25 tests over 9 years, participating in two Rugby World Cup campaigns in Australia (2003) and France (2007).

Freier returned to Rugby in 2016, where he went on to play 200 games for Randwick. He was the first Wallaby in history to play over 100 Super Rugby games and 200 Club games, with a total of over 350 first class games.

During his decorated career in Rugby, Adam served as President of the Rugby Union Players’ Association, as well playing an active role in media and across many boards that supported player welfare and community development. 
Shifting to administration upon his professional playing retirement, he was appointed as General Manager at the Melbourne Rebels, before becoming a Senior Executive at Rugby Australia from 2014-2020.

In late 2020, he moved the US with the LA Giltinis as President and CEO, where he led the franchise to an MLR championship in its maiden season – the first of any professional sports team in the US.

Ric Salizzo
CEO Rugby United New York, New Zealand journalist, television presenter and producer
Ric is best known for producing and presenting long-running sports chat show SportsCafe, as well as executive producing and occasionally presenting sports current events show The Crowd Goes Wild.

Ric formed production company Pasta Productions with friend and former schoolmate, All Black Sir John Kirwan. Pasta Productions produced several documentary films about the All Blacks on tour, such as best-seller The Good, The Bad and the Rugby. In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours, Salizzo was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to sports media.

Serena Wolfe (Bachelor of Commerce '00)
Chief Financial Officer, Annaly Capital Management
Ms Wolfe will be moderating the panel discussion for the UQ Rugby Benefit Lunch. She is a member of the Management Committee, responsible for the firm’s financial and technology divisions, and is in close collaboration with the firm’s Board of Directors. Since joining as CFO in 2019, she has played an instrumental role in the covid-19 crisis management, specifically regarding finances and lending, operational and technology preparedness, ESG and corporate strategy, and investor relations.