Bond University has appointed Garry Nucifora to the newly created position of Executive Director of Sport, as it continues to ramp up its presence in the professional sporting arena. Mr Nucifora will lead Bond's sports strategy, building on its reputation as a breeding ground for sporting stars and elite athletes. He has an extensive background in both education and high performance sport, having headed sports programs at two of Queensland's most prestigious boys’ schools, The Southport School (TSS) on the Gold Coast and Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie) in Brisbane, where he has been Director of Rugby since 2007. He has also coached and worked at Yale University in both the USA and Edinburgh and was Team Manager of the Queensland Reds from 2004 to 2006, managing off-field planning and logistics of the team in the Super 15 competition. Bond University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Tim Brailsford, said Mr Nucifora would have primary responsibility for the ongoing development and delivery of the sports strategy at Bond University. "The role represents an elevation of the responsibility of coordination of sport across campus to the Executive Director level and is an exciting step forward for Bond," he said. "We have a focus on creating pathways and providing the skills, mentoring and support to enable young athletes from any discipline to excel not just in their chosen sport, but also academically, and I have no doubt Mr Nucifora's vast experience in this field will help us to achieve this goal. “Mr Nucifora will help take the University's involvement across all sports to a new level.” Mr Nucifora said he would oversee a clear sports strategy that dovetailed with the overall strategy for the University. "There has always been a sports presence at club level, but this new role is about giving that more shape and direction," he said. "As part of the executive team, I will have the necessary horse power to coordinate the sport function at both club level, which is still very important, and the levels above.” Mr Nucifora said his background in high school, university and professional sport would bode well for the new position. "I will be utilising the contacts I’ve established through my professional career to progress initiatives across a broad range of sports at Bond University, providing new opportunities for the sporting stars of tomorrow and cementing Bond’s reputation as a breeding ground for elite athletes and sporting excellence,” he said. Bond University has a long list of graduates and students who are Olympic, Commonwealth and national sports champions including swimmers Melanie Schlanger and Grant Hackett, world sailing champion Matt Belcher and former Wallabies Tim Horan and Ben Daley, along with rising stars like Australian University surfing champion, Codie Klein, who is currently making waves on the professional surfing circuit. The University is building on its presence at club level sport, with the Bond University AFL Football Club recently taking out the QAFA (B) South premiership title and the Bond University Cricket Club seizing victory in the 2014 Redman Shield Last Man Standing Competition. Bond also recently took out the award for Per Capita Champions (for most pennants awarded per student numbers) at the Australian University Games, for the second year running.