Old Faces, New Directors
We're excited to announce that both Gio Forino and Matt Bateman will be joining us as the new Directors for QuadballUK, fulfilling the role and responsibilities of the President as a shared venture, and leading the sport through the next leg of our journey.
Both Gio and Matt bring a wealth of professional experience from both within and beyond the sport.
Gio has been involved in quadball since 2017 – volunteering across QUK, QE, and IQA projects and events throughout their career. Gio has worked across media departments and international tournaments, as well as chairing and coaching for multiple clubs across the UK and Europe.
Professionally, Gio has a broad range of knowledgeable insight from their role as a film producer, able to manage logistics and finances, as well as build out the infrastructure required to ensure the sport remains sustainable in the long term.
Matt is also a welcome return to QuadballUK – having previously worked as Vice-President under Mel Piper, before donning the Presidential role in 2019 through to 2022. Matt returns to us after having successfully organised and directed the European Games in collaboration with the IQA in London in 2024.
Matt also works in almost every other area of the sport, serving as an Assistant Coach for England, a media producer for IQA, and an internationally successful referee with significant grand final UK, European, and American matches under his belt.
Onwards and Upwards
Matt and Gio are both keen to come into this new role slowly and steadily, identifying where their strengths can be best served. There is already a lot of great work and foundation that was laid down by both Josh Fogg and Declan Ramsay, and they do not intend to come crashing in and start it all from scratch.
That being said, there is a short list of immediate changes they wish to incorporate.
The title of 'Director' is an intentional choice raised by both Matt and Gio, who are keen on moving QuadballUK towards a new professional structure and away from the university-esque committees from where the sport was built. Plus, I'm sure we can all agree that 'Co-President' just sounds silly.
Both Izzy and the Vice-President will remain, with Izzy now stepping back into their role after serving as Acting President for the past five months. Izzy's title will be changing to 'Assistant Director' to reflect the incoming department naming structure, but more on this will be shared in the coming weeks.
Face time is also an important element as we try to bridge the gap between QUK and the community at large. Both Matt and Gio will be intending to discuss the sport with members at BQC next weekend, particularly with university clubs, to see how we can assist in recruitment and retention for next season.
Finally, it is no secret that this season has been a struggle logistically for clubs and QuadballUK. Their first priority will be regaining stability in how we structure our season, and creating space for clubs to operate and plan across the year.
What happens next?
Functionally, QuadballUK will continue to operate and focus ahead to BQC in the coming weeks as we prioritise our flagship event of the year.
World Cup 2025 is also taking place in Belgium later this July, and both Matt and Gio will be present to support England, Scotland, and Wales as they compete with the rest of the world.
Beyond that, this summer will be a crucial time to take stock of what is and isn't working about QuadballUK, to revisit what is so incredible about quadball, and to work directly with the Executive Management to deliver a great 2025/2026 season and beyond. We have plans to revisit our financial and logistical processes, our outreach and attraction to both new and defunct clubs, provide concrete coaching and leadership resources for clubs, and work on the ever-present need to bring new and excited volunteers into our organisation.
We also want to take a moment to specifically thank and highlight the Executive Management Team, particularly Izzy Brown and Declan Ramsay, for their work over the last season in what has been a tumultuous time for the sport – not just for quadball in the United Kingdom but across the rest of the world as well.
Matt Bateman, Director
Gio Forino, Director
Izzy Brown, Assistant Director
There's a lot to do and it's going to take us some time.
So please let us know how we can best work with you.
We're keen to get stuck in.
