On the fence: Russell Packer's expanding business portfolio

Russell Packer made his name in rugby league by running it off the back fence. Now he spends his days putting them up for a living. 

After announcing his retirement at the end of 2021, the 33-year-old teamed up with another former NRL prop, Ben Matulino, this year to form a company specialising in temporary fencing for construction sites – rekindling a partnership which existed for most of their careers as members of the Warriors, Wests Tigers and Kiwis.

It's the latest venture in what has become a busy life for Packer after footy, with his other big project being the development of a 19-lot subdivision in New Zealand.

It’s a big money, high-stakes operation which has seen Packer involved in all stages, from attending local council meetings to negotiating contracts and working alongside civil engineers.

“It’s work kind of like doing the first run from a kick-off... it’s not for everyone,” Packer tells NRL.com. 

“I got a bit of project management experience in Australia, but I knew next to nothing about developing.

“I got in, made some mistakes along the way and leaned on some good mentors."

Had he not been an outstanding rugby league talent as a teenager, this is the career path Packer likely would have pursued straight out of high school.

Instead, the rugged front-rower, who by the age of 16 was playing in the New Zealand national senior men's competition, was picked up by the Warriors, and six months after his 18th birthday had broken through to the NRL side under coach Ivan Cleary. 

A high achiever academically at school, Packer had options to go to university on scholarships before footy became the focus, and immersed himself in education once again during his two-season stint with the Dragons. 

Starting with an undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce, Finance and Accounting, Packer eventually went on to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

“I definitely have always had the capability to do academic stuff. If I had been bad at sport I think I would have been an engineer or something,” Packer says. 

“I did a bit of study at the Warriors, but I was too young. I picked up the university again at the Dragons and I had decent marks.

“I was a mature aged student at the time and there was an opportunity for me to jump into some post graduate study.

“Former Dragon Ben Creagh was working in welfare with the club at the time and approached me one day after training and said I was doing well and it could be an opportunity for me to get into an MBA programme.

“It took about four years part time for me to complete and it was a lot of mahi (work), balancing it with rugby league.

Now I’m grateful for my rugby league career and at a point of my life where I am motivated to put that same kind of energy that I had when I was 17 or 18 into my business ventures, and other interests that don’t require me to run into Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

Russell Packer

Now the seven-Test Kiwi is enjoying the chance to learn in business alongside his good friend Matulino, who he played the majority of his NRL career alongside, as owners of the aptly named Front Row Fencing.

The pair emerged on the scene at the Warriors at the same time, made their first-grade debuts within a month of each other in 2008 and later that season were both named in the inaugural National Youth Competition Team of the Year. 

“Ben and I came through together in league and now have an opportunity to learn in business together,” Packer says. 

“We have both done some challenging stuff together in footy over the years, so it’s just applying those lessons and principals again really.

“We will be on the tools to start with and as we scale and grow the business we will definitely look to move more into the admin side."

Packer added that he’s also proud to be part of a crop of former front-rowers who have gone on to have successful careers post footy and crush one of the lazy stereotypes which surrounds those who played in the engine room.

“If you go and look at the qualifications of most front-rowers after footy they are quite high. You have Jason King who is a lawyer and now has a big job at the NRL, Jeremy Latimore has a finance degree, Jacob Lillyman has an exercise science degree,” Packer says. 

“I don’t know where that stereotype came from that front-rowers aren’t smart, I think halfbacks started that!”