The Gold Coast SUNS innovative digital education platform, SUNS Learning, has been awarded a Platinum in the Custom/Bespoke (Industry – Sport) category at the 2025 LearnX Awards, held last night at Crown Melbourne’s Palladium.
Developed in partnership with Playbk Sports, SUNS Learning was created to strengthen the club’s community reach, expand curriculum-aligned school programs and increase access to athlete-led learning across Queensland and the Northern Territory. The platform includes four major learning streams:
- Play to Your Strengths: a free, curriculum-aligned program using SUNS AFL and AFLW players to help students discover their character strengths and build wellbeing.
- SUNS Active Lab: a youth-focused digital fitness hub offering hundreds of hours of strength, mobility, speed and conditioning content for emerging athletes across all sports.
- SUNS Fitness: a four-lesson online HPE program for Year 7–8 students and teachers, immersing them in Gold Coast SUNS training facilities to learn the health, fitness and exercise principles used by AFL and AFLW athletes, fully aligned to the Australian Curriculum.
- SUNS Head Start: a holistic athlete development eLearning series focussed on wellbeing, nutrition, recovery and elite areas of performance designed for young Queenslanders to live healthy, happy lives. (launching early 2026)
SUNS Learning now supports 7,500 registered users, with strong engagement:
- AFL & AFLW player-led learning
- 9+ minutes average active session time, with digital tools, videos and lesson resources empowering teachers to deliver full 45-minute classroom experiences.
- Recognised Teacher PD & Curriculum Alignment
Gold Coast SUNS, CEO, Mark Evans, said:
“This recognition reflects the SUNS commitment to our community. SUNS Learning has become a genuine asset for schools, academy athletes and families and we’re incredibly proud of the platform and its impact.”
Playbk Sports CEO, Jon Shepherd, said:
“SUNS Learning sets a benchmark in Australian sport for curriculum-aligned, athlete-led education. It has been a privilege to partner with the SUNS on such a meaningful and future-focused initiative.”
For more information on contact the Gold Coast SUNS via email at: su***********@*************om.au
END
For further information or media, please contact:
Gold Coast SUNS: https://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/club/contact
Playbk Sports: https://playbksports.com/contact/
About Gold Coast SUNS
The Gold Coast Suns, officially the Gold Coast Football Club, are a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland’s Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara. The club has been playing in the AFL since the 2011 season.
About Playbk Sports
Playbk Sports delivers premium digital learning solutions tailored for the sporting sector.
Since 2015, we have partnered with elite clubs and national sporting bodies to design eLearning programs and branded LMS platforms that drive participation, build workforce capability and create measurable impact across schools, coaches, athletes and communities.
Trusted by organisations including teams from the AFL, NRL, NBL and the NFL, as well as AusCycling, Little Athletics Australia and Special Olympics Australia.
