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Equip Super taps James Courtney to drive earlier conversations about retirement

Equip Super

• Equip Super extends its partnership with Supercars across the full 2026 Championship Series.
• Supercars champion James Courtney appointed as Equip Super Ambassador, bringing his perspective on planning ahead and life beyond full-time racing.
• The partnership will include broadcast, digital content and fan activations, including the Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast 500.

Melbourne, 7 October 2026: Supercars champion James Courtney is encouraging Australians not to leave retirement planning until the last minute, as he joins Equip Super as an ambassador alongside an extension of the fund’s partnership with the Repco Supercars Championship.

 

Equip Super will extend its Supercars partnership across the remainder of the 2026 Championship Series, expanding its presence across broadcast, digital content and live events, including major fan activations at the Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast 500.

Courtney’s appointment will add a personal dimension to the partnership, drawing on his own experience of preparing financially and professionally for the next stage of life well before the end of his full-time racing career.

A Supercars champion with a motorsport career spanning more than two decades, Courtney said he began taking his financial future seriously in his early 20s after returning to Australia and starting to put down roots.

“When I came back to Australia in my early 20s, I met with a financial adviser through a recommendation from some of the older guys I knew. They gave me some pretty direct advice about planning for the future, and I’m very thankful I listened to it,” Courtney said.

Courtney said his involvement with Equip Super was a natural fit because superannuation and long-term planning are subjects he already takes seriously.

“I’m probably more engaged with my super than most people, I check it every day. But for me, it’s always been about thinking ahead and making decisions now that give you more options later.

“As I’ve gotten further into my career, I’ve become even more grateful that I started thinking about these things early. In the last few years I’ve had younger teammates and I’ve tried to pass on some of the advice people gave me when I was their age about planning ahead.

Courtney’s experience reflects a broader challenge identified through Equip Super’s Financial Security Index, which found more than half of Australians do not have a formal financial plan in place.

The research found Gen X is the least prepared generation, with only 37% having a financial plan, despite being at a stage of life when decisions about retirement savings, investments and future work are becoming increasingly important.

Equip Super Chief Experience Officer Carrie Norman said Courtney’s experience made him a strong fit for the fund’s focus on helping Australians prepare for their financial future.

“James has spent his career in an environment where preparation matters, and he has applied that same mindset away from the track,” Ms Norman said.

“He sought advice early, stayed engaged with his super and planned ahead for the next stage of his career.

“That’s an important message for Australians: you don’t need to wait until retirement is around the corner. Engaging with your super and seeking guidance early can give you greater clarity and more choices over time.”

The extended partnership builds on Equip Super’s involvement across the opening rounds of the 2026 Supercars season and will see the fund continue to engage fans through Supercars broadcast and digital channels.

It includes the Equip Super Cool Down Lap Podcast, pre-race digital series Pit Lane Preview, hosted by Courtney, and the Super Movers broadcast integration, which recognises drivers making the greatest progress through the field.

Equip Super will also have a fan-facing presence at the Bathurst 1000 from 8–11 October and Gold Coast 500 from 23–25 October, with Courtney set to appear at the activation, meet fans and take on participants in a reaction-time challenge.

Ms Norman said the extended partnership would allow Equip Super to reach a highly engaged national audience while creating new ways to make conversations about super and retirement more accessible.

“Superannuation can often feel like something people will deal with later. Through James and the broader Supercars partnership, we have an opportunity to make those conversations more relatable and encourage people to think about what being prepared for their own future looks like.”

ENDS

About Equip Super

Equip Super manages over $39 billion for over 135,000 members across both Equip Super and Catholic Super as at 30 June 2026. Equip Super is a leader in the superannuation industry in bringing

funds together through successful successor fund transfers and continues to look for new opportunities to grow the fund.

Under two distinct brands, Equip Super and Catholic Super service employers and members from the energy, resources, water, infrastructure, manufacturing, education, health, legal and services sectors.

Equip Super is an industry super fund, operating accumulation, defined benefit and pension plans. The fund’s key objective is to deliver the best retirement outcome possible for members, while operating as a trusted partner for participating employers.

Equipping members to be super equipped for their financial future.

Issued by: Togethr Trustees Pty Ltd (ABN 64 006 964 049, AFSL 246383) the trustee of Equipsuper (ABN 33 813 823 017) (“Equip Super”). This is general information only and does not take into account your personal investment objectives, financial situation or needs. Please read the appropriate Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) before making an investment decision. Investment returns are not guaranteed and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Financial advice services may be provided to members by the trustee’s related entity Togethr Financial Planning Pty Ltd (ABN 84 124 491 078; AFSL 455010).

 

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