RUA GOLD Reports Highest-Grade Drill Results to Date at the Auld Creek Gold-Antimony Project

Rua Gold Inc. (RUA) has completed 19,600m of resource drilling at its Auld Creek gold-antimony project in New Zealand, surpassing its initial target of 19,000m. The company stated that these results support its ongoing pre-feasibility study (PFS) and the upcoming Fast-Track Approvals Mining Application. Four drill rigs remain active at the site, with plans to continue testing the deposit along strike and at depth during the fourth quarter of 2026.

The drilling campaign yielded significant high-grade intercepts, including 0.6m at 136.2 g/t AuEq (82.9 g/t Au & 24.8% Sb) in hole ACDDH119, and 32.0m at 2.4 g/t AuEq in hole ACDDH104. The deposit remains open in all directions, and for the first time, visible gold was observed at the project. Geological observations indicate that localized mineralized zones exceed 20m in width, with the deposit extending over 1,000m in length and to a depth of more than 500m. Structural mapping has identified the Fraternal Fault zone orientation at 186°/84°W.

Assay results have been received for 10 highlighted holes, with results for a further 18 drill holes pending. Significant intercepts reported include:

• ACDDH086: 2.7m @ 23.2 g/t AuEq (15.4 g/t Au & 3.6% Sb) from 249m.
• ACDDH103: 7.0m @ 9.9 g/t AuEq (5.7 g/t Au & 2.0% Sb) from 133m.
• ACDDH104: 32.0m @ 2.4 g/t AuEq (2.1 g/t Au & 0.1% Sb) from 332m.
• ACDDH107: 1.9m @ 22.7 g/t AuEq (10.1 g/t Au & 5.8% Sb) from 249.55m.
• ACDDH111: 4.5m @ 12.6 g/t AuEq (5.8 g/t Au & 3.1% Sb) from 138m.
• ACDDH112: 2.9m @ 38.8 g/t AuEq (9.3 g/t Au & 13.7% Sb) from 226m.
• ACDDH119: 0.6m @ 136.2 g/t AuEq (82.9 g/t Au & 24.8% Sb) from 237.6m.

Additional significant gold-only intercepts included:

• ACDDH106: 11.3m @ 5.7 g/t Au (including 0.8m @ 17.65 g/t Au) from 159m.
• ACDDH108: 11.3m @ 6.11 g/t Au from 256m.

The gold equivalent (AuEq) is calculated using the formula: AuEq = Au g/t + 2.15 x Sb%, based on an Au price of US$3,000/oz, an Sb price of US$25,000/tonne, and 85% recovery.

Sample preparation was conducted by SGS Laboratories in Westport, with analysis performed by ALS Brisbane. Samples were crushed and pulverized to 85% passing 75 µm, then split into approximately 50g for lab analysis and reject for pXRF. Gold was analyzed via 50-g fire assay with an AAS finish (ALS Code Au-AA26), while antimony was analyzed using lithium borate fusion sample preparation followed by an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) finish (ALS Codes: Sb-XRF15b for 0.005-20.0% Sb and Sb-XRF15c for 0.01-80.0% Sb). Simon Henderson, CP, AUSIMM, COO and Director of Rua Gold, serves as the Qualified Person for the project.

The Auld Creek project was accepted under New Zealand's Fast-Track Approvals regime in July 2026. The company targets a substantive application submission for October 2026 and the publication of the PFS for December 2026. Geotechnical, hydrological, and metallurgical studies are substantially complete.

Rua Gold Inc. also announced the appointment of Darren Prins as Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary, effective during the maternity leave of Zeenat Lokhandwala.

"These exceptional exploration results are informing the mine plan and reinforcing the significant development potential of the Auld Creek Project. The deposit continues to exceed our expectations and remains open in all directions. Our improved understanding of the orientation of the high-grade mineralized shoots will be crucial as we advance the next phase of drilling. The occurrence of visible gold is particularly encouraging and suggests that grades may improve with depth," said Robert Eckford, Chief Executive Officer.