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

Rua Gold Inc. (RUA) reported the completion of 19,600m of resource drilling at its Auld Creek gold-antimony project, surpassing the initial 19,000m target. The drilling program supports the upcoming Fast-Track Approvals Mining Application and a Pre-Feasibility Study targeted for December 2026. The company noted that reported intercepts represent downhole core lengths rather than true widths.

Key highlighted intercepts 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 - ACDDH106: 11.3m @ 5.7 g/t Au, including 0.8m @ 17.65 g/t Au, from 159m - ACDDH107: 1.9m @ 22.7 g/t AuEq (10.1 g/t Au, 5.8% Sb) from 249.55m - ACDDH108: 11.3m @ 6.11 g/t Au from 256m - 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

The release stated that the deposit remains open in all directions, with first visible gold observed at Auld Creek. Assays for a further 18 drill holes are pending and will feed an updated Mineral Resource estimate targeted for Q4 2026. Additionally, Darren Prins was appointed Interim CFO and Corporate Secretary during the planned maternity leave of Zeenat Lokhandwala.

Rua Gold Inc. (RUA) is a development-stage explorer with a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), a defined but small resource, and a Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026. The company’s market capitalization stands at approximately C$127.6 million, based on the latest share count and a share price of C$1.11.

The Auld Creek PEA previously reported an after-tax net present value (NPV5%) of US$42 million at base-case prices and US$113 million at spot gold. The current drilling program is intended to support the upcoming PFS and the associated mine application.

Recent intercepts provide strong confirmation of the known high-grade gold-antimony (Au-Sb) system but do not clearly establish a new discovery, a major step-out, or a material resource expansion. For resource-definition drilling, the relevant benchmark is the resource grade rather than the best historical headline hole. Many of today’s intercepts are at or above the inferred resource grade of 3.66 g/t AuEq, with some results significantly exceeding that level, marking a positive confirmation. However, the absence of true width and cutoff disclosure means the results are not yet reliable enough to materially change the project's value.

Against the market’s revealed expectations, the stock rose from C$0.61 in September 2025 to C$1.75 by March 2026 before drifting down to approximately C$1.11. This movement indicates that the market is no longer pricing in a fresh discovery, though it continues to price the Auld Creek development story.

Rua Gold Inc. is a New Zealand-focused gold and antimony explorer and developer. Its principal asset is the Reefton Goldfield on the South Island, where Auld Creek serves as the main development target. The company controls more than 120,000 hectares of tenements in the Reefton district, an area that has historically produced over 2 million ounces of gold at grades ranging from 9 to 50 grams per tonne of gold.

The company also holds the Glamorgan Project in the Hauraki Goldfield, an early-stage epithermal gold-silver target. Drilling permits are in place for an initial program of approximately 9,000 meters, which is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Auld Creek resource, as previously disclosed, comprises approximately 0.3 million tonnes of Indicated material grading 5.67 grams per tonne of gold equivalent for 54,000 ounces of gold equivalent, and 1.3 million tonnes of Inferred material grading 3.66 grams per tonne of gold equivalent for about 150,000 ounces of gold equivalent.

A preliminary economic assessment for Auld Creek outlined a 5.5-year underground operation with a throughput of 250,000 tonnes per annum. The plan includes the production of separate gold and antimony concentrates using a no-cyanide flowsheet.

Financial data prior to the current period shows that as of the first quarter of 2026, the company held cash of C$35.63 million and total assets of C$38.74 million, against total liabilities of C$2.08 million. Net income for the period was -C$5.05 million, and the company reported no revenue.