John O’Neill is back as chief executive of the ARU until after the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He should never have been forced out. But rugby politics, which are every bit as personal and vicious as the real thing, were the catalyst that got rid of him.
The former chairman of the ARU, Bob Tuckey, now a member of the committee that runs the World Cup for IRB has some explaining to do to the Australian rugby committee on why O’Neill was let go in the first place. O’Neill left the ARU with the Wallabies one of the top sides in rugby with hits splendid 2003 World Cup campaign: the war chest was fill with $43 million gained by running the best-ever World Cup: the game was exploding at the grassroots levels.
He comes back with everything in a mess. But as the finest sports administrator in Australia, and one of the best surely in the world, O’Neill is the man – perhaps the only man – who can put the ship right. Look out for a fast start which will involve the heads being cut off of some of the senior figures in Australian rugby who have grabbed power in the last three years and used it only for their own engrandisement.
The Roar interviewed O’Neill in February about the problems with Australian rugby and the way forward. Read the interview.
Two rounds to go and there is plenty to fight for on the Super Rugby ladder, and out own tipping panel. Last week provided…
Try-scoring machine Tim Ryan is momentarily putting his Wallabies dreams to the side so he can focus on helping the Queensland Reds have a…
Rugby is a parochial labyrinth of byzantine offices, leagues, unions, competitions, and calendars. And that’s just the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Diffusion of power…
The Crusaders have apologised on behalf of under-fire coach Rob Penney who was caught calling a reporter a "c--t" after a prickly press conference.…
Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp has made several changes for the crucial Pacific Four clash against New Zealand's Black Ferns in Auckland on Saturday. Yapp…
Rob Penney wasn't happy with the journalist's repeated questioning over the club's poor form this season and who was to blame, which Penney took…
