On the face of it, George Gregan is a splendid addition as the players’ representative on the ARU board. But this is only a part of the story about the appointment. The bright side. There is a dark side as well that needs to be confronted.
Gregan is the most capped player in the history of international rugby, with 139 Tests played. He is arguably Australia’s most charismatic player in the professional era.
He was the gifted halfback who help to mastermind the Wallabies wonderful triumph in the 1999 Rugby World Cup tournament. There were the Super Rugby triumphs, too, of the ACT Brumbies.
In their golden era they were the best provincial side in the world, and far and away the smartest.
And then there is the iconic moment of ‘Gregan’s Tackle’ on Jeff Wilson which saved a Test for the Wallabies against the All Blacks at the Sydney Football Stadium in the first night Test played by the two rivals.
This tackle is now part of the folklore of Australian rugby, along with Topo Rodiquez’s masssive hit on Hika Reid at Eden Park in the third Test of the 1986 Bledisloe Cup series that was won by Alan Jones’ Wallabies.
Since Gregan finished up with the Wallabies, he has played rugby in Japan and has created a successful business with a coffee shop franchise.
In his story of the Gregan appointment to the ARU, joining three other Wallabies in John Eales, Brett Robinson and Michael Hawker, the constant apologist for ‘player power’, The Australian‘s Wayne Smith suggests that the CEO of the ARU, John O’Neill needs to “brace himself for a revival of the Georgian era.”
This brings us to the dark side of the Gregan appointment.
Gregan was one of the ring leaders, along with the then Wallaby captain Phil Kearns, the All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick and Zinzan Brooke, and the Springboks captain Francois Pienaar in trying to take the game away from the IRB, the ARU, the NZRU and the SARU.
I was at the Sydney Test between the Wallabies and the All Blacks in 1995 after the Rugby World Cup tournament, when Kearns made his disquieting speech to the fans asking them to understand why the players were going down a path that seemed difficult for fans to understand.
I stood with Sir Brian Lochore, the manager of the All Blacks, an icon of the game. He looked across the field and in the saddest of voices wondered out loud if he and the rest of us had watched our last Bledisloe Cup Test.
An hour or so later the All Blacks, with the exception of Jonah Lomu, Jeff Wilson and Josh Kronfeld, signed contracts to play in a rugby circus being promoted by Kerry Packer.
Packer was furious with the Murdochs for their Super League play. The Murdochs were putting together a Super Rugby package (the Super 12) to provide more sports content for their pay television company, Fox Sports.
After the All Blacks signed up, they attended a special Bledisloe Cup dinner which hosted captains from all the eras. It was one of the most distressing nights I have ever experienced. I noticed Kronfeld wandering around, as if he’d been hit by a baseball bat. None of the other All Blacks would even talk to him.
A number of the captains told me that they had spoken to many of the players in an attempt to talk them out of their rebellion. One captain, an erudite gentleman, was so upset by the intransigence of the players he told me that they were as immovable as “shit on a blanket.”
Sources told me that Kearns and Gregan and others put tremendous pressure on younger players in the Wallabies to go along with them. Eales was not allowed into meetings with the team. This great man, on and off the field, was derided as ‘old yellow back.’
This week Jock Hobbs was given a hero’s funeral in Wellington. Hobbs was the NZRU man who had to travel up and down New Zealand trying to sign players up for the Super 12 tournament. The hostility of senior All Blacks was immense. Brooke threatened to smash Wilson in a ruck if they ever played against each other again.
Hobbs was described by the Eales equivalent in NZ rugby, Richie McCaw as “the man who saved New Zealand rugby.” It is the contention of many who knew him that the effort severely damaged Hobbs health.
In New Zealand the wounds were healed by Fitzpatrick leaving the country and rebels like Brooke being given no role to play in New Zealand rugby. The players union has worked with the NZRU in the interests of all the stakeholders in the game there.
But this did not happen in Australia. RUPA, the players union, especially when Tony Dempsey was in charge, was active in trying to undermine the authority of the ARU, and especially the leadership of O’Neill. Gregan has been an active ringleader in all these attempts at destabilisation.
Given all this history, I would argue George Gregan owes an apology to rugby fans before he takes a seat on a board he tried to put into oblivion.
He and his mates tried to destroy the history, traditions and dreams of a great game. They were thwarted in this greedy enterprise. Since 1996 Gregan and his mates have flourished in the professional game they tried to destroy.
If George Gregan wants to have any credibility in his new role as game-keeper, he needs to apologise for his past history as a poacher.
dallas
Guest
i agree,move on.they just wanted to get what they deserve,after all there the ones who entertain us,there the the ones who put there bodies on the line so we could enjoy it week in week out...years in years out...George Gregan owes nobody an apology,he deserves nothing but high praises,hes given me memory that i will share with my grandchildren,me being kiwi and a staunch ALL BLACK supporter, just had to admire the way he played the game,only time i didnt like him was when he played the ALL BLACKS,i could go on and on about this great player but i know one thing for sure,,,he's one of if not the best halfback of all time,very few players have done what he has done in rugby career.Kia Kaha Mr George Gregan,thanks for the memories..Dallas Watene.
Hiro
Guest
It's been commented already, but George Gregan was the second year of his test career in 1995. He had yet to secure the half back position as Steve Merrick was selected for the Bledisloe cup matches, including the 100th test between the Wallabies and the All Blacks.
Bakkies
Guest
Burgess is the best to play behind a beaten pack as he virtually is a 9th forward. It was such a shame he couldn't pass (I used to shout at the screen when he was indecisive on the deck and then threw over Giteau's head) as he could tackle, kick and run. To me he should have moved to 12. Same goes for Josh Holmes who was a massive disappointment. The Brumbies is a step up in platform with the service they get from White rather than Holmes and Phibbs.
mania
Guest
again baldy what does this have to do with my comments? this article isnt about deans
mania
Guest
baldy - not sure why this is directed at me. nothing in this article even mentions deans. i dont care what deans does as long as he ensures that AB's hold onto the Bledisloe and we reach a 10 year winning streak. dont know why u would want nucifora but i hope your correct. nucifora is a self centred narcissist who has no social or man management skills.
scudkiwi
Guest
Imagine this parallel universe: Gregan a kiwi, born 15 years earlier and trying out his 'player power' in a team coached by Grizz Wylie. Would have been 2 hits, one of them George hitting the ground...
Baldy from Manly
Guest
MANIA - The media suggests Robbie DEANS has possibly four assistant coaches this year - wonder what input he had in the selection process. Do hope the World Cup defensive coach, Phil BLAKE who has been up for 19 Tests, 14 of which Australia has won and who addressed the Wallabies on numerous occasions in NZ to standing ovations from the players remains. You would only have to see the Wallabies train to see how they respect the man. I wish Robbie every success for this years Internationals and am of the opinion that the next Australian Coach will not be Ewen McKENZIE but David NUCIFORA.
Spaldo
Guest
Classic story: Gifted amateur excels with amazing work. Turns professional, just when the market can pay him. Accolades. Part of a winning team. Other stars retire. On the losing end too often Still recieves plaudits. Well respected, but critics come out. Hangs on too long. Rookies start to outshine him. NOTE: This is not Gregan 2006 Deal with it, Spiro
stuff happens
Guest
Just in case George Gregan reads any of this I for one do not expect or want him to apologise for anything. He was one of the most influential rugby players Australia has ever had & was an enormous asset to the Wallabies. I suggested a couple of years ago on the roar that he's a future leader of the ARU;I haven't changed my mind. Hopefully he'll be as great an asset as an administrator as he was as a player.
Spaldo
Guest
"Don’t you think it would be a little weird if" Well, according to HST: When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro... and become journalists... and take liquid ether and other things...
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Don't you think it would be a little weird if Gregan suddenly came out and apologised about this? "Oh, by the way, Bledisloe Cup dinner after the Sydney Test in '95, I'd like to apologise to Spiro Zavos for one of the most distressing nights he has ever experienced."
Spaldo
Guest
cr@p typos are harder to spot in CPAS LOCK
johnny-boy
Guest
heaven help us ....
Spaldo
Guest
Wow, Read the headline and thought "more Brumby-hating from Sydney" But very well shut down by the responses. Therefore, my fearless prediction for next week's ARTICLE OF HARTED AND BILE (tm) by respected journalist S. Zavos esq. to get his loyal readers back on-side: "Let's put the boot into Giteau! (again)" Apoplectic rage is, after all, what the internet is there for. *sigh*
Bakkies
Guest
I watched games when Gregan operated on front foot ball he was Stringer like at getting the ball out. Whitaker wasn't a test scrumhalf and a combination with Larkham wouldn't have worked much like the Murray- Sexton partnership doesn't have much synergy for Ireland
Bakkies
Guest
I watched him play for Leinster and he was slow and useless. They won the HEC in spite of him
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Absolutely Brett. However, comments such as 'Another Spiro ramble i dont know why i bother reading zzzzzzzzzzzzz' or 'sounds like typical gregan hating from another “expert”, adds little to the debate and denigrates both the article and the person. There were others. We can agree to disagree on this one.
Baldy from Manly
Guest
MANIA - Robbie Deans should be allowed to pick his assistant coaches; that does not appear to be the case as according to media leaks three new assistants have been mentioned. At the World Cup our defence coach Phil BLAKE was outstanding. He has been associated with 14 out of 19 wins since coming on board and received standing ovations from all players after addressing them on a number of occasions in NZ. I wish Robbie Deans all the success for the upcoming Internationals and hope he can at the very least hold his defence coach. Eventually the new coach will not be McKENZIE but NUCIFORA.
peterlala
Guest
Even after reading the story, I still don't know what he has to apologise for? He used to be a poacher? He made Sir Brian Lochore cry? John Eales is actually Ritchie McCaw but he got locked out by Josh Kronfeld?
mattamkII
Guest
I run a company that I once tried to poach some staff from.....should have I apologized to all shareholders, staff and even the company facebook fans before I got this role? Grow up Spiro