When Greg Harris started his watch as CEO of the Waratahs three weeks ago, rugby claimed a high-quality administrator.
I rate Harris with the top six administrators in world sport I have been privileged to deal with over the last 50 years.
In chronological order:
Dr Danie Caven (1910-1993)
Springbok, Springbok coach, the first chairman of South African rugby from 1956 to the year he died, IRB chairman, and the third inductee into the International Rugby Hall of Fame after the Rugby School, and William Webb Ellis.
I first met Craven on the holocaust 1971 Springbok tour of Australia that witnessed ugly crowd reactions to apartheid, virtually splitting Australian cities and families in half.
He was a mighty tough man, it was far easier and more pleasant to be a friend than an enemy. No argument.
Craven was ‘Mr Rugby’ – his passion, dedication, and communication skills kept rugby alive and well in the Republic throughout the two decades of sporting isolation. Any lesser man at the helm and rugby could well have withered on the vine.
Thanks to Craven rugby remained a religion in South Africa, as much as it is to New Zealanders, and always will be.
Charles Blunt (1920-2003)
President of the NSWRU from 1968 to 1972, and president of the ARU at almost the same time – 1969 to 1971.
The way he handled the ’71 Springbok tour under extreme pressure said volumes for his ability to keep a cool head.
Blunt was very much the player’s man in an amateur sport, who made great inroads to improving grassroots rugby through schools, and improving refereeing at all levels.
Charles Blunt was a quietly spoken gentleman, and a gentle man who was never rattled.
Tim Caldwell (1913-1994)
A prolific Sydney first-grade offie for Northern Districts, highlighted in the 1935-36 season with 65 wickets at 13.40 that led to three Sheffield Shield games for NSW.
In a distinguised war record he won a BEM at Alamein before becoming a career-long banker with the English Scottish and Australian Bank, where he rose to the top.
But it was his huge success as a cricket administrator where he will be remembered with distinction, especially in his three-year stint as chairman of the Australian Cricket Board from 1972 to 1975, taking over from Sir Donald Bradman.
Those were the bad old days when the chairmanship was spread around the states every three years. The best man for the job rarely eventuated and when it did with Caldwell, he was automatically gone after one term.
Had Caldwell been given a second term, as he should have, he would have been in the chair when Kerry Packer struck in 1977, and World Seres Cricket would never have torn world cricket apart.
Caldwell’s negotiating skills would have netted the board $2 million and not the $1 million Packer offered, Channel Nine would have had their television rights, and cricketers would have been raised out of the pauper, amateur era into becoming full-time professionals earning what they were worth.
But Bob Parish took over from Caldwell and was in the chair with no ability to appease Packer, so WSC took over, making improvements to the game the board should have made.
John Quayle (born 1947) and David Gallop (born 1965)
I’ve bracketed these two together as both their superb input into rugby league was immense – before Super League with Quayle and after with Gallop.
Quayle, a former Rooster, Eel, and Kangaroo, had been the assistant manager of the Easts Leagues Club for seven years when he became the first general manager of the NSWRL in 1983.
He turned a passionate but inexperienced group of club secretaries who ran rugby league into a professional administration virtually overnight.
The code went through an exciting expansion period under Quayle and chairman Ken Arthurson, a great team.
When Rupert Murdoch struck with Super League in 1995, Quayle stayed on to limit the damage, before calling a halt in 1999.
In 1995 David Gallop was the lawyer for Super League, and when peace eventually reigned, he had done such a top job that he became the NRL’s CEO for the next decade.
His calmness under pressure meant every decision was calculated and correct.
David Gallop seems to have been around for ages, but he’s still only 49.
After retirement, Quayle re-surfaced as events manager for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where he did another top job, and has recently been appointed a director of the Newcastle Knights, where he will get that club back as an NRL contender after the stormy Nathan Tinkler era.
Gallop is now the CEO of the Football Federation of Australia, where football has the benefit of his expertise.
Bob Radford (1943-2004)
The super-efficient CEO of the NSWCA from 1976 until 1995 was once described by Sir Donald Bradman as “the best cricket administrator is Australia before 11am.”
The perfect description. Radford would be at his desk by 6am, working through to around 11am to noon, before joining his army of good mates at various drinking holes around Sydney.
But everything was always up to date, with every t crossed, and i dotted.
His recognition was widespread.
Radford was made a life member of the NSWCA, the Bradman Foundation, and the MCC, the latter a rare honour normally reserved for elite cricketers.
Greg Harris
That brings us to the 60-year-old Greg Harris, who has the rare distinction of playing first-grade football in three codes – Aussie Rules for St George when he was still at school, rugby union for Sydney Uni 1973-1977, Sydney representative 1975-1977, and Australian Universities 1974-77, and rugby league for the Sharks in 1978.
Harris has never been away from sport; it pumps strongly through his veins.
In 1979 he captain-coached East Sydney to four Aussie Rules premierships, plus success with the Swans under 19s from 1989-1991, before becoming chairman of selectors for the Swans from 1994 to 1996.
Administration-wise, Harris was executive director of the powerful Sydney Uni Sports Union from 1992 to 2008, CEO of the Western Force 2008 and 2009, a consultant to the Melbourne Rebels in 2010, and recently CEO of the Rugby Union Players Association.
Now Harris is entrenched at the Waratahs, his combination with coach Michael Cheika, two kindred spirits, will play a major role in the campaign to retain the Super Rugby crown.
Greg Harris is a coal-face administrator like Dr Danie Craven, Charles Blunt, Tim Caldwell, John Quayle, David Gallop, and Bob Radford.
After missing out on the title the last two years the Tahs players seem laser focused to win this year.
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