On Monday, June 26 I published an article on The Roar based around an email that purported to establish that Bill Pulver, the chief executive of the ARU, had a hit list of “enemies” of the ARU.
The article further suggested, based on the email, that before leaving the ARU Rob Clarke had drawn up this hit list.
I would like to make a sincere apology to Bill Pulver and to Rob Clarke for publishing the article.
Bill Pulver did not write the email that was published in the article. Rob Clarke did not draw up a hit list of “enemies” of the ARU as the email suggested.
The real emails written on June 19 are as follows:
From (name redacted)
“Bill, Best of fortune. You’ve done a good job at trying to speak to the selectively deaf about the perilous state of the game, financially and the rest.
You’re a good man, a kind person and whatever you want I hope you achieve. I am proud to know you.
Sincerely (name redacted).”
Bill Pulver replied to this email at 10.30 on the same day:
“Thanks (initials redacted). Stay well, Bill.”
The article and the email the article was based around were published on The Roar in good faith. The person claiming to have received the email from Bill Pulver gave me permission to publish it.
For the record. I apologise to Bill Pulver and Rob Clarke for publishing the email in question and I retract any implications arising from that publication.
Spiro Zavos
AndyS
Guest
But if you asked every one of them, they almost certainly and genuinely believe that what they want is what will yield "the greater good of the game". And there is no definitive way to say who is right and who is wrong. Even after the event, the losers will still believe things would have been better had the different path been taken, again with no way of proving them wrong. Disagree on what would have happened had the Force and Rebels positions been swapped though. The Force survived this long because the first two years were marked by massive enthusiasm and support which created a war chest. That would likely have happened regardless, so had they started in 2011 they would likely still be looking quite healthy. IMO, had they been reversed and the Rebels started in 2006, the more likely outcome for mine is that the Rebels would have looked in 2011 the way they did before being sold in 2015 and would instead have been replaced by the Force. Going further back though, who knows how things might have played out had the structural approaches to the two teams been reversed...
OZ Rugby Fan
Guest
TWAS, that did make me chuckle :D
Zac Zavos
Editor
As co-founder and CEO of The Roar I want to acknowledge we made a mistake with this column I share in the apology to Bill Pulver and Rob Clarke. We've listened to the various comments and we'll learn from the experience as we continue to build a great Australian sports opinion website.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You have completely missed the entire point. You want rugby to burn here if the ARU cut the Force. The Rebels fans do. The Shute Shield fans do if the ARU doesn't fund it. Nobody cares if the decision might be best for the game as a whole. Just that it infringes on their interest in the game. If rugby going back to 2005 levels in WA is best for the remainder of Australia (and that includes ST, SA and Tas, the forgotten unions that rely on a profitable professional game) then that's what needs to be done for the greater good. Swap that for 2010 and Vic and it's relevant too. But nobody is interested in the greater good. But the decision is not based on what's been spent 2011-2016. It's based on what's likely to be spent 2018-2025. You ignore that the Force was able to prop itself up until 2016 through profits it earned pre-2011. If they started when the Rebels did, they would have been in the exact same boat.
Zolton
Editor
Thank you everyone for your comments on this retraction/apology from Spiro. It was a good opportunity to vent your opinion on a range of interesting offshoots (the use of sources in journalism, politics in Australian rugby etc), and your feedback to Spiro has been noted. He made a mistake, and we put our hand up as having got it wrong by running the column. We'll leave this comment thread open for another 30 minutes, at which point we'll switch it off as everything that needs to be said has been said. It's time to move onto other topics of debate now.
Waxhead
Guest
Sheek I agree with you about Spiro - this was a very rare error from him and he's been man enough to admit it publicly. He's lost no credibility in my eyes. But the D Lord case is completely different imo. His articles are routinely in error and based on either zero investigation of facts, or a totally inadequate one. He also displays some serious personal obsessions that lead to many bizarre and silly conclusions imo.
robel
Roar Pro
If the Force are stabbed in the back and WA rugby continues to be funded at the pathetic current rate (as based on the ARU annual financial records show) and as seems to be the long held ARU intention to divert all the alleged "saved" money to NSW, of course Force supporters will have no time for the ARU. This is because it will be abundantly clear the ARU does not consider WA as any part of its responsibility. Just because you say the Force should go and they cost too much doesn't mean it's true. The fact that your continual spinning of this argument has been clearly shown to be absurdly incorrect by the analysis ALISON FOSKETT on the GAGR site demonstrates that you are the one who wants Australian (note Australia is also in the name of Western Australia, see that?) rugby to die just to save your neighbourhood.
Jordan c
Guest
Was not needed Carlos. A classic move when your argument is flailing to bring up grammar though!
Jordan c
Guest
When I see David Lord, I immediately take the article as a grain of salt.
Bamboo
Guest
Can confirm Shute Shield is broadcast over in NZ
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
I don't know what "naivity" is. Never seen that word. As English is my second language, I sometimes have problems with locals idioms. I see you have an opinion. Good for you. I also explained mine.
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Argie-land too.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
Do we know that's the case here? Or is that simply more unsubstantiated rumour?
Bakkies
Guest
'As far as I’m concerned, much of the problem with Australian rugby is the people in Australian rugby. At all levels.' It's not just in Australia that nonsense occurs.
Bakkies
Guest
'In fairness Brett is constantly attack by Squirrel/Jock Cornett for daring to positively report on the NRC.' Absolutely
Carlos the Argie
Roar Guru
Bib, I think that in proper English it should be "your" examples and not "you're".
Let The One King Rule
Guest
If you can be bothered to take the time and effort it is easy to doctor an email. Cc and then edit the text, screen capture to a paint program and edit the text before printing, or just HTML edit a saved copy. I've worked for a University and students pull this crap all the time and get away with it because there is no practical way of proving that they've doctored emails used as proof that they've been granted extensions, leaves of absences, have submitted papers etc. The only way to verify is to demand access to the email account itself in order to view the email in its original form but since this violates the receiver's privacy it is a no go. Honestly if Spiro was deliberately duped I'm not sure what he could have done to verify the source. It's not as though he could have asked the supposed sender to verify its veracity, or sought verification from a third party about a confidential email.
Utah
Guest
It's Allan Border
BrainsTrust
Guest
I thought the hit list was just a metaphor not that it was supposed to be for real. Unless rugby union have their own secret police unit they aren't going to be bothered up drawing hit lists. I think falling for this is really embarassing.
Bib
Guest
These 'journalists' are negligent in their actions and are actively ruining the game I love. I won't call it out if it isn't. You're examples are just not relevant nor applicable.