Despite former Wallabies hooker and now Fox Sports commentator and successful businessman Phil Kearns being heavily favoured a fortnight ago, former Canterbury Bulldogs chief executive Raelene Castle has been unveiled as Bill Pulver’s replacement as Rugby Australia CEO.
In terms of background, Castle comes into the job with an impressive mix of business and sports administration experience. She worked in marketing and corporate communications in the banking and communications industries in New Zealand for nearly fifteen years, before serving as the CEO of Netball New Zealand for six years.
Undoubtedly, the biggest success during this tenure was the formation of the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, pushing elite netball to semi-professionalism in both Australia and New Zealand for the nine seasons it ran. Castle also found success lifting participation rates for netball within New Zealand Schools.
With RA just this morning announcing a significant uplift in the participation rates of its Game On program for primary school students aged six to twelve – “a 112 per cent increase in just 24 months,” according to the statement – Castle’s appointment would come right at the time where rugby is experiencing growth in the number of government schools signing up to the program.
This is not a bad thing at all.
Castle also recently finished up a four-year term as CEO of rugby league club Canterbury after resigning in May, where she had been the first female club boss in the NRL. The Bulldogs played in three finals series during Castle’s time at the club, including the 2014 grand final loss to South Sydney.
I genuinely wish Raelene Castle well, and there’s no doubt that rugby in Australia will receive plenty of goodwill from her appointment. Not just for the fact that she will become the first female CEO of one of the four football codes in the country, but because the perception will be there that, finally, the ARU/Rugby Australia has got away from its Shore School-Mosman cookie-cutter methods of recruitment of years past.
(AAP Image/Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
But the perception will also be there that Castle’s appointment is a case of RA being seen to be doing the right thing. Until Castle physically gets her feet under the desk and achieves success as CEO in her own right, that perception will linger.
Until as recently as a week ago, it seemed all but a foregone conclusion that Kearns had won the role.
Was his name ‘put out there’ during the application and interview process to test public opinion? Were people in key decision-making positions spooked by the inevitable public reaction to Kearns’ likely appointment? Were their worst fears confirmed, or was it a calculated move to smooth the waters for Castle’s ascent to the role?
Only those on the selection panel will ever know.
I had a conversation a few weeks back around the process, and the possible candidates, and it was clear that Castle and Kearns were really the only two in the frame. Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop’s name had been thrown up, but the feeling was that he was effectively playing the role of Jake White whenever an international coaching job comes up. He’s a candidate in theory, but not interested enough to actually apply.
The support for Kearns in this conversation was also clear, and when his credentials were listed against Castle’s, it was hard to disagree with it.
His rugby credentials are well known as both a former Wallabies captain and current and long-term Fox Sports commentator. He’s remained in touch with the game at most levels since retirement, and has had a successful business career to boot, where he’s currently managing director of insurance company InterRISK Australia. Before that, he was CEO at private equity firm Centric Wealth, and he’s heavily involved in charities, too.
He was the perfect candidate for the role, they argued. No-one could compete with him.
This might be true, but there was just one nagging little problem. Kearns could be the absolute standout applicant, I said in response, the one the consultants unanimously recommend, and even the one who might be inclined to take on the role for a bit less than others just because he wants to give back to the game that’s given him so much.
But his appointment will look like another job for the boys. Last week’s reaction proved that.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
And I feel sorry for Kearns, in many respects. I don’t claim to know him at all, but I know him enough to say g’day in the commentary boxes, and that he’s a very different guy to how he comes across over the microphone. He’s still clearly passionate about the game, and I’ve no doubt he would’ve served rugby well as CEO.
But I equally feel sorry for Castle now. She may also have been the standout candidate in her own right, and her mix of business marketing experience and sports administration might have had Kearns and the still-unnamed third candidate well covered.
Yet the perception of this being something of the token appointment will be there. You can already see it in social media and online comments, including right here on The Roar.
I hope she has better luck running rugby in Australia than she ultimately did running Canterbury, where she eventually grew tired of dealing with the Bulldogs board. I hope she has a better time of it than Tracey Gaudry did at AFL club Hawthorn, who was sacked after just five months in the role for reasons that still aren’t totally clear.
Australian rugby can be a beast at times, and that’s without even bringing petty state politics into it. It’s a somewhat unpopular opinion to suggest that Bill Pulver did a pretty reasonable job as CEO until this last year, but even he, with all his business smarts, found the beast and the politics difficult to deal with at times.
I hope Raelene Castle is ready to deal with all of that.
Above all else, though, I truly hope that Raelene Castle is the right person to lift the game out of its current mire, and isn’t just a case of the game wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing.
zhenry
Guest
If Tew had held his council a 5th AU team would not have happened, there were other issues as well, he was no match for O’Neill. When NZ had their turn as SANZAR representative Tew shipped him off to work in Sydney just down the road from ARU HQs, pathetic. I strongly suspect Raelene Castle has been selected as the Trojan horse (as it were) to enable ARU interests to sink its claws into the NZRU to transfer NZ nous to AU and probably severely disable its host.
richard
Guest
Agree with this.I remember a comment at the time out of a south african article wondering if the NZRU should move its offices to Sydney as JON seemed to be constantly speaking for NZ..That one stung at the time,because it had a strong element of truth to it.
zhenry
Guest
O'Neill had Tew on a string. Tew made decisions not in NZRU best interest. Re Will Sinclair above, the Trojan horse could well be in ARU interest, I make further comments above.
zhenry
Guest
The AU and NZ Fairfax journalists; some are being guarded but mostly over the top a la Hinton, one rhapsody after another. The main reason being that she is different, her NRL episode is mixed, but Canterbury were certainly pleased about their new CEO Hill. It’s a foregone conclusion about this appointment 'it was always going to happen', that’s generally the Australian message. As an AB fan Raelene Castle's comments about AU and NZ needing each other is crap. To a degree, like NZ needs other countries like SA? Let’s be clear in the main the interests of NZ Rugby are not the interests of AU Rugby. The makeup and circumstances of each national rugby union is very different. The way Super Rugby was organised, it suited mostly AU, thanks to O’Neill’s power over Tew. NZ must put its own interests first. Raelene Castle knows Tew's wife from Netball days, the Australian NGOs, CEOs and media executive will be waiting and encouraging a Raelene and Tew partnership so AU can incorporate itself into the NZ rugby milieu and perhaps become the divine parasite. Let’s hope Tew can keep his council Castle has desires which criss-cross NZ and AU interests, the desires are not compatible. The Fairfax and Murdoch media are going to push what is best for AU as they have always done, to the point where zealousness has to be backtracked (5 Super teams). Raelene Castle’s appointment will not be a walk in the park…especially for Raelene Castle.
lassitude
Guest
Actually her father was a Kiwi league international - she was brought up in the mungo world. And more than that she was born in Wagga Wagga - so she's one of yours anyway !
taylorman
Guest
Maria from the same netball world... :-)
Bakkies
Guest
On 1 she ignores the fact that Soccer is also an international game. As corrupt as FIFA are they not afraid to get stuck in to poorly run national governing body.
Bakkies
Guest
Absolutely I have called out for the RA to produce the Rebels future business plan to guarantee sustainability from the RA. Still no response.
1st&10
Guest
Take Peter Doust....... Please
1st&10
Guest
Castle was ordinary at the Dogs. Very unspectacular.
1st&10
Guest
Affirmative Action should give her the nod
RobC
Roar Guru
Watched her 1st PC: - Good to see she will focus on relationships. This is super critical esp w/NSW stakeholders - Good to see further concentration on grassroots and pathways - Good to see further promo of women sport - Focus on match day experience and fan engagement Two things, she needs to correct: 1. She said Rugby's main differentiator is its a global game. Same rubbish ARU trot out. - Whilst its true it is a more global game than others in Aus. It is NOT the reason why people will play it 2. Not focused on better coaches (as opposed to players) starting school level. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIB4jE_LrY0
Ex force fan
Guest
He overstayed his welcome like a foul smell. He should have left before the new CEO was selected, now Castle will be tainted as Clyne's choice.... and we all know his track record in making the wrong choices.
Ex force fan
Guest
Agree. Clyne will remain the chain around her neck as long as he continue to overstay his welcome just as the Rebels will continue to absorb ARU funds as they still don't have a financially sound business model.
RandyM
Guest
Happens in all companies, it's incredible... i've seen disgraced CEO's and senior managers just move onto another company like nothing happened.
BOGGLES THE MIND
Guest
So it's cranked up again, the sporting CEO's merry-go-round has yet another rider change horses. Has anyone noticed these individuals just change horses and on they go? It is a closed shop generated by those on the hurdy-gurdy. They make a name for themselves is a sport and then they're on and they stay on, regardless of whether they actually do good, bad or nothing. When the time comes the individuals just shift horses and on they go again until one actually falls off totally and another gets their first turn and they stay on. Netball, Rugby League, Rugby Union and then who knows where she's very young, her ride could be decades long, is the next one darts or maybe wood chopping it all depends on the lucre. Those wanting to know what's become of our real sporting culture need look no further than the CEO's.
Goatee
Guest
Agreed. On the basis of the information provided, she looks to be a very good appointment. Now, lets cut to the chase. Who's Maria? Tell all! If you like... and if it's not too late, I will cobble together some recommendations from other posters on 'The Roar' and write to her on your behalf? ?
jim boyce
Guest
Geoff - One thing she has to tackle is the Panel of Coaches, with Kafer at the helm. Announced 5 months ago, this has gone nowhere, with several people very annoyed as to the commitment of the RA. One should remember that Kafer has organised himself as a company with certain people contracted within that group. This not only poses a conflict of interest but a question of intellectual property. She has a big job in front of her and one would only hope there is a Board right behind her. The Board's performance in the last 3 years has not been inspiring. The fact that she does not have private school credentials is a big plus.
piru
Roar Rookie
Interesting that when Deans was appointed, apart from the odd nutjob, no one seriously questioned his ability to separate his feelings of loyalty to NZ and the All Blacks and to his job with the Wallabies. It was assumed that as a professional he would do the job for which he was hired, to the best of his ability. Yet with Castle, certain people seem very unable to accept this.
Sandgroper
Guest
Brett, I like your careful commentary. The process of selection, given the skills set of the board members involved, must have been sound. To go with the bold choice shows a growing maturity in the Board decisions, which were lacking lately. I just hope Ms Castle can sort out the Western Force/IPRC debacle ASAP. I suspect that Mr Clyne is being relegated to the correct role of a Chairman, and that is to chair the meetings and carry out the board's wishes. When the dust settles and the biographies are written, I suspect that it will be the surprisingly inept governance issue will appear and the commentariat will have 20/20 hindsight. Perhaps future Board Member selections will be as rigorous as the CEO selection process. There is a certain irony that the best person to redress the interstate insurgency is a Kiwi cleanskin(in Rugby terms) with no vested interest, conflict of interest or political baggage. I wish both the RA and RC well and I hope they can mend the damage done over here. A visit to Rugby WA as soon as the formalities are done would be good especially if the major benefactors are invited to attend. WA Govt and Twiggy as well as the Lavan Legal boss. WA Rugby people look forward to a new approach. Thanks again Brett for a balanced view.