Rugby’s worst kept secret is out – Raelene Castle is the new CEO of Rugby Australia.
Even though there were over 200 applicants for the job, the Wagga-born Kiwi was odds-on.
The sporting genes are spot on – father Bruce captained the New Zealand rugby league side before becoming a selector, while mother Madeline was a four-time lawn bowls rep at the Comm Games.
The trail-blazer spent six years as CEO of Netball New Zealand, a major sport across the ditch, and the last four as the first woman CEO in the NRL with the Bulldogs at Belmore.
When she takes over from Bill Pulver early next year, Castle will be the first woman CEO of a national football code.
And she won’t be lonely at the St Leonards bunker, with half of the eight-strong board of directors women.
Ann Sherry, the CEO of Carnival Australia and an advocate for women’s rights, was the first, in 2012.
Elizabeth Broderick, a lawyer and former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner, was next, in January 2016. Pip Marlow, Palmerston North-born and the managing director of Microsoft Australia, joined in February 2016.
They’re well-credentialled, but what those qualifications have to do with rugby still escapes me. Having just half the board rugby-orientated isn’t exactly a case of horses for courses.
John Eales, arguably one of the greatest rugby internationals of all time, is the standout on the board, and Dr Brett Robinson, the deputy chairman, was the inaugural skipper of the Brumbies and won 16 Wallaby caps.
But Paul McLean, who played 31 Tests, and 100 games for Queensland, is hardly an obvious choice (although he was a player) and chairman Cameron Clyne is a bit of a rugby phantom.
Cameron Clyne (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Like most senior sporting administrators these days, he’s a bean counter with a career in banking, but it takes plenty of research to find his rugby playing status.
As limited as it is, Clyne played for Victoria against the All Blacks and the Boks, but that’s all the info that’s surfaced.
Hardly chairmanship material. But there’s hardly anything about Rugby Australia that makes sense.
And this is what Raelene Castle has to deal with, and it’s not a pretty sight.
Nor were the pathetic Australian Super Rugby performances last season with 0-26 against their Kiwi counterparts.
Zero wins and 26 losses? If it wasn’t so serious, it would be laughable.
The reason is a combination of poor coaching, poor captaincy, and a poor attitude.
None of the five Australian sides were fit enough to compete, and absolutely no excuse with every squad member a full-time professional.
To make matters worse, every one of the current board voted in favour of the Western Force being booted out of Super Rugby.
How can the board members live with themselves that a 30-plus squad was thrown on the scrapheap, having to find another place to play?
That’s the standard of board Raelene Castle has inherited.
Thankfully she has proved to be a thick-skinned, tough competitor. She’ll need to be to survive.
But I picture Castle in a different light – as the saviour, not the survivor, of Australian rugby.
The code needs a damn good shakeup, and Raelene Castle is the right person to do just that.
Drongo
Guest
David, Paul Mclean was a genuine genius and was one of the main players responsible for Queensland becoming one of the best provincial teams in the world by 1980. Few tests were played then compared to now and yes, on that tour his goal kicking, normally very reliable, was a disappointment. But it was not the only reason the Wallabies lost those test matches. In 1982, the Scotland tests displayed how much better Mclean was than Ella at that point in their respective careers. He and Gould turned the result around and should have been selected ahead of the Ellas in the 1st test.
lassitude
Guest
She was born in Wagga Wagga and her father was a league international - she doesn't have a Rugby background and I doubt she has a clue about the game on the paddock.
lassitude
Guest
Amen
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 iN 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.
GusTee
Roar Pro
Hey Sweaty Prop, I am in full agreement with you.
GusTee
Roar Pro
Johno, answer to your last comment is simple. It will be very hard for her and she will probably fail because of them. That is why Clyne and his cronies should make way for others.
GusTee
Roar Pro
But Big Daddy, Clyne has failed hopelessly in his role as Chairman of the ARU/RA. Despite his undoubted business talents he forgot two things: 1 Rugby is a national sport in Australia; and 2 if you keep pouring funds by the million down a hole in Victoria, you are going to go bankrupt.
GusTee
Roar Pro
Good words, David. We need new and objective blood to revive Men's 15 a side rugby in Australia. All of those of the RA administration who were involved in the utter debacle of 2017 should move on and give others a go. None of the incumbent Board are short of a dollar so why do they stick around when it seems from the comments on this website that the great mass of the rugby public in Australia cannot abide them. All the best to Raelene Castle. We should all back her to the hilt as with the incumbent RA Board she is going to have her work cut out for her.
GusTee
Roar Pro
In my book you don't need to have played at the top of the sport to be qualified to write about it or to administer and/or manage it. Everyone has their strengths and failings and no one owns the game per se. You simply have, in a word, to understand the ETHOS of the game. Being a person of undoubted integrity also helps. Clyne is ego driven and despite being a brilliant banker, he has proved himself to be a complete prat when it comes to heading rugby in Australia. He should fall on his sword and take most of his Board with him. If he does then Raelene Castle will have a reasonable chance to prove herself.
Fox
Roar Guru
Well she's a kiwi so probably knows more about rugby than most of Australia :) Good to see a kiwi gal running Australian rugby fellas!!!
soapit
Guest
two words. word count
robert
Guest
the 2003 hosting rights, plus aru voting for japan for the 2011 world cup, ended up being one of the best things to happen to nz rugby, ended up being one of the worst for aus as history has shown, so maybe someone who can be trusted by the nzru is not such a bad thing, who knows maybe the nzru will listern now to talks about a trans tas comp
John R
Roar Guru
Fair call DL. I must admit I don't follow the NRL, so aren't too across the goings on in the code there, but good to know she's come up against some politics, she'll certainly need every bit of that experience moving forward. Best of luck to her!
David Lord
Expert
Yes Johnno, Phil Kearns will back Raelene, and so will all the other commentators, because there must be a massive change at Rugby Australia, or the great game is heading for the toilet. Raelene looms as the saviour, she's not interested in just surviving the poison chalice role, it's not in her genes. First cab off the rank is what happens during the 80 minutes on the paddock. When that's successful the bean counters, like Cameron Clyne, can automatically have their day. Until then, belt up.
David Lord
Expert
The big difference Big Daddy is David Gallop is a lawyer, not a bean counter.
David Lord
Expert
John R, good question, but I haven't bothered to ask the question because I'm not interested. As soon as Raelene Castle had her run-in with Ray Dib at the Bulldogs, there was no doubt in my mind she was heading for the St Leonards bunker.
David Lord
Expert
Don, I totally agree with your comments of Paul McLean in the Test against Scotland, it was by the length of the straight his finest hour as a Wallaby. And I said so on Channel Seven the next day. But one Test doesn't make a career, or you'd have to say Don Bradman couldn't bat because he made a duck in his last Test innings.
concerned supporter
Guest
Hii David, you said, "As for Cameron Clyne, I doubt if I’ll ever be able to explain how he became the chairman of the Board." It's called "Friends of Sydney University Football Club" Cameron Clyne is a member, Michael Hawker is a member,Tony Sukkar,(Buildcorp) is a member, Roger Davis is a member. The ARU has a nominations committee, which is chaired by Jacquiline Sukkar,(Buildcorp) This committee firstly interviews and puts forward people suitable to join the ARU Board of Directors. These people indirectly or even directly oversee the sport of Rugby in Australia, in particular from a NSW point of view. It is a huge rugby power base. "https://www.sydneyunirugby.com.au/files/Friends_SUFC_Members_List_Oct_2015.pdf " PS, the ARU has recently moved from its St. Leonards bunker to premises at Moore Park, (Leasehold of course} courtesy of a Government Grant of at least AUD $ 13 Million.
Train Without A Station
Guest
It’s only an elephant in the room for people detached from reality. For the board to be dismissed, the state unions would need to vote for it in some capacity. So either they are a rogue board who the state unions just don’t feel like dismissing, or the state unions collectively agree with their actions...
Johnno
Guest
Doubt it