Shock, horror! The Waratahs’ (former) CEO, Andrew Hore, has ditched the Australian franchise without notice.
How many of these stuff-ups does the Australian rugby community have to endure before there is a wholesale clean-out of the incompetent leaders who couldn’t run a bath let alone a complex franchise?
Last week, Hore was talking to Waratahs HQ about the direction he wanted the franchise to take.
Now, a few days later, club chairman Roger Davis has announced Hore’s departure, saying the timing of the sudden exit was “shit”.
And where is Hore going?
Surprise, surprise, he is going to become the chief executive of the Auckland-based Blues.
A shift to this sort of position was always predictable given Hore’s history.
Surely someone in the NSW hierarchy did some elementary research before his appointment? Perhaps, not. But Hore’s career category indicated an inevitable return to New Zealand.
Hore started off his administration career with Canterbury and the Crusaders. He then worked with the Welsh Rugby Union before returning to New Zealand to become the NZRU’s high-performance manager. He then moved to Welsh franchise Ospreys, before being appointed as CEO of NSW Rugby.
While he was at the Ttahs, he was responsible for allowing failed coach Daryl Gibson an extra year on his contract.
Under Hore’s watch, NSW – one of the great clubs in world rugby – finished tenth (2016), 16th (2017) and 12th (2019).
A few days ago, in Tokyo, Hore revealed that the new head coach of the Waratahs would be Rob Penney. It just so happens that Penney, like Gibson, was a coach in the Canterbury set-up when Hore was at the organisation.
Now we get to a matter that has riled me for some time.
Apparently there were 61 applicants for the position left vacant by Gibson. A shortlist of 12 candidates was drawn up, of which two were interviewed. And one of those interviewed, Penney, was appointed coach.
One of the applicants not on the shortlist – and not a good old boy from Canterbury – was David Campese.
Photo by Ross Kinnaird/EMPICS via Getty Images
Campese is an advocate of the Waratahs and Randwick Galloping Greens’ game of slick passing, killer set-moves, pace across the field, and aggressive and no-nonsense forwards. It’s a game that has seen NSW defeat the Springboks and the All Blacks, and pioneered the style that won Rugby World Cups in 1991 and ’99.
No one understands the Waratahs game better than Campese. No one played it better.
Yet Campese did not make a shortlist for head coach of the Waratahs. This was an insult to the club’s tradition.
I supported the experiment of appointing Robbie Deans as head coach of the Wallabies.
But his mixed results, despite the fact he is one of the most successful coaches in the modern game, should have ensured that the senior coaching positions in Australia should go to Australians.
This is especially so at the Super Rugby level, for this is the level from which Wallabies coaches should emerge.
Now, I don’t blame Hore for gaming the system with his move. I blame Davis and the rest of the board.
I met Davis once and he was charming. He’s a former Wallaby, a Rhodes Scholar, and a successful businessman.
But he has been a failure as a leader of the Waratahs.
Anyone with any gumption about the way professional rugby works would have known that Hore would act the way he did.
Davis’ defence, that he didn’t believe the rumours Hore would leave, beggar belief.
“The rumours were circulating and all I had were rumours until this morning,” Davis told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“When there is smoke there is fire. Until such time as he tendered his resignation, we were dealing with speculation.
“The season starts soon, so the timing is shit in that regard.”
To think Davis, his board and others in the Waratahs management had no inkling that Hore might be targeted for the Blues job and would grab it is to believe in the Tooth Fairy.
Once again, we have had a monumental stuff-up by our rugby leaders.
When is enough enough?
numpty
Roar Rookie
just watched the georgia game. Kerevi was 2nd best WB back behind marika imo and made the right decision to pass (or not pass) all but maybe one time. Made a couple of nice inside passes in traffic and tip ons to get it wide.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I mean that’s true of course. However, I think you’re missing the context of the fact that despite not winning a match that year, it was the closest Bledisloe series we have had in a long, long time (even in 2017, the Wallabies only held on to win a dead). 2014 was the last time the team looked consistently competitive with New Zealand. And with a worse playing roster then 2017-2019 in my opinion.
System of a Downey Jr
Roar Rookie
But that's ignoring context. The third game was ultimately meaningless. The wallabies could have won that game by a thousand points and they still wouldn't have won the Bledisloe back. And Foley missing a tackle on Fekitoa certainly didn't lose the cup.
numpty
Roar Rookie
Its obviously something he knows how to do, but for some reason has dropped off since the RC turned into the RWC. I still think he has been one of the better backs most weeks for the WBs, but he isn't having the breakout campaign I was hoping for that would've potentially led to the WBs going deep. Shame he is leaving as I feel like he was developing well under Thorn and adding those tools to his belt.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I think you need to differentiate between NSW and the Waratahs. I don’t think the amateur era and professional era can really be compared. They are distinct entities in my mind.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Yeah, I’m still not really sure what the point of the article was, other than some gripes about different things. Seems like the Waratahs made a cool call under Hore to not shortlist Campo given his very limited coaching experience. I came out of the article and the comments with a higher opinion of Hore than when I went in.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
His passing has deteriorated.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
England has an Aussie coach. Unfortunately, England’s Aussie coach is much better than Aus’.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
Still within three points. One point in the first test and two in the third and the series was won. That was an achievement after only 12 months in charge, against one of the best All Blacks sides of all time.
Josh
Roar Rookie
totally agree with your comments. my only comment would be that if he knew he was going hopefully he wasnt key to the new coach appointment.
Hank
Guest
Great people but never leave them in charge of anything Australian
Franklin
Roar Rookie
Not just against NZ but against all comers, besides Connolly, who was only around for a year. Win rates were Eddie Jones (57%), Connolly (64%), Deans (58%), McKenzie (50%), Cheika (50%). Seems like an argument for picking non-Australian coaches if ever I saw one.
BillPosters
Roar Rookie
Yeah you are spot on, ols. I'm more of a Royals man myself though.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
I am not sure about Campo myself, you worry about whether or not a player with extravagant gifts can apply those into effective coaching. Having said that my understanding is that he was a hard worker on his fitness and skills and he remains fully committed to rugby. On the other hand I suspect head coaches worry about taking him on as an attack coach or adviser. The point about focus on the future is why I think the board should have worked harder in the appointment of a coach. The competing views here are whether Hore or the board are responsible for the current malaise. Hore lost me at the time of Cron's departure with his public comments on Cron and Gibson. There is no way that he was ever part of any sensible solution and those in the know are now saying the board isn't either. I am betting both views are correct and we are praying for Penney to save NSW on his own.
Soap Dodger
Roar Rookie
I would say entirely consistent. It amazes me that so many Aussies are needlessly nasty towards their Kiwi neighbours. It looks to me like the result of a deep-seated inferiority complex. This kind of gratuitous nastiness, puerile name calling and general bile reflect poorly on Australia whose cricket team is already universally hated and whose rugby team is now in danger of going the same way. Take a leaf out of the English playbook and rise above this childish nonsense!
LetPlayersPlay
Guest
And Ralene Castle... the debacle over the Folau which also had fingerprints from Andrew Hore. Spiro is right.. starts at the top.. poor board governance by RA is leading to its sorry state of affairs..
ols
Roar Pro
His roots are not Randwick or especially not NSW. He played for the Mighty Queanbeyan Whites and ACT originally. The system as it was in those days pretty much pushed him to Randwick and NSW
Allen Stutchbury
Guest
Well said and written we need a complete change of board at the Tahs, can’t believe a talented bloke and genuine like Campo doesn’t even get an interview.
Kane
Roar Guru
He got us to within 2 points of winning back the Bledisloe Cup, which was an extraordinary achievement in such a brief time, only let down by Foley missing his tackle on Fekitoa in the dying minutes, not surprisingly. Except after the 12-all draw the Wallabies were 32 points short of securing a shot at the title. Foleys missed tackle didn't cost them the Bledisloe
Double Agent
Guest
GURU 1 Rookie 0.