Let’s face it: Rugby Australia is in crisis.
There are not too many accolades coming their way lately. In fact, many are calling for a complete re-boot of Rugby Australia.
So how did it get like this? In the late ’90s and early 2000s, rugby union in Australia was on a high, culminating in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. We had everything going our way.
So what went wrong? We blew a unique opportunity to challenge AFL and NRL as the most popular winter sport.
But how? Well, rugby union has been in decline since 2003, with an occasional bright spot. But just look at where we are now, at our lowest world ranking ever. Like the decline of the Roman Empire, there is not a single reason for this, but instead a perfect storm of reasons.
These reasons include complacency (resting on our laurels after 2003), lack of funds (squandering of resources after 2003), parochialism (New South Wales and Queensland power struggles), poor management, focus on the top end of town rather than grassroots, poor coaching establishments, and a decline in basic skills.
So here we are now. Various bodies are calling for a clean sweep of RA – a root and branch pruning, and a clean sweep of the board. They want to start again from scratch.
Whether anyone can do any better than the current administration is irrelevant. People’s perceptions are people’s realities. And the perception is that RA is a shambles and it is time to start again, no matter what the cost.
Cost is sometimes used as an excuse for doing nothing. We cannot afford the necessary changes. But can we afford not to change? The whole viability of rugby union in Australia could be at stake. So, whatever it takes, let’s get on with it and do it.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
There is always a way to change and it goes something like this.
1. Call a strategic planning meeting of all relevant stakeholders. Lock them in a room until a new strategic plan for the company has been finalised.
2. Create and document the case for change. What happened? Why do we need to change?
3. Start building a cohesive leadership team, ensure they are aligned, and establish clarity of purpose among the leaders. This is a step towards good organisational health – the greatest opportunity for improvement and competitive advantage.
4. Cohesive leadership is based on five principles: results, accountability, commitment, healthy conflict and trust. Another untapped competitive advantage is team work.
5. Perform a SWOT analysis of the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These should be identified and presented to the group. This is an analysis of where we are now.
6. Create a new code of conduct based on the beliefs, values and commitments gathered from the stakeholders. This is important. It drives everything from strategic projects to KPIs.
7. Create a new vision and mission statement for the new company. This is the purpose for existing. It is the work culture we want to install.
8. Interview the stakeholders and ask them to describe the current work culture. Share the results and highlight the major issues. This also helps illustrate the current work culture.
9. Create a new strategic plan of about five years’ duration. The tactical plan is the first 12 months of the strategic plan.
10. The strategic and tactical plans consist of strategic priorities or projects. This is how we are going to get to where we want to be. These priorities should be reviewed at annual strategic meeting.
11. Schedule and cost the strategic plan, and communicate it by rolling it out to the wider team and audience. This is how we implement the plan.
12. How do we measure success? A simple way is to survey all the relevant stakeholders on a quarterly basis and ask them to give each project a score out of ten. Have a schedule with deadlines for each project. You will soon see if you are on track or not. If not, then modify the project, don’t wait for annual strategic planning meeting.
13. Identifying the strategic priorities or projects. This is where I’d love to hear from my fellow Roarers.
Here are some examples of strategic projects I can think of.
1. Create a corporate structure that is inclusive of all relevant stakeholders and minimises parochialism.
2. Create organisational structures for the states or major stakeholders.
3. Create a centralised governance system based on the New Zealand system. Everything should build towards the Wallabies.
4. Communicate clear and transparent funding from grassroots (whatever that is defined as) to the national team. Communicate why the priorities are what they are to the masses.
5. Find new ways for the RA board to build relationships with the general rugby public, the media, and other relevant stakeholders.
6. Find new ways for the national and Super Rugby teams to build relationships with the general rugby public, the media, and other relevant stakeholders.
7. Get as much rugby as possible on free-to-air TV. Somehow. Someway.
8. Create new national or state coaching the coaches’ establishments.
9. Create new national or state junior rugby establishments.
I would like to see your list of projects. Do not concern yourself with funding. Somehow, we need to find the necessary money for the good of the game we love.
AndyS
Guest
You'd never get something remotely like consensus on who is a stakeholder. Whoever decides the "right" stakeholders will predetermine the outcomes before the exercise even starts.
Josh
Roar Rookie
Very good work, need a plan, need a CEO who can sell that plan an great game to stakeholders and the general public.
Bearrr
Roar Rookie
I agree, not only have they done that but they have crossed class barriers, we haven't, until we start picking the best rugby players, not just from private schools, but from those places we don't want to talk about, Sydney's west. New Zealanders will pick kids from Auckland's bad areas. Nice boys from private schools can't cut it.
Robert Parr
Guest
Well, this should be one of the priorities to fix shouldn't it? Until we get rid of parochialism...well, I think we will struggle. The Kiwi's have done it...so why can't we?
Robert Parr
Guest
Well, I'd be gob smacked if they didn't have a strategic plan in place. It's just that they don't communicate it to the stakeholders very well. Plus there's the small issue of the slide since 2003 and the 7th place in the world. It really is time they changed the way they do business...and there are brave new ways to do business out there.
Robert Parr
Guest
Hi Numpty, I have no idea what the current structures are and what the current strategic plan is. But I know it's not working, whatever it is. There is no harm in going back to first principles and starting again.
Robert Parr
Guest
Andy, You are right, but we must try. Ms Castles resignation and CV-19 give us a perfect chance to try and get this right.
Robert Parr
Guest
Hi Paul, I think the secret is to get the right input from the right stakeholders. You need to be inclusive...and open and transparent about it. One thing RA does poorly is communicate to stakeholders.
Robert Parr
Guest
Thanks for your comments KCOL. I am in agreeance with most of what you say. All good company's will have an annual strategic meeting and will come up with their own strategic projects. What I am stating is that this is a fresh opportunity for RA to be open and transparent about their processes, collaborate with people and communicate the plan to all stakeholders. This is the new way of doing business.
robel
Roar Pro
I got to the bit a bout a strategic plan, then couldn't really read any more. Bill Pulver had a strategic plan, it apparently included a "national Footprint". RA (ARU) then went on to totally ignore the plan and backstabbed WA rugby. RA is a NSW/QLD union, it needs to be a national union.
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Simple. Bankruptcy will get rid of the debt and the parasites . Then start with a democratic process from Club Rugby up. All the rest will fall into place with a few right people in control.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
KCOL I feel like we are trekking back and have been since 2013. Pulver's reign got people offside because of necessary austerity. The ARU was locked into huge expenses when Pulver took over due to JON. Both Head Office spending and poor commercial agreements on foreign currency hedging, and expansion teams that enabled owners to walk away leaving the teams carrying debt they created. Things didn't go perfectly, but when he walked away, Aus Rugby was in much better financial position going forward than when he started. As an example the expansion to 18 teams for Super Rugby seemed it hit crowds (I suspect there was more at play such as departures of players post 2015), but conversely brought in much needed revenue. Castle is now about to move us further in the right direction in a decent financial position (pre-Covid-19) by actually looking to the future (retaining talented youth, alternatives to Fox). Is it perfect? Probably not. But who says anybody else will make things perfect either? Is it progress in the right direction? Personally I think so.
numpty
Roar Rookie
And look at that - a quick google and you can see that RA has a document that outlines alot of these pts. Shows that Robert isn't just a pretty face, but also that RA are a little more self aware than some may like to admit. https://australia.rugby/about/about-us/strategic-vision
numpty
Roar Rookie
Well done on writing your pts out, and having the cajones and temperament to outline some solutions and constructive criticism rather than just sooking. But I must ask, do you know how RA is currently structured and the current plans they have in place? I personally do not know in great depth and this is why I fall short of calling for alot of these things, because likely they have done many. Maybe not to standard or for long enough, but I think alot of people seem to think a bunch of chimps are (not) running the sport, but it is actually hundreds of skilled people who love the game as much as the rest of us. It reminds me of someone from another room yelling out, 'have you tried turning it on and off again'. Anyway, food for thought. Edit: I see KCOL has listed some in detail already.
AndyS
Guest
Unfortunately, 'we' do not have a chance to rebuild Rugby Australia. 'Australian rugby' as it currently stands has the chance to rebuild Rugby Australia, and will inevitably rebuild it much as it is now. If only by its decisions regarding who qualifies as a stakeholder. 'Australian rugby' has had a century and change to create a broad-based, inclusive national structure for rugby in this country, and achieved nothing even close. What makes you think that will suddenly change now. Unless it is an echo chamber, the whole exercise will founder at Step 1 as the room tries to even agree the objectives of a strategic plan, let alone a roadmap to achieving it. "The good of Australian rugby" can mean anything to anyone, justifying any behaviour.
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Robert, your suggestions make perfect sense, but in some ways are like a house of cards. In this case, there's an initial premise you've made that will either underpin the structure or bring it crashing down. " Create a corporate structure that is inclusive of all relevant stakeholders and minimises parochialism." If by inclusion you mean some of the 11 captains who signed that letter, I don't know how the structure could stand up? They are not even close to being on terms with the current structure, especially when they've called for all to go. Castle and co would be wise to get their input, as apparently Paul McLean has offered to do, but anything more than that would probably lead to white anting at the least and outright rebellion at worst, if the pupeteers pulling the Kearns, Farr-Jones strings, thinks that's in their best corporate interest.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Robert, I am not one to celebrate status quo. But in the current drama playing out, I can see many of your suggestions in operation already. It has been agreed on these boards for at least a decade that wholesale changes are required. Some changes we choose. Like NRC. Some are thrust upon us. Like Izzygate, and virusgate. Before Virusgate Australian rugby had some genuinely hopeful green shoots poking through. New coaching team. Well structured. Accountability built in. Young talent emerging from a successful U/20’s group Promising player/coaching development amongst a couple of our Super squads The well timed hope looking forward to 2024 The opportunity to host in 2027. I get that we have faltered since 2003 (at least). I thought that we we were always punching above our weight, culturally handicapped like the awkward private school boys at the party. (We weren’t that but many saw us that way) But since 2003, led by a private school boy we let our stocks be spent on follies that did not return cultural equity. JON helped us to a World Cup pay day but he, and others may one day explain where we stumbled after that. But today, I believe, that we are trekking back, stumbling still, but stumbling in the right direction. This leadership and their current strategies, deserve more opportunity, imo. Historical follies are not their creation.