Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan doesn’t care about the blowback he’s copping for some of his outlandish statements.
He should.
It’s clear he’s trying to be a media ringmaster with many of his comments to rankle the NRL but he’s running the risk of looking like a clown.
His latest pot shot was befitting of WWE’s long-running scripted stooge Vince McMahon more so than the chairman entrusted with the honour of being the figurehead of the national body governing rugby union in this country.
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan with Wallabies coach Eddie Jones. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
If you didn’t see it, he took a few jabs in The Sun-Herald on the weekend about the pathetic nature of rugby league’s scrums.
“League scrums are so lame,” he opined. “League talks about toughness but I reckon an arm wrestle at the pub would be harder than their scrums.”
He then proposed a scrum contest between the best forwards from either code, claimed he’d throw in $100,000 of Rugby Australia’s dollars into the kitty for a possible live broadcast on Nine with the winner donating the money to charity.
Before adding: “If it’s a draw we’ll have a spelling competition to determine the winner.”
Rugby league fans stopped caring about scrums decades ago. The referees certainly did.
If the farces that are the 12-person midfield cuddle are replaced with a play-the-ball, it wouldn’t make much of a difference in the NRL landscape.
The main attraction for keeping scrums in the game is that they open up the field for the attacking team, which almost always wins the ball by the tried and true method of gently rolling the ball back to the lock, which is now where the hookers position themselves.
That sentence sums up how seriously rugby league treats scrums – the player on the field named for their ability to hook the ball back from the middle of a contested heaving mass is now the one who waits at the back because of their passing ability to distribute the ball out to the backs.
Anyway, McLennan quite clearly knows this pie-in-the-sky idea will never happen and the method to this madness is to continue his trend of being a disruptor, drawing eyeballs to rugby union as the sport tries to rebound after a decade where it has fallen well behind multiple rival sports, not just the NRL.
We see this all the time in all walks of life, from politics to shock jocks – if you’re the underdog, go for the jugular of your bigger rival to show you’re up for the fight and to eventually become top dog.
Sometimes it works, many times it doesn’t.
McLennan has done well since taking over an organisation that was a mess in 2020 in getting the sport heading back in the right direction.
He made the bold call to bring in a new coach at the start of a World Cup year in Eddie Jones who shares a similarly brash persona although more on the mischievous side which also brings attention to the code.
Jones believes McLennan has done more for the code than any other suit since John O’Neill although the bar is relatively low to clear on that front.
McLennan earned RA considerably more money last year during the Trans-Tasman stand-off with his Kiwi counterparts over the future make-up of Super Rugby Pacific and the TV rights that flow from the competition.
Whether his tenure will ultimately be remembered as successful or not depends on how RA sets itself up with respect to the financial windfalls of the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025 and the men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments of ‘27 and ‘29.
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)
In some ways he’s been given a rails run over the rest of this decade considering the Lions were always coming in that they tour Down Under every 12 years and the World Cups were awarded after World Rugby gave Rugby Australia to present its hosting plan without opening up the rights to bids from other nations.
Rugby fans would much prefer to see their sport set up for sustained success in this crucial period rather than seeing their chairman grandstanding for media attention.
His idea for a potential draft to spread out the talent in the Super Rugby Pacific competition is more in line with the kind of big-picture idea that a chairman should be exploring.
The next CEO of Rugby Australia, after the abrupt departure of Andy Marinos on Monday, should be tasked with day-to-day operational matters and also be the public face of the sport, particularly if it ends up being a high-profile ex-Wallaby like Phil Waugh.
McLennan’s frequent “paper talk/clickbait” routine can work but it can also be on the tawdry side.
Some will argue that rugby league has taken a similar path with its chairman, Peter V’landys, taking a similar tack in his repeated snide remarks about their biggest rival, the AFL.
That is true but it doesn’t mean it’s the right path to take. And since when did rugby union think following in the footsteps of their money-hungry long-lost family member was the way to go?
Joseph Suaalii . (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Snaring young Roosters star Joseph Suaalii on a multimillion-dollar deal from 2025 was a cunning move by Rugby Australia’s head honchos – they not only signed a precocious talent but one who has pedigree in the sport.
Although he is only contracted for three years and he is not guaranteed to be a raging success on the field – Suaalii’s teammate Brandon Smith copped plenty of abuse for saying it’ll take more than that to bring down the All Blacks. The Kiwi hooker is not wrong.
And that’s the challenge now for Rugby Australia – building the Wallabies into an outfit that can realistically knock over the world’s best on a regular basis.
They need to be competitive annually, not just put up a strong run at the World Cup every four years.
As invigorating as an unlikely first Cup trophy since 1999 would be, its lustre will fade fast if rugby goes through another boom-bust cycle because they’ve overspent on NRL imports or they can’t replenish a golden generation.
That’s the challenge for Rugby Australia for everyone from the top down, not coming up with crackpot “look at me” ideas which are great for generating online clicks but do little to help the sport in the long run.
Spew_81
Roar Rookie
Part of it probably goes back to John O'Neill and Eddie Jones spending lots of money on league backs. Yes, some were decent rugby players. But the Wallabies never really had an issue with producing outside backs. O'Neill could've spent that money on setting up a third tier competition (it wouldn't have paid all of the cost, but would've been a far better long term investment). Rugby Australia seems to think that bringing league stars will make rugby more popular. It will a bit to start with; it might lure the odd new fan, or bring back the odd lapsed fan. But what makes rugby popular in Australia is beating New Zealand teams, especially the All Blacks. To do that consistently the Wallabies need better forwards, especially front rowers. If they wanted to avoid the complication of a third tier competition. They would've been better off set up a front row school. Developing Australian front rowers, also luring New Zealanders (who couldn't get in Super Rugby squads), and Pacific Islanders. Decent front rowers would've made the Wallabies far stronger. The expansion to four then five Super Rugby teams counterintuitively made things worse as the talent was spread too thin, weakening the quality of the teams; also spreading the money thinner so they couldn't afford their best players. Even the best Wallabies teams had just enough talent and it was the superstars that carried the rest. Losing some of the better players overseas was too much to bear.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Why doesn't rugby enter the league nine a side pre season comp...Winning that would gain good exposure and turn heads with its skills.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I guess I wanted a chairman who was ballsy enough to make the big calls but still represent what I view as the game's values. Actually, better yet, support a CEO firmly but quietly to make those ballsy calls. Perhaps it's not possible to get the guy with the nerve to take on the tough calls and still shut up when it makes sense to do so. We need a tough guy in the position of CEO. He needs to make it clear what he wants from his chairman and then be willing to rein him in when needed. He/she probably needs to not be an Australian - he/she needs to be seen to represent all of the constituencies equally as much as actually doing that, and Phil Waugh will be scrutinised every time he makes a call that could be perceived as favouring NSW even if it is the biggest rugby state.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
Now that’s the thing Nat. Real rugby people appreciate the complexities of a real scrum. Re-packs can be frustrating but you’ve got to take the good with the bad. I am also frustrated by the pro teams that think the scrum is an opportunity to win a penalty rather than restart the game. As a fullback, I really enjoy learning about and coaching the forwards and even though our 4th XV doesn’t get that many opportunities to compete in scrums, we still practise. Then there are the complexities of the line out. Let’s face it, it’s a thinking person’s game.
Nat
Roar Guru
League had powered scrums. They were as messy as the current union ones. As a league fan and former hooker I do get embarrassed by them but I understand from a spectacle POV they are many minutes of wasted time and not what the public are tuning in to watch.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Rugbytrylover perhaps just look to the past round and you will see the NRL is an over hyped overblown comp. All I hear is that Union is so unequal between NZ and Aus yet just look at the last round and you see that the NRL had a points difference average per match of 16.5 and Super rugby had a points difference per match of 9.33 so this fabled NRL is closer and SR is too unequal is a load of tripe. People are overhyped by the simple fact that NZ sides beat Aus sides but the simple facts, as demonstrated very simply, are that the NRL is a far less equal comp than the SR is. The simple fact is you get conned by the NRL hype machine. Thats where RA is failing and there are many other areas they are also failing but mouthing off pointlessly seems to be an Hamish and Eddie speciality.
Insideflickpass
Roar Rookie
Hamish the Lemon at it again
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Well said JD. Im hearing stuff but seeing nothing. Standard RA behaviour.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
What is it that the future of rugby is now stronger for Hamish doing?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
And where do you lay the blame for that incompetence Spew? EG NZ has had a NPC from day 1 of professionalism and that has, in the 28 or so years of professional rugby produced 200 players per year ( probably 50 new ones per year ) ready for SR and it has produces probably 50+ coaches, 200+ coach assistants, 50+ administrators and who knows how many fans. Sort their sh*7 out at RA and the benefit's definitely flow. And its so provable its almost insane that RA cant see it.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
The reason you are not set up to win is because of 20 years of total incompetence by your sports administrators AJ. An NRC started in 2000 and still going now would be producing 200 more players per year for SR, It would have probably produced 40 coaches and another 100 assistants in that time and probably 30 more administrators and 30 more refs. All tied to rugby. I can see the benefits and Im just little old me.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
AJ the 2019 WC was Australia's second most googled topic that year. Bush fires were topic number 1.
Aussie Jim
Roar Rookie
But we’re not set up to win as we’re constantly playing sides from the strongest rugby nation in the world. A news cycle outside of the games themselves won’t hurt. League thrives on exactly that.
Wig
Roar Rookie
the majority have been given poor results for a decade they should be yelling from the tree tops the minority are speaking up for ewes and you can't see it the majority somehow translate it to we are picking on you. Its really weak...people gotta man/woman up fast,I don't mind trying to point it out.
Wig
Roar Rookie
You have to think Hamish and eddie have been holding hands longer than people think
Wig
Roar Rookie
I would rather they be in the news for winning and being competitive jim. Focus should be all on that. Hence 2015 cup they were winning .
Colvin Brown
Roar Guru
The World Rugby member unions identified integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect as the defining character-building characteristics of rugby. These are collectively known as the World Rugby values. I would suspect we would like to see more of these from McLennan. Currently he doesn't give the impression he's a Rugby person.
Banjo Kelly
Roar Rookie
Peter V bagging the AFL and rugby, MCLennon bagging league …..it always says more abut the critic than the target. Besides it offends a good half of their own camp, as they are also fans of the other sport! I have always and always been a rugby man who is also a league fan. He clearly has business acumen but don’t start me in the name- dropping re: the Creightins and the condescending arrogance of the “spelling contest” remarks.
The World in Union
Roar Rookie
Joe, there could easily be as many "must be the only one" people (like you, me, Chester B, etc) as McLennan haters. If you are honest and that lowers people's opinion of you then those people aren't worth knowing. Here's what I posted on another article this morning where someone claimed that RA have not had a strategy this century: RA under McLennan do have a strategy. The issue is that many people don’t like it but that doesn’t mean there’s no strategy. The thing is we all have bias. RA’s poor record prior to McLennan, coupled with McLennan’s media antics, lead to many people seeing everything that RA do with a jaundiced eye. I’d like to think I’m objective but maybe I’m seeing things with rose tinted glasses except that I have no motive to do so. I agree with just about everything that RA/McLennan are doing to pull rugby back into relevance in Aus. It’s actually not easy to make this statement on the Roar but someone has to say it!
Spew_81
Roar Rookie
It always used to make me laugh at the looks on the scrum feeding teams faces when they lost a scrum. Bewilderment, shock, fear, anger etc.