Rugby News: Ex-PM says RA has succumbed to 'moral blackmail' after 'regrettable' Voice stance revealed

Rugby Australia has announced it is backing the Indigenous Voice to parliament on Thursday, saying it’s time for a “level playing field” for First Nations people.

But the decision has been slammed on social media by former rugby playing ex-Prime Minister Tony Abbott who said Rugby Australia “should have known better” than come out in support of a yes vote at the referdendum.

Abbott took to social media on Thursday to criticise the RA decision.

The RA board has formalised its position on the issue, which will be the subject of a referendum later this year.

“The Voice is not about division. It’s about union,” RA said in the statement.

The RA board has been working on a formal position for several months, while it’s understood there was some internal pressure to take a neutral stance.

All four football codes in Australia have publicly backed the yes vote, but Abbott saved his ire for rugby union.

Former Wallabies captain David Pocock had said he would have been shocked if Rugby Australia didn’t endorse the ‘yes’ campaign before the Indigenous Voice referendum, rubbishing claims that politics shouldn’t play a part in sport.

ACT Brumbies chairman Matthew Nobbs had announced his board has unanimously agreed not to back either side of the debate.

The NRL and Australian Olympic Committee have announced they support the voice to parliament, and the AFL is expected to follow suit.

Cricket Australia and Netball Australia are still formulating a position.

Former Brumby Pocock, now an independent senator for the ACT and a supporter of the voice, said suggestions that sport didn’t have a hand to play in social issues ignored history.

“Given RA’s leadership on tackling homophobia, being the first football code to have an inclusion policy, then their support of marriage equality, I’d be very surprised if they don’t support the voice,” Pocock told AAP.

“Players and fans have loved including a Welcome to Country before Test matches and playing in the Wallabies’ Indigenous jersey.

“There’s a long history of sport playing a role in social change, a history of sport having an active role in these conversations and challenging society to think about issues.

“The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a generous offer to all Australians that I’d encourage everyone to read and learn more about.

“We have an opportunity to take up that offer in the referendum and move forward together as a country.”

The 78-cap Wallaby was responding to Nobbs, who said earlier on Tuesday he would encourage RA not to take any position.

“It was agreed unanimously by our board that we don’t think politics should play a part in sport and it’s an individual’s preference,” Nobbs told the Nine newspapers.

“There’s no way in the world that we would muzzle our players.

“They will be free to express themselves as they wish, but we do not believe it is the Brumbies’ role to support a position.”

Pocock never shied away from a political stance in his playing days.

An environmental activist, he chained himself to a digger at a coal mine in 2014. 

And Pocock and his wife didn’t marry until same-sex unions were legal in Australia.

In 2015 Pocock famously called out a Waratahs opponent for using homophobic slurs in a match against the Brumbies.

Marky Mark extends deal

Wallabies and Waratahs winger Mark Nawaqanitawase has extended his contract with the Tahs but admits he could be tempted elsewhere from 2025.

The 22-year-old, who played the final three Tests of last year and was part of Eddie Jones’ first squad, has signed until the end of 2024 – confirming The Roar’s exclusive story from two months ago..

He scored his first tries in gold in the final Test of the year, crossing twice in the Wallabies’ come-from-behind victory over Wales.

This season, Nawaqanitawase leads the Waratahs in run metres, tackle breaks, offloads, and carries, demonstrating his all-around ability on the field.

Mark Nawaqanitawase (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)

Nawaqanitawase said in a statement: “I’m really happy to re-sign with the Waratahs and Australian Rugby.

“This is where I started my Rugby journey, and I’m proud to continue representing my state and the Wallabies.

“We’ve got a great group of players and coaches both here and in the national set up, and I’m looking forward to playing my part in the success of both teams in the future.”

But Nawaqanitawase told the Sydney Morning Herald he would have preferred a longer deal.

“I would have liked more; I’d love to stay here as long as I can,” Nawaqanitawase said. “With certain circumstances, we had to agree on something. The one-year [deal] was the best thing at the time.

“Hopefully [I can] win a Super Rugby title with the Tahs and hopefully win a World Cup.

“In a perfect world I’d like to stay [in rugby], but there’s always a but. There’s obviously other things out there that might interest me.”

The winger told the Herald he would consider playing overseas or a swith to rugby league but for now was happy being at “home”.

Wallabies Head Coach Eddie Jones said: “Mark was impressive in his games for the Wallabies in Europe, but it is a new season in 2023 and he has to earn his position back in the squad.

“He is fast and strong and he scores some spectacular tries, but he’s at his best when he’s doing the hard yards for his team and working off the ball.”

NSW Waratahs Head Coach, Darren Coleman, added: “Mark is an exceptional talent who has come through the NSW Rugby pathways and we’re thrilled that he has decided to continue his development with us.”

“He’s an electric attacking player who has already made a significant impact at the highest levels of the game. We’re excited to see what he can achieve in the future.”

Force star has Wallabies aim

Halfback Issak Fines-Leleiwasa has set his sights on becoming a World Cup Wallaby in 2027 after re-signing with the Western Force.

Fines-Leleiwasa, Bayley Kuenzle, and injured playmaker Reesjan Pasitoa all penned new two-year deals with the Force on Wednesday, tying them to the Super Rugby Pacific club until the end of 2025.

The impending arrival of Wallabies halfback Nic White on a two-year deal means Fines-Leleiwasa faces the real prospect of being relegated to the bench for a large chunk of games next season.

But the 27-year-old is embracing White’s arrival, and has the 2027 World Cup in Australia in the back of his mind as well.

“There is a lot of chat around Australian Rugby, and it’s an exciting time to be here playing,” Fines-Leleiwasa said.

“Part of my goal is to stick around and see what happens. I’d love to represent my country one day, and to do it as a Western Force player would be unreal.”

Force coach Simon Cron described Fines-Leleiwasa as a “brilliant team man”, and he wants the speedster to achieve his dreams.

“We want him to become an international player,” Cron said.

“He is tough, strong and, overall a great human who we know has the talent.”

Pasitoa has been ruled out for the entire Super Rugby season after tearing his ACL a year ago.

But the Force are confident the 21-year-old will form a key part of the side next season.

“He’s a beast for a fly-half; there aren’t many 100kg fly-halves going around,” Cron said of Pasitoa, who also harbours dreams of representing the Wallabies.

“He’s got real talent, so we have to nurture that for him to be successful here at the Force.”

Kuenzle, who is currently sidelined by a hamstring injury, has become a key part of the side this season.

“I want to keep building towards my goal of playing for the Wallabies and winning a Super Rugby title, so being here under Crono is where I need to be,” Kuenzle said.

The eighth-placed Force will be aiming to make it two wins on the trot when they host the Brumbies at HBF Park on Saturday night.

Smart ball tech on trial

New smart ball technology will be trialled at next month’s under-20 Rugby World Championship to help officials rule on tries, ball in touch, lineout trajectory and forward passes.

World Rugby is working with analytics company Sportable and equipment manufacturer Gilbert at the event in South Africa to “explore how the emergence of new technology and artificial intelligence can help shape the future of the sport, aid the flow of the game and take fan experience to the next level.”

The idea of the new ball tracking system is to help officials make accurate decisions more quickly and deal with a number of common but challenging aspects of law.

The smart ball is tracked in 3D and real-time with beacons positioned around the pitch to determine its exact position up to 20 times per second and provide immediate feedback on every kick, pass and throw.

A direct feed will be made available to the Television Match Official, who will be able to use the information to provide feedback to the referee.

World Rugby says the smart ball is already successfully delivering data to aid broadcast and digital experiences but that recent testing has also demonstrated its potential to assist with officiating.

“A fast game is a good game, and it is right that we explore technology that has the potential to help aid the flow of the game, reduce stoppage time and speed up match official decision-making,” World Rugby Director of Rugby Phil Davies said.

“Rugby refereeing is perhaps the most difficult officiating job in sport. There are multiple decisions or non-decisions that are made at any given moment and the advancement of broadcast and social media means that such decisions are poured over long after the event.

“The evolution of smart ball technology opens the door to assist match officials in reaching accurate decisions more quickly, removing subjectivity and reducing the chance of error. While this is a trial and the technology is new, we are excited about its potential and look forward to seeing it in action.”

(With AAP)