As Rugby Australia celebrated the NSW Waratahs formally jumping on board their “integrated” ticket, the governing body said they won’t rush to name a replacement for Eddie Jones as Wallabies coach.
Yet, as RA chief executive Phil Waugh once again attempted to ease fears of mismanagement and hostile takeovers by way of asking his stakeholders to trust the governing body, the fact there are so many plates spinning is doing little to allay fears following one of the worst years in Australian rugby history.
Indeed, as RA attempts to usher through reform measures, including the move to an aligned system, the national body is without a head coach – or the person the coach will report to.
That appointment is not likely to occur any time soon, with the national body intent on naming a new head of director of high-performance by Christmas before moving onto choosing Jones’ replacement.
Waugh was reluctant to “commit to a timeline” but told reporters that the director of high-performance would be in place to oversee the process of finding the next Wallabies coach.
Taniela Tupou takes a photograph during the Wallabies Official Rugby World Cup Welcome Ceremony ahead of the Rugby World Cup on September 01, 2023 in Saint-Etienne. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
“That Wallaby coach and Wallaby environment will report to the director of high performance within that domain and we’ll be really clear on structure and perimeter,” Waugh said.
“I’m less concerned around the timeline of [naming the Wallabies coach]. I think it’s about getting the best candidate for head coach and the best candidate for head coach also brings a really strong assistant coaching team and structure around them.
“It’s not just around the head coach, the head coach is critical, but how to get the best people in the director of high-performance role, as well as the head coach, to attract the best talent around the world to come and coach the national team.
“I know a lot of focus goes on the head coach, but the head coach needs to be able to create a culture but also attract the best possible talent to come through within the environment.”
But the fact that RA is still weeks away from naming the new director of high performance and potentially months away from naming the new head coach is doing little to help promote the governing body’s integration push.
It’s not just the absence of key figures at the top of the Wallabies tree that is concerning the Super Rugby franchises, but the lack of detail across RA’s entire plan to move to a system where the governing body oversees the high-performance and commercial portfolios across the entire professional arm of rugby in the country.
In principle, all five Super Rugby franchises, including the Brumbies and Reds, agree that greater alignment with regards to high performance is essential.
Under the proposed plan, RA would oversee an aligned high-performance structure, which will involve all players, coaches and rugby staff contracted by the national body and overseen by the new director.
While Super Rugby franchises would still be consulted in the decision-making of contracted figures at each team, the construct of the board would be swayed more heavily to RA.
That would extend to steering certain players to other franchises it is was deemed in the interest of the men’s or women’s national teams.
“We’d be working with RUPA [Rugby Union Players’ Association], it’s still got to be what the player wants and where they want to play, but ideally you’re … selecting players in squads that’s going to be in the best interest of the national team,” Waugh said.
Where the Brumbies still have issues with RA’s leadership is the lack of detail regarding who is running the programs and how they work.
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh speaks to the media in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
With noise that RA is entertaining returning to four Super Rugby franchises despite Waugh’s “commitment to five”, the Brumbies also want to ensure their own future in Canberra is safe.
Waugh moved to address those fears, saying the Brumbies’ future in the nation’s capital was secure.
“We’ve already given that guarantee,” Waugh said.
“That’s already been committed to the Brumbies and I’ve got a really close relationship with the chair Matt Nobbs and Phil Thompson, the CEO, and we’re making good progress.”
The Roar has been told the Brumbies are waiting for that commitment to be put in writing.
Waugh once again said it was vital RA continue to build trust with its stakeholders to ensure they could get their reform measures across the line.
“We need to build that trust and trust doesn’t happen overnight,” he said.
“This is the first step. What’s really important, and I’ve talked a lot about this, is actually just connection and unity.
“Right now, it’s more important than ever for the whole game to come together for the game of rugby in Australia and I think it’s been a really sensible approach and discussions with New South Wales rugby to be the first Super Rugby club.
“We need to build that trust and we’re the first ones to put up our hands and say we need to put the right capability into RA to actually drive this system. But most importantly, we need to have that influence and leverage to employ those people, and so it’s a really important step today.”
Asked whether RA could develop that trust with chairman Hamish McLennan on board, Waugh said the national board was making strong progress despite the tough year on the field.
“That’s not for me to answer as CEO. We’ve got the appropriate governance around the game and I think this is a really good step forward,” he said.
“We’re making good progress across the strategic direction.”
Waratahs chief executive Paul Doorn said it wasn’t so much of a leap of faith, but a necessity to hand over control to RA.
But even he admitted there was still much left to nut out.
“Not that I want to talk in metaphors today, but the old saying [is] ‘if you build it, they will come.’ Look, we do believe that the structure will follow the strategy,” said Doorn, sitting alongside Waugh at Tuesday’s announcement.
“I don’t think it’s actually that big a leap of faith.
“From our perspective, we think we have trust in Rugby Australia. I think Phil’s demonstrated to us that there is a plan. We’re working through exactly what that looks like for our club. And we’re hopeful that by working together, we’re going to get a much better outcome than five clubs working separately.”
NSW Waratahs CEO Paul Doorn and Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh together following their historic announcement at Daceyville on November 14, 2023 in Sydney. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Doorn acknowledged the entire rugby community was struggling financially, but said their decision to hand over the keys to RA wasn’t down to being insolvent.
“I mean, the drain on resources is one way to look at it. But our goal as a consolidated entity is to try to pump as much money into community rugby as we possibly can,” he said.
“If you think about this particular proposal, we actually get to ring-fence New South Wales Rugby so it gets to focus solely on the community game.
“Last year, we spent $6 million on developing the game in New South Wales.
“From a professional perspective, moving back into the new stadium, there’s no doubt about it, we would have loved to have had a larger crowd, which impacts our financials, but I certainly wouldn’t use the language, “financial brink” – we’ve just said there’s definitely been some strong headwinds in that space and we just got to be sensible about how we deal with it.”
Nor did Doorn believe RA was attempting a takeover of the states.
“I guess from our perspective, it hasn’t felt like it’s been a takeover,” he said.
“We’ve sat down from the very beginning, worked through the strategy, worked through what the implications were and then I think, again, in good faith and good trust, we’ve actually got to a point where both parties should be pretty happy with the way we’re going to move forward. So it hasn’t felt like a takeover from our perspective.”
Waugh agreed: “Well, we don’t see it as a takeover, we see it as integration and partnership and alignment and I think some of those concerns around the location of the Brumbies and the commercial elements are seen as a takeover, but we don’t see it like that. At the end of the day, our member unions and the community own rugby, not Rugby Australia.”
jeznez
Roar Guru
Tahs certainly have. Multiple times the last few years. Biggest reported crowd for an Oz team last year was 14.5k . Most not reported because the numbers are tiny. . https://www.austadiums.com/sport/comp/super-rugby/results
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
The Reds and Tahs never got as low as 4k crowd
jeznez
Roar Guru
Our stronger sides used to get 25K to a match on a regular basis, more for big games. Now they are lucky to get between 4-7K. Seems most people don't like what we have.
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
I'd much rather what we have then what Argentina have. Which is pretty much what would happen to us if we left SRP
jeznez
Roar Guru
I am so bored of finding out who the Crusaders are going to beat each year. Oz teams losing 80% of matches vs NZ opposition. The game going bankrupt as we pay beyond our means to keep players onshore just to manage that 20% win rate. There is a better way.
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
exactly. just don't do it. Stick with Super Rugby. Make it proper Home and away season. send a development team on a traditional old school end of season tour. mix it up each year. one year to Africa, another to south America another to Italy, Georgia, France and another to the British and Irish isle.
Hughi
Roar Rookie
Look Rocky they did, it’s in the bottom draw with the other reports now is not the time to start being sensible they have a new report to put in the draw soon, and then buy some more league players. I hope they get some wingers we could do with more wingers. After that, they should see if they can get Eddie back as it would probably put Union on the front pages in Australia.
Jezdexter
Roar Rookie
There's a few bits in this, The Brumbies part is obviously a concern because if RA decide to move them out of Canberra that would be a massive blow to the community game in the ACT and Southern NSW. Why do you think they're so adamant about remaining in Canberra? The reason the Reds would end up paying to improve the Tahs (as an example) is that the likelihood of equal salary shares across the unions is low, NSW and QLD being most likely fed the lions share of players - not unfair given they produce the lions share of players, but leaving the other 3 teams operating on (making up numbers, because nobody knows the answer) probably 1+ million dollars less of salary. The Reds are profitable at the moment, sure they haven't always been but right now they're doing well financially where other sides aren't. So money that the Reds would have been putting into Queensland Rugby to produce players and pathways would end up going to NSW, ACT, WA and Melbourne to prop up the professional game. My judgement of RA's ability to manage finances is that we would see more money in the professional game and less in the community game which is exactly the opposite of where dollars need to be spent to build long term success. Centralisation needs to be done in a way that develops the underpinnings of the current system. Not done in a way that brings an even greater top down approach. Sure, I'm jumping to conclusions. Everyone is. Until RA actually tell people what the plan is, which from all reports including NSWRU speaking after they agreed, there isn't a plan yet, there's only one way to reach any conclusion. That's to jump.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
Jez, I don't know what the plan is, but I would expect if RA is collecting all the money, they would need to pay the States for the community game. Interesting the Brumbies haven't mentioned this as a concern, it is more about staying in Canberra. It seems like there is alot of jumping to conclusions. For example why would the Reds be paying to improve the Tahs? And if the Reds do pay for the Tahs and Brumbies (as examples only) to be improved is that a bad thing (assuming the Reds also improve)? Isn't that the whole idea of centralising, that all teams (and pathways) are improved.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
Just because Phil Waugh hasn't written an article on the Roar doesn't mean they don't have a plan they are talking about with the franchises.
Jezdexter
Roar Rookie
Ok, to some degree a fair point, but can you let me know how the clubs will fund the community game if they have no income? Because RA haven't explained that part at all. IMO the centralisation of contracts and high performance needs to happen, clubs should then be sending the money to meet the salaries to RA if the pay is coming down to everyone from them but giving RA all the money and total ownership would crush the community game, there's very little chance most unions would see enough to actually support the game. I'd also be questioning the RA top ups and salary cap if RA have total control because if RA is paying everyone then no need for top ups outside the cap. Would all teams get an equal share of the players by salary? Doubtful. So teams like the Reds who actually earn money would be seeing that money spent on improving the Waratahs while the Perth and Canberra club competitions die without any money going in.
rusty
Roar Rookie
Where have all the smart guys gone?
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
NSW have a lot going on with 7 NRL teams and all their “Shute Shield is the best rugby comp in the world” BS. If the Tahs are not dominating week in week out their fans will stay home. QLD seem to get the rusted on crew every week but those will also be boosted with some better results. The biggest issue super rugby has for fans is that the season is too short and the top 8 finals is a joke. A couple of early losses can be the end of your season and the only saving grace is the participation trophy of everyone gets a shot at the finals. The season needs to be a full home and away season with top 6 only going into finals.
graymatter
Roar Rookie
Phil, You must surely be taking the proverbial piss! The franchises aren't tasked with coming forward with options. Thats what those bludgers at RA are paid to do! If I was running the franchises I would want to know what I was being asked to commit to? Additionally do you think RA has gone to a franchise like the Brumbies and asked them about their development programs or how they are engaging the community? As far as I can tell so far all RA and their mouthpieces are offering is plattitudes and justifications for their own existance!
graymatter
Roar Rookie
"Well, we don’t see it as a takeover, we see it as integration and partnership and alignment and I think some of those concerns around the location of the Brumbies and the commercial elements are seen as a takeover, but we don’t see it like that. At the end of the day, our member unions and the community own rugby, not Rugby Australia.” What a load of codswallop. What it actually means is the NSW Establishment is conducting a reverse take-over! Just watch the installation of NSW hacks into now "national" roles led by Waugh and the Hamster. The only real reform can come with the dismantling of the current establishment and then the agreement to a national oversight body to construct a new charter, with equal representation from all states and territories players, coaches and administrators. In addition a strong representation of grassroots club rugby and Schools Rugby and junior development should also have positions on the board.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
I agree mate. Melbourne has to capitalize on their squad particularly having Taniela. If they can’t drum 7-8k average this season with Nela in team, they never will. Force you’re dead right, people want to support them and usually do but we need better results this year. Tahs and Reds I am just a bit unsure as I’ve never been to games there.
AndyS
Roar Rookie
Yep, anything they write has only ever been written on toilet paper.
jeznez
Roar Guru
That one didn’t age well! Fair point though. Even in writing who would trust them?
AndyS
Roar Rookie
Wasn't talking about the sixth team, was referring to the idea of "...start with 6 teams, and grow the amount of teams". Adding teams is and has never been as easy as just saying it. My money would very firmly be that they would start with six, and never have any more - if anything, they might be lucky to sustain that. Everything would restructure itself about six teams, and that'll be it. Just as happened around three teams, and 18 years later people are still trying to push back towards that.
AndyS
Roar Rookie
What, something really positive like sticking it in the five year plan...? :laughing: https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/04/12/22/08/aru-committed-to-expansion