Roar Rookie
Joined March 2021
46.6k
Views
15
Published
2.3k
Comments
Published
Comments
Australian rugby has had a rocky ride in the last few months (years perhaps, decades even) but let’s not dwell on that. Instead, let’s…
Harry Kimble had a thing for hats. He wore more than a few during his time in rugby as a ball boy, player, ref,…
Australians as a people tend towards a sunny outlook. At least that’s the popular perception. Yet for some reason, rugby in these parts seems…
It has to be a record. Not even three days after Australia was announced as the host of not one but two Rugby World…
Could there possibly be a more treacherous (some might say suicidal) rugby mission than to set up shop in the most rabid AFL city…
If we've heard it once, we've heard it a thousand times: Australian Super Rugby teams are just a no-good sorry bunch, losing 92 per…
At this time of year, everyone has their own rugby wish list. Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie’s list would no doubt begin and end…
Samu Kerevi said it best a couple of years back, with his memorable promise to “learn the learnings”, and – after a 2021 season…
“Age and treachery will triumph over youth and exuberance” was the encouraging message on a birthday card purchased recently for an older family member.…
The Wallabies right now resemble a golden retriever puppy – good-natured, full of energy and easy to like despite the occasional accident on the…
Numbers tell a story but not always the full story or the most important, and they don’t always get to the heart of the…
It’s the question that just won’t go away: should Australian rugby’s overseas contingent be eligible to play for the Wallabies? The argument fired up…
Like any respectable rugby tragic, I’ve spent the past few years scouring articles, listening to pods and indulging the experts who all claim to…
How much is too much when it comes to Test rugby? Rugby hasn’t always been good at getting its offering right. However, with Rugby…
A week is a long time in rugby. This time last week I started to draft an outline of the key things I thought…
Congrats on putting this together in just a few short hours, Geoff. It feels like a brave new world that we’re embarking on, with plenty of unknowns. But strangely, I feel we’ve never been more united — at least around what we don’t want!
ANALYSIS: McLennan's fatal blind spot, and why his exit leaves Australian rugby in a better place and a worse one
Let’s also ensure the focus is balanced between community and elite rugby.
'What a shame': McLennan GONE as Rugby Australia name World Cup-winner chairman to bookend wild year
Lucinda will surely have something to say about this!
'What a shame': McLennan GONE as Rugby Australia name World Cup-winner chairman to bookend wild year
Is he gone from the board entirely? Or has he just lost the chair position to Herbert?
'What a shame': McLennan GONE as Rugby Australia name World Cup-winner chairman to bookend wild year
No one’s expecting perfection or an immediate turnaround of our rugby fortunes. But we do expect good governance, with due diligence carried out over major decisions, accountability, responsible financial management, collaboration, respectful public commentary and a high level of maturity and emotional intelligence.
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
Believe he’s unacceptable to most stakeholders in NSW too.
States not RA the issue Australian rugby is facing as Wallabies great calls on reform measures to be backed
Really?
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
Agree the Stan deal isn’t great. No doubt the best RA could do in the circumstances but, by lowballing RA, Stan has made it impossible for RA and the Super clubs to deliver and sustain competitive teams. Stan’s done a great job with the rugby offering and production in the main but they need to up the cash by at least $10 million.
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
Yup, they’ll be urging him to depart so the contagion doesn’t spread.
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
Not at all. The WA Rugby board is independent of the Forrests.
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
Everyone wants a stable base to launch from but that’s not an option while disruptors are running things on and off the field. Let’s get the right people in, recommit to our values, set out a plan and then work bloody hard to achieve it. The chair doesn’t have to be a bold visionary, just strong on strategy and governance to support RA’s goals. Paul McLean struck me as thoughtful, wise and decent when he was temporary chair in 2020.
States not RA the issue Australian rugby is facing as Wallabies great calls on reform measures to be backed
There was no rugby when Castle resigned due to Covid. Just about every business was struggling. To put the record straight, under Pulver, the Fox deal was 57M but the next deal was always going to be less due to Foxtel subscriptions suffering under the weight of competition from new streaming services. Fox offered 20M, which rightly was turned down and RA went to the market, with expectations Optus/Ten would offer 30+ and hopes that Fox would return to negotiations. That didn’t happen due to Covid, and the new administration did the deal with Stan/Nine.
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
😂
'No longer have any trust or faith': Rugby Australia chairman told to resign by SIX states, EGM looms with 'gloves off'
$30 mill might not quite compensate for the damage he’s done this year but community rugby could still do a lot with that!
'No longer have any trust or faith': Rugby Australia chairman told to resign by SIX states, EGM looms with 'gloves off'
Feeling your pain! I used to think NFJ had awesomely good judgement. He’s since proven to be horribly human. 😢
States not RA the issue Australian rugby is facing as Wallabies great calls on reform measures to be backed
The rebels seem to be in the majority!
States not RA the issue Australian rugby is facing as Wallabies great calls on reform measures to be backed
Fox and News were saying 40M, everyone else 20. She was expecting Optus to offer 30 with more FTA but then Covid struck. The new administration got about that from Stan/Nine.
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
I assume the board are meeting to draft a statement giving him their ‘full support’.
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
It’s the Eddie Jones playbook … distraction and diversion. The RWC debacle was because of the system (not because I threw a bunch of pre-schoolers out on the field with inadequate prep and tactics). Now McLennan … it’s nothing to do with being incompetent, the states just want to ruin my centralisation plans! Shame that Kearns is taking sides.
States not RA the issue Australian rugby is facing as Wallabies great calls on reform measures to be backed
Hamish is probably waiting for Lucinda’s okay to step down. After all, she was the one who told him to step up in the first place. Hamish, for rugby’s sake, put your big boy pants on and get on with it!
'No longer have any trust or faith': Rugby Australia chairman told to resign by SIX states, EGM looms with 'gloves off'
Sukkar is co-founder and principal of Buildcorp (big rugby sponsor), chair of Aus Sports Commission and close ties with Sydney Uni. Influential behind the scenes and has lobbied hard for women’s rugby.
'No longer have any trust or faith': Rugby Australia chairman told to resign by SIX states, EGM looms with 'gloves off'
That’s it. Whether you supported McLennan’s recruitment of Jones or not, no one could have predicted it would blow up so quickly and spectacularly. But I think absolutely anyone in touch with reality would have foreseen that his provoking of V’landys and comments like ‘Kumbaya’, ‘whatever he (Jones) wants’, ‘don’t watch then’, ‘five Joseph Sua’ali’is’ and ‘no regrets’ would go down like a lead balloon. They’re the words of someone who has no idea of good governance or rugby’s values, can’t read the room, disrespects players and supporters and is unwilling to learn from mistakes. Not leadership material.
'No longer have any trust or faith': Rugby Australia chairman told to resign by SIX states, EGM looms with 'gloves off'
The problem is that McLennan doesn’t do ‘quiet’. From the way Phil Waugh’s been distancing himself from McLennan in the last few weeks, I’d say he (and probably other board members) have privately urged McLennan to step aside and been rebuffed. So the provinces have had to give him an ultimatum.
'No longer have any trust or faith': Rugby Australia chairman told to resign by SIX states, EGM looms with 'gloves off'
We’ve just seen the atrocious results of a random collection of coaching parts coming together during Eddie Jones’ recent tenure. I’d much prefer to see applications from cohesive coaching teams with history and experience together, and a complementary skill set.
The only way is up, baby - What the next Wallabies coaching setup should look like
1. Where did you get the info that NSW Rugby supported McLennan?
2. Herbert is an interim chair. He had eight years in admin/management roles at QRU so not insubstantial. Pretty sure Waugh was also on the Waratahs board during his playing days. Let’s give them a chance.
'What a shame': McLennan GONE as Rugby Australia name World Cup-winner chairman to bookend wild year