'It's a huge opportunity': Why Australian rugby's newest chief executive took charge of the struggling Waratahs
New NSW Rugby Union CEO Paul Doorn says he’s stepping into the role with his eyes wide open, with the Waratahs and Australian rugby battling negative perceptions in a competitive sporting marketplace.
Doorn, who starts on Wednesday, had contact with his predecessor Andrew Hore in his previous job as CEO of Venues NSW.
He adds to a revamped set up for NSW, with the Waratahs also having a new coach and captain and playing roster.
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The Waratahs have made their worst start to a Super Rugby season, losing their first three games.
With Australian rugby in general struggling to make an impact, Doorn has had plenty of people ask him why he chose to get involved at such a challenging time.
“I’ve had a few people say the same thing to me, but it’s a fantastic opportunity.,” Doorn said.
“When you think about the the Waratahs brand representing the state, I’ve come from a job in which I’ve been proactively promoting state-owned assets for a while
“To take on a challenge – and it is a challenge – to look for the best out of what the game can bring to people, I think it’s a huge opportunity.”
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Doorn has already had a couple of conversations with Waratahs coach Rob Penney and spoken to others in the rugby community.
“I did my due diligence talking to ex-players ex-officials, board members,” he said.
“I had a relationship with Andrew (Hore) the last couple of years through his work when they (the Waratahs) came out and played out at Bankwest, so I’ve come in with eyes wide open…”
One early challenge for Doorn is trying to reverse the trend of declining attendances, with the Tahs drawing their lowest-ever Super Rugby crowd for their last home game in Newcastle.
The nomadic Tahs home games this year are spread across Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, and Tamworth, while their stadium is being rebuilt.
‘I know this year we’re playing six different home game (venues) which is a disadvantage,” Doorn said.
“But also a huge opportunity to engage with a whole new set of markets that perhaps we haven’t done, or haven’t done as regularly as we have in the past.”
– AAP
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Not sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
225 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
225 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to comments