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Messy Wednesday ends with temporary replacement appointed for Raelene Castle
Former Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels chief executive Rob Clarke has been appointed interim CEO of Rugby Australia. Clarke returns to Rugby Australia following two previous stints as chief operating officer, working under former chief executives Gary Flowers and Bill Pulver. A former Australian schoolboys representative, Clarke stepped out of rugby administration in mid-2017 after a decade serving in various senior leadership roles across the game and has since been running a consultancy business.
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It was April 23 when Raelene Castle was ousted as CEO, but Clarke said he has no intentions of pursuing the role on a permanent basis although he was honoured to be approached to lead the organisation for an interim period while it continues to address the COVID-19 crisis.
“I was sounded out by the chairman on my interest and availability to lead the organisation in a short-term capacity and I have accepted the role on that basis,” said Clarke. “From my perspective, the opportunity and the timing were right, especially while things are on hold with some of my other pursuits during this current pandemic.
“I have worked with Paul McLean and other directors previously at Rugby Australia, as well as a number of the senior management staff and will be able to commence the role immediately and hit the ground running, which is what is needed at this time.
“The game is facing some unprecedented challenges and like all rugby supporters and people working within the game, I want to see Australian rugby get through this and emerge on the other side with greater certainty and a positive outlook. That is a challenge that I am very willing to take on and that’s what the focus will be over the next few months while the board conducts its search for a permanent CEO. I will not be entering the process for the permanent role.”
RA's succession plan has suffered another jolt with the messy resignation of board member Peter Wiggs after an email exchange with the man many expected him to replace.https://t.co/eyMNbG4DKR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 6, 2020
Rugby Australia had earlier suffered further upheaval on Wednesday with the messy resignation of board member Peter Wiggs. Touted as RA’s next chairman since his arrival in March, Wiggs had been pushing for Australian Olympic committee boss Matt Carroll to immediately succeed the departed Castle.
However, fellow board members pushed back on Wiggs’ hasty plans that would have skipped any formal recruitment or interview process and they instead opted to back Clarke on an interim basis. Rugby Australia chairman Paul McLean said: “Rob is an extremely capable and experienced leader who has vast experience in rugby and his immediate availability has enabled us to secure his expertise for an interim period while we conduct a comprehensive search for the next CEO.
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“Rob’s primary role will be to lead the management team and to implement the board’s restructure plans while our work continues to get rugby back on the field at both the community and professional levels.
“Our absolute priority is to get the game back up and running across the country and supporting our community so that the game is in the best position to move forward from this current period of uncertainty in a position of good health. We believe Rob is the right person to enable us to achieve those objectives.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
1 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
21 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
21 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments