'I personally think we should have had the 'Oh Jesus' moment after the 2007 World Cup'
The 10 former Wallabies captains who pushed for Raelene Castle’s resignation are confident they can now help return Australian rugby to its glory days.
Led by 1991 World Cup-winning skipper Nick Farr-Jones, the captains are proposing the establishment of an Australian Rugby Review board to dissect the next governance model as well as every other aspect of the game.
Stirling Mortlock, one of the other nine ex-Wallabies captains who signed a letter sent this week to Rugby Australia calling for a leadership change, believes the need for a total overhaul has been 13 years coming.
“I personally think we should have had the ‘Oh Jesus’ moment after the 2007 World Cup – just like New Zealand did,” Mortlock told AAP.
“New Zealand used the 2007 experience (of also being eliminated in the quarter-finals by France) to create alignment throughout their whole rugby system.
“Unfortunately we didn’t.
“But we are now buoyed that all stakehold ers are ready to work together in a transparent and open manner to get a solution that’s going to be in the best interests of Australian rugby.”
The disgruntled former captains hope the healing and “reinvention” can begin immediately.
“Effectively what we are all going for is using this as an opportunity to have a clean slate and part of that is reconnecting the professional part of the game to the grassroots, the amateur game, so we’re totally as one,” Mortlock said on Friday.
“Unfortunately for a long period of time, the grassroots – the clubs, the school games, which are the foundations of our game – have been totally neglected.
“So the key for us is collaboration, transparency, trust and open communication with all stakeholders – that’s RUPA, all the member unions, Rugby Australia and everyone coming together to have input into using this as an opportunity to get things right for our game.”
Mortlock acknowledged the group of captains – which also includes George Gregan, George Smith, Simon Poidevin, Stephen Moore, Jason Little, Rod McCall, Nathan Sharpe and Phil Kearns – didn’t have all the answers.
But they share a collective burning desire to find the solution through the creation of the Australian Rugby Review board.
It’s understood the independently chaired think-tank panel would consist of delegates from all stakeholders in Australian rugby.
“So it will be quite a big board but they will be tasked with overhauling both the governance structure and every facet of the game,” said Mortlock, who rejected the notion that Farr-Jones was the orchestrator behind the captains’ call to overthrow Castle.
“The reality is there’s been a lot of us talking behind the scenes for a long period of time.
“I think we all have a view on some forms of the solution but this is not about (immediate) solutions.
“It’s about empowering fresh thinking from all the member unions and all the stakeholders to basically use this as an opportunity to get it right.”
Mortlock said now was not the time to play the blame game for Australian rugby’s disconnection with fans and the Wallabies’ slide to seventh in the world rankings, but rather a chance to move forward and repair the damage.
He said it would be cruel to single out Castle for criticism.
“This is not a witch hunt, this is not about individuals,” he said.
“It’s about transformational change that we can put into our game for the greater good and making rugby great again in Australia.”
– AAP
Comments on RugbyPass
The shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
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