Australian Rugby / RA
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mst
Peter Johnson (47)
Buried neatly under $110mil+ worth of apartments in Griffith.
Forceright
Allen Oxlade (6)
Rugby Australia email leak calls Western Force decision into question
Nick Taylor, PerthNow
November 26, 2017 10:41AM
RUGBY Australia was brokering a deal to save the Melbourne Rebels two months before the decision to axe Western Force from Super Rugby was announced.
A confidential email from chief executive Bill Pulver shows he was discussing the deal to transfer the Rebels licence from businessman Andrew Cox to the Victorian Rugby Union in June this year.
Pulver denied any involvement in the subsequent transfer of the Rebels licence.
“I was not involved in any way with the transfer of licence back to VRU. I was taken by surprise when it happened. I am not sure what email you are referring to,” he said.
The email, leaked to Seven West Media, was sent from Pulver to Cox and other RA management. Among key terms was that (foundation Rebels directors) Lyndsey Cattermole and Bob Dalziel would repay creditors to ensure the club was “debt-free”.
That allowed the “put option”, used to transfer the licence from Cox’s Imperium Group to the VRU on August 4 when they bought 11,625,000 shares for $1.
RA claimed it was blindsided when news of the sale leaked and said it had to approve any transfer or sale of ownership.
Pulver stated in the June 28 email that another term of the deal was that: “Imperium exercises the put option to the VRU such that the VRU becomes the sole shareholder of the Rebels.”
He told the senate inquiry into the future of rugby in September: “In fact, at the 12th hour minor shareholders within the Melbourne Rebels came forward with incremental capital to prop up the enterprise, which removed it from the prospect of insolvency.
“Those two (Force and Rebels) were both live right up until the final decision.”
Western Force members and supporters were devastated by the decision.
Western Force members and supporters were devastated by the decision.Picture: Nic Ellis
RA chairman Cameron Clyne told the inquiry last month: “I have said there was a very real option that both teams were being considered right through until August.”
The email relates to a finding from the inquiry: “Confidential evidence shows the ARU were directly involved in the execution of the transfer of the Melbourne Rebels’ licence from Imperium to VRU.
“The committee understands these negotiations were well under way by June 2017.”
The committee also said it had: “... been made aware that the ARU suggested Imperium exercise a put option and were involved in negotiations which cleared Melbourne Rebels debt thereby allowing the put option to the Victorian Rugby Union to be exercised.
“These events took place in June 2017 and effectively made it impossible to end their licence.”
Nick Taylor, PerthNow
November 26, 2017 10:41AM
RUGBY Australia was brokering a deal to save the Melbourne Rebels two months before the decision to axe Western Force from Super Rugby was announced.
A confidential email from chief executive Bill Pulver shows he was discussing the deal to transfer the Rebels licence from businessman Andrew Cox to the Victorian Rugby Union in June this year.
Pulver denied any involvement in the subsequent transfer of the Rebels licence.
“I was not involved in any way with the transfer of licence back to VRU. I was taken by surprise when it happened. I am not sure what email you are referring to,” he said.
The email, leaked to Seven West Media, was sent from Pulver to Cox and other RA management. Among key terms was that (foundation Rebels directors) Lyndsey Cattermole and Bob Dalziel would repay creditors to ensure the club was “debt-free”.
That allowed the “put option”, used to transfer the licence from Cox’s Imperium Group to the VRU on August 4 when they bought 11,625,000 shares for $1.
RA claimed it was blindsided when news of the sale leaked and said it had to approve any transfer or sale of ownership.
Pulver stated in the June 28 email that another term of the deal was that: “Imperium exercises the put option to the VRU such that the VRU becomes the sole shareholder of the Rebels.”
He told the senate inquiry into the future of rugby in September: “In fact, at the 12th hour minor shareholders within the Melbourne Rebels came forward with incremental capital to prop up the enterprise, which removed it from the prospect of insolvency.
“Those two (Force and Rebels) were both live right up until the final decision.”
Western Force members and supporters were devastated by the decision.
Western Force members and supporters were devastated by the decision.Picture: Nic Ellis
RA chairman Cameron Clyne told the inquiry last month: “I have said there was a very real option that both teams were being considered right through until August.”
The email relates to a finding from the inquiry: “Confidential evidence shows the ARU were directly involved in the execution of the transfer of the Melbourne Rebels’ licence from Imperium to VRU.
“The committee understands these negotiations were well under way by June 2017.”
The committee also said it had: “... been made aware that the ARU suggested Imperium exercise a put option and were involved in negotiations which cleared Melbourne Rebels debt thereby allowing the put option to the Victorian Rugby Union to be exercised.
“These events took place in June 2017 and effectively made it impossible to end their licence.”
kiap
Steve Williams (59)
Via bookface from a former member of this parish:
Dear ARU (or Rugby Australia or whatever you call yourselves this week).......I have supported OUR game (It's not yours) as a player, a volunteer, a coach, an employee, a contractor and most importantly as a die hard fan who resides in the area you consistently neglect.......western Sydney.
I have worked my arse off to get boys and girls and young men and women playing the game. When coaching at a northern beaches club I would drive to Campbelltown from Moore Park to pick a talented kid up for training, then drive him home after training then I'd go home near Penrith, all while it was $1.85 a litre.
I have sat in meetings where the then CEO of NSW Rugby wanted to kick the 2nd oldest club in Sydney out of the comp so his old club could feed on the carcass. I've helped extremely talented kids get into exclusive GPS schools to see them go on to represent Australia at Schoolboys and U20s level. I have seen the Waratahs try to recruit 2 of those players in particular by placing a condition on them to change clubs to Randwick as a condition of the contract.
Those 2 players now dominate NRL on a weekly basis and 1 played for the country of his father's birth in the semi finals of the RL World Cup. I've seen the current coach and GM Rugby of the Waratahs not even have the courtesy and decency to tell a contracted player there's no deal for him next year. The player only finding out by the announcement in the media of the signing of a pIayer from another side.
I've seen the ARU spend a quarter of million dollars on a "governance review" where they consulted the then CEO's of Super Rugby teams ONLY and called it a "comprehensive review of all levels of the game". I've sat in meetings where the current CEO of ARU announced the withdrawal of all financial support to all non professional levels of the game because if grass roots were given money "they'd piss it up against a wall ".
I've seen the ARU continue to appoint people to the Board of Directors with absolutely no experience in Rugby whatsoever. I've seen the ARU continue to refuse to answer people who have asked them to clarify the Directors nomination process. I've seen the ARU continue to ignore the very people who support them.
I've seen the ARU completely embarrass us as a nation over the diabolical handling of not only their own finances (who pissed what up against the wall?) but also of the Super Rugby number of teams reduction. I've seen them appoint a coach who whilst he has probably forgotten more about the game than I'll ever know, continue to make me feel embarrassed to be an Australian by the way he behaves and reacts to on field decisions, or legitimate questions from the media or satire in the press.
But I draw the line, I simply can't continue, when two of the fundamental characteristics of our great game are completely disregarded. Respecting the opposition and not giving away a jersey in selection to someone who doesn't deserve it. The selection of the team v Scotland this morning showed the lack of respect for the opposition. And the selection of Stephen Moore was nothing more than a testimonial selection. Granted, he's been a tremendous servant to the game.......for half a million bucks a year........but club teams don't give away 1st grade jerseys yet the Wallabies now give away theirs.
So ARU thanks for the memories. I'll cherish forever having seen great players like Poidevin, Horan, Ella, Eales, Lawton, Lynagh, Campese, Tune, Roff, Ofahengaue, Gavin, Kefu, Leeds, Campton, Kay, Cahalane, Lowery and Koen to name a few.
I'll cherish seeing young Parramatta players who didn't have two bob to rub together travel from Canberra to Parramatta at 4am to serve breakfast to 400 homeless people at Parramatta Mission. Those players then thanked the homeless for the opportunity to be there and help.
But I am done. I simply cannot any longer, sit by and watch you allow people, employed by yourselves, soil the memory of those who've gone before them and disrespect the traditions of the game.
Simply...... I surrender!
Good as gold. Carry on regardless.
Dear ARU (or Rugby Australia or whatever you call yourselves this week).......I have supported OUR game (It's not yours) as a player, a volunteer, a coach, an employee, a contractor and most importantly as a die hard fan who resides in the area you consistently neglect.......western Sydney.
I have worked my arse off to get boys and girls and young men and women playing the game. When coaching at a northern beaches club I would drive to Campbelltown from Moore Park to pick a talented kid up for training, then drive him home after training then I'd go home near Penrith, all while it was $1.85 a litre.
I have sat in meetings where the then CEO of NSW Rugby wanted to kick the 2nd oldest club in Sydney out of the comp so his old club could feed on the carcass. I've helped extremely talented kids get into exclusive GPS schools to see them go on to represent Australia at Schoolboys and U20s level. I have seen the Waratahs try to recruit 2 of those players in particular by placing a condition on them to change clubs to Randwick as a condition of the contract.
Those 2 players now dominate NRL on a weekly basis and 1 played for the country of his father's birth in the semi finals of the RL World Cup. I've seen the current coach and GM Rugby of the Waratahs not even have the courtesy and decency to tell a contracted player there's no deal for him next year. The player only finding out by the announcement in the media of the signing of a pIayer from another side.
I've seen the ARU spend a quarter of million dollars on a "governance review" where they consulted the then CEO's of Super Rugby teams ONLY and called it a "comprehensive review of all levels of the game". I've sat in meetings where the current CEO of ARU announced the withdrawal of all financial support to all non professional levels of the game because if grass roots were given money "they'd piss it up against a wall ".
I've seen the ARU continue to appoint people to the Board of Directors with absolutely no experience in Rugby whatsoever. I've seen the ARU continue to refuse to answer people who have asked them to clarify the Directors nomination process. I've seen the ARU continue to ignore the very people who support them.
I've seen the ARU completely embarrass us as a nation over the diabolical handling of not only their own finances (who pissed what up against the wall?) but also of the Super Rugby number of teams reduction. I've seen them appoint a coach who whilst he has probably forgotten more about the game than I'll ever know, continue to make me feel embarrassed to be an Australian by the way he behaves and reacts to on field decisions, or legitimate questions from the media or satire in the press.
But I draw the line, I simply can't continue, when two of the fundamental characteristics of our great game are completely disregarded. Respecting the opposition and not giving away a jersey in selection to someone who doesn't deserve it. The selection of the team v Scotland this morning showed the lack of respect for the opposition. And the selection of Stephen Moore was nothing more than a testimonial selection. Granted, he's been a tremendous servant to the game.......for half a million bucks a year........but club teams don't give away 1st grade jerseys yet the Wallabies now give away theirs.
So ARU thanks for the memories. I'll cherish forever having seen great players like Poidevin, Horan, Ella, Eales, Lawton, Lynagh, Campese, Tune, Roff, Ofahengaue, Gavin, Kefu, Leeds, Campton, Kay, Cahalane, Lowery and Koen to name a few.
I'll cherish seeing young Parramatta players who didn't have two bob to rub together travel from Canberra to Parramatta at 4am to serve breakfast to 400 homeless people at Parramatta Mission. Those players then thanked the homeless for the opportunity to be there and help.
But I am done. I simply cannot any longer, sit by and watch you allow people, employed by yourselves, soil the memory of those who've gone before them and disrespect the traditions of the game.
Simply...... I surrender!
Good as gold. Carry on regardless.
formerflanker
Ken Catchpole (46)
Thank you Kiap for posting that surrender document. I'll bet the feelings contained in it are shared by many.
It is very hard to keep fighting the good fight when the top echelons are conspicuous by their absence and/or incompetence.
It is very hard to keep fighting the good fight when the top echelons are conspicuous by their absence and/or incompetence.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
WORLD RUGBY where are you?
I’ll put a message in a bottle and hope that it gets through:
“By Friday it is possible that FIFA could be running soccer in this country – and a whole raft of questions over the direction of the game, Australia's bids to host the Women's World Cup, even, in a most extreme scenario, the Socceroos participation at the World Cup in Russia next year could be up for debate.”
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...-lobbying-pressure-mount-20171127-gztti5.html
I’ll put a message in a bottle and hope that it gets through:
“By Friday it is possible that FIFA could be running soccer in this country – and a whole raft of questions over the direction of the game, Australia's bids to host the Women's World Cup, even, in a most extreme scenario, the Socceroos participation at the World Cup in Russia next year could be up for debate.”
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...-lobbying-pressure-mount-20171127-gztti5.html
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
A great deal of justifiable anger on that thread.
The mooted appointment of Kearns as CEO is little better than the Lowy’s Grip on the FFA.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Do you really have to quote it again?
I do not particularly like Kearns' appointment, but in the real world, nobody outside of a deluded few insiders would want the job. Nobody.
What on earth would you do?
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
If you said, no experienced CEO of a large public company, with a successful track record would be interested.
I might agree.
But it's not a choice between a high flier or a jobs for the boys.
There is a middle ground, there are plenty of talented people who'd be up for the job who don't live in Mosman or park their car at the SFS.
If you never look, you'll never find anything.
I might agree.
But it's not a choice between a high flier or a jobs for the boys.
There is a middle ground, there are plenty of talented people who'd be up for the job who don't live in Mosman or park their car at the SFS.
If you never look, you'll never find anything.
Derpus
George Gregan (70)
We should be outsourcing senior management positions. There is very little evidence of any effective sports management people in Australia save in the AFL. Every other sport bounces from crisis to crisis.
Plus external people will have the added bonus of no existing club, state or relationship biases.
Plus external people will have the added bonus of no existing club, state or relationship biases.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
The Bulldogs chick is my pick. No doubt they have had some issues but no one has ever said anything negative about her (that I have read or heard) and that in circumstances where their star recruit premiership winning coach Des Hassler was sacked. There was a little bit of angst that he was given a contract renewal and then sacked but judging by the fact that he is suing them (a) he hasn't been paid out and (b) they must have some sort of argument that he is not entitled to be paid out. The pros: she's a kiwi; she's a chick (my golden rule is never go to the checkout run by a male); she has sport admin experience; she's forthright; The cons: she's a kiwi. The pros and cons mean she's next to no chance. My next choice is Gallop - with some reservations: there's a bit of the old school tie about him but if you can live with the Lowys using you as little more than a chauffeur then you have staying power. Next: you or me - we could job share
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
I think you'll find their reluctance to settle has more to do with the impact it might have on their re election prospects than on legal grounds.
There's also the small matter of not being able to register new signings until they cull existing contracted players until they comply with the salary cap.
Bumbling along in an NRL role does not indicate she's got the skills to be competent in a much larger and complex role with ARU.
IMHO
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I included it as a pro and a con: can't complain about that!
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I hadn't heard she'd bumbled - but if so, I agree.
I figured she was used to politics from what Id heard about Hassler's "role" and so the "traditional rivalries" inside the ARU Board would be a cake walk. When Arbib did his report, and suggested the need for independent board members, did he make any comment about the need for an independent CEO (insert WTF emoji)
gel
Ken Catchpole (46)
I'm not sure that Kearns is the right guy for CEO at the moment.
I don't believe that the ills that are plaguing rugby in Australia are likely to be "networked" away. They appear (to me, who.is sitting well outside the system tbh) to require a structural overhaul - and that usually takes a very particular kind of CEO. one who is particular on the mechanics of the business and implementing systems to ensure that machine runs more smoothly.
That kind of CEO is unlikely to be in or from the land of insurance brokering.
If the ARU do go for Kearns, what is probably of most importance is who he brings with him as his 2IC. that would be the guy that is actually going to be doing the handwork of instituting actual change - be it his lead financial guy or operations manager (or whatever).
I don't believe that the ills that are plaguing rugby in Australia are likely to be "networked" away. They appear (to me, who.is sitting well outside the system tbh) to require a structural overhaul - and that usually takes a very particular kind of CEO. one who is particular on the mechanics of the business and implementing systems to ensure that machine runs more smoothly.
That kind of CEO is unlikely to be in or from the land of insurance brokering.
If the ARU do go for Kearns, what is probably of most importance is who he brings with him as his 2IC. that would be the guy that is actually going to be doing the handwork of instituting actual change - be it his lead financial guy or operations manager (or whatever).
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
There is no basis on which Kearns appointment could give any comfort to anyone who cares about Oz rugby, whoever he chose as his 2IC.
He is just too close to everything that is wrong with the game in this country: Sydney private school, Randwick, NSW, the Wallabies. While that is an enviable pedigree we don't need any more from that particular bloodline.
He's a likeable guy, as is Pulver from all I hear, but thats not what is required.
He is just too close to everything that is wrong with the game in this country: Sydney private school, Randwick, NSW, the Wallabies. While that is an enviable pedigree we don't need any more from that particular bloodline.
He's a likeable guy, as is Pulver from all I hear, but thats not what is required.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Don't like Kearns - mainly for hisshit commentary and ridiculous biased love for anything in Waratah Blue.
Having said that, last time we went for a businessman (Pulver) and he turned out to be a weak knee'd SOB who fucking knew fuckall about rugby.
At least with Kearns I believe he loves the game, wants Australia and it's franchises to be successful, and will take advice from other rugby nuts (as well as professionals) to achieve those goals.
Of course the other benefit of Phil getting the job is we won't have to listen to his commentary
Having said that, last time we went for a businessman (Pulver) and he turned out to be a weak knee'd SOB who fucking knew fuckall about rugby.
At least with Kearns I believe he loves the game, wants Australia and it's franchises to be successful, and will take advice from other rugby nuts (as well as professionals) to achieve those goals.
Of course the other benefit of Phil getting the job is we won't have to listen to his commentary
Highlander35
Andrew Slack (58)
I hope. I doubt, but I hope.