Former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says ARU must re-engage with clubland to revive code

REMEMBER Robbie Deans? He’s back in Australia and is worried by what he sees. JAMIE PANDARAM sat down with the former Wallabies coach to discuss the current state of Australian rugby.

Robbie Deans was sacked as Wallabies coach in 2013.

ROBBIE Deans has warned that the ARU can ignore its grassroots no longer, while issuing frank advice to southern hemisphere powerbrokers to sort out the future of Super Rugby imminently.

The most experienced Wallabies coach in history, now in charge of Japan’s Panasonic Wild Knights, Deans expressed alarm at the rapid decline of Australian rugby in the past two decades.

“In one of my earlier years, when I was managing the Crusaders, the Waratahs invited us for a pre-season fixture and they paid us a significant amount, and we had 27,000 turn up,” Deans said.

Robbie Deans was sacked as Wallabies coach in 2013.

“That was 20 years ago. Could we get 27,000 to a pre-season game now?

“So we’ve got to turn that cart around, and it can be done through effort.

“There’s hope, there’s been a resurgence in club land - that’s where it starts and ends.

“We took our eye off the ball, presumed. If you take things for granted, you lose them.

“There’s a lot of good people out there, I know from my time here, there’s a lot of people who care and put in. But they have been disenfranchised.

“You’ve got to re-engage with those who care the most.”

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Deans is back in Australia coaching the Wild Knights at the Brisbane Global Tens starting Friday at Suncorp Stadium.

When he was sacked by the ARU in 2013 following the series loss to the British & Irish Lions, many said the Wallabies should never again be led by a foreigner.

Is Deans now surprised to see Raelene Castle, a Kiwi, running the ARU as chief executive?

“Nothing surprises me, but it’s really important that Australian rugby remains competitive,” Deans told the Daily Telegraph.

“It’s really important that southern hemisphere rugby remains competitive, and don’t underestimate that. A lot of people will sit there and say ‘Don’t be ridiculous, we’re always in the top three’.

Robbie Deans is flanked by Scott Robertson (L) and NSW coach Daryl Gibson. Picture: Claudia Baxter

“I don’t think I need to repeat it - it can be that tenuous and it happens quickly.

“So from a governance perspective, no one - New Zealand, South Africa nor Australia - can afford to presume anything.

“The fact that we’re in 2018 and we don’t know [what Super Rugby looks like beyond 2020] is a concern, I just sincerely hope that behind closed doors there is a plan, and there is some alignment of thought.

“And the market needs to know there is, and they need to start re-engaging them, because at the moment they’re losing them.

“There needs to a plan that caters for the future of the southern hemisphere.

“There may be some pain to go through.”

Deans finished his Wallaby tenure with a 59 per cent winning record from 75 internationals.

Successors Ewen McKenzie (50 per cent) and now Michael Cheika (55 per cent) have failed to yield stronger results.

Shute Shield has seen a surge in popularity.

When Deans was in charge, he’d attempted to align the Wallabies with club and Super Rugby programs and was shut down, which in hindsight was necessary and could have stopped the poor performances by Australian teams since.

“One of the biggest challenges for Australian rugby is governance, it starts there, that’s the critical area; leadership, looking beyond now,” Deans said.

“Now is easy, it’s easy to find problems now, the key for leadership is to look beyond now and make sure you’re catering for your future.

“Because if you don’t put your lights on full beam, then things that are ahead of you can surprise you.”

But there is no bitterness from Deans on his exit from Australian rugby, and the former All Black says it is unlikely he’ll ever seek another Test coaching role again because he is content at club level and taking on the job for the Barbarians and World XV.

Originally published as Former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says ARU must re-engage with clubland to revive code