Former Wallaby Dick Marks calls for ‘war cabinet’ to fix rugby in Australia

One former Wallaby is so dismayed at the state of Australian rugby that he has put his money where his mouth is to promote a radical upheaval at the top of the code.

Rugby Australia Chairman Cameron Clyne poses for a photo following the Rugby Australia Annual General Meeting in Sydney, Monday, April 8, 2019. (AAP Image/Chris Pavlich) NO ARCHIVING

Respected former Wallaby Dick Marks is pushing for Cameron Clyne’s Rugby Australia board to be dissolved and a “war cabinet” set up to rescue the code.

Marks believes that only such a radical step can reshape the entire rugby landscape with the comprehensive review that is desperately needed.

Australia’s former National Director of Coaching is staggered that Clyne is on the nominations committee to pick his own replacement now he has decided not to seek re-election as RA chairman in March.

Departing Rugby Australia Chairman Cameron Clyne. Picture: AAP Image/Chris Pavlich

Marks suggested eliminating the nominations committee altogether.

Marks, 77, has taken the remarkable step of paying for an advertisement (see Page 60) in Wednesday’s The Courier-Mail calling for public support and ideas to ignite a #LetsFixAustralianRugby campaign.

He said Clyne was part of the two biggest problems afflicting the code.

“We have declined over the last two decades because we have had the wrong people running the game,” said Marks when branding the demise of the Western Force a “fiasco”.

Former Wallaby Dick Marks. Picture: Peter/Bull

Marks said the game’s “governing elite are in a state of denial” and the Wallabies’ early exit from the Rugby World Cup in Japan merely magnified a wider disillusionment.

“Also, forget about copying New Zealand and getting their coaches, use our own template,” Marks said.

The Marks’ stance on Kiwi coaching input will put him further at odds with Clyne if Kiwi coach Dave Rennie is the hot favourite everyone believes he is to become the new Wallabies coach.

When Clyne announced on Monday that he would not be seeking re-election as chairman he outlined a busy four months which will put his fingerprints on all rugby’s big decisions.

“Over the next four months I, along with the rest of the board, remain committed to overseeing the delivery of a new broadcast deal, the appointment of a new Wallabies head coach and the conclusion of the legal matter involving Israel Folau,” Clyne said in a statement.

After the Rugby Aust board made the shocking decision to boot the @westernforce out of Super Rugby, Cameron Clyne stepping down as Chairman will not be lamented in the West.

— adrian barich (@adrianbarich) November 19, 2019

Rugby Australia Chairman Cameron Clyne steps down and blames the media. The media obviously did not know about all of the amazing work he was doing. His 48 second press conference style may have contributed to that. #rugby https://t.co/iB5sSbfr6I

— Catherine Murphy (@CathMurphySport) November 17, 2019

Marks said a prominent former Wallaby was so dismayed at the state of the code they had set up a LetsFixAustralianRugby.com.au website to garner support and ideas.

Marks said hard line action was now the only solution.

“I would suspend the Constitution for 12 months and establish an interim (RA) board or a war cabinet, if you like, to conduct the comprehensive review of the entire rugby landscape,” Marks said.

He advocated a subcommittee system be temporarily reconstituted in the technical, community rugby, financial and constitutional areas to shake-up the game’s health.

New focus on elevating the coach education system was essential, Marks said.

“My caller said, ‘What I want is something radical, revolutionary and rational instead of mere tinkering. Our weapon will be floods of urgings from the public’,” Marks said.