Shute Shield: ARU boss Bill Pulver under attack from King Rat
Warringah president Phil Parsons says ARU boss Bill Pulver has demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of grassroots rugby.
Manly
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AN angry Warringah president Phil Parsons has delivered a stinging broadside at Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver saying he has demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of grassroots rugby.
The strong words came in response to Pulver’s comment after attending last Saturday’s huge local derby between Manly and Warringah at Manly 0val that those clubs did not need funding from the ARU.
“It was a sensational day … at this level the game is in really good shape,” Pulver told the Manly Daily.
Pulver also said last Saturday’s derby was the perfect piece of evidence to support his belief that club rugby doesn’t need direct funding from the ARU.
“These clubs are doing a great job running their business,” he said.
“They actually don’t need funding from us. We need to be funding at a junior level bringing young kids into the game who will then populate clubs like this.”
Parsons fired back and said that Pulver’s comments came as no surprise to him.
“He has always demonstrated a complete lack of understanding for grassroots rugby,” Parsons said.
“The Rats are very committed to our juniors and the hundreds of volunteers across our junior clubs demonstrate that every weekend.”
Parsons said he and his board of volunteers take seriously their responsibility to ensure Warringah’s nine senior teams and over 2000 juniors are given every opportunity to be the best they can be — without any assistance from the ARU.
“In fact every player pays the National Participation Fee to the ARU to ensure Bill gets paid to look after one team, that to be honest isn’t going that well,” Parsons said.
“We will push on regardless of Bill Pulver’s views- and do so with fantastic support from their sponsors and volunteers who all do it for the love of the game.
“Bill gets paid so he should shut up and worry about his own backyard.”
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