Former Wallaby Paul McLean replaces Cameron Clyne as chairman of Rugby Australia
Former Wallabies five-eighth Paul McLean has replaced Cameron Clyne as chairman of the Rugby Australia board effective immediately.
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Despite months of denials, Paul McLean will replace Cameron Clyne as the chairman of Rugby Australia effective immediately.
McLean, a former Wallabies captain, will take on the role on Monday but on a short-term basis, to allow an incoming director to gain experience in the game before transitioning to the chairman’s role. The designated board member has not been identified but there is informed speculation that it may be David Mortimer, the Sydney University rugby doyen.
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McLean has consistently denied he will take on the chairman’s role but it became clear to Rugby Australia’s nominations committee that there was no other board member with the experience or the will to take on the role. He is one of the board’s most senior directors, having served on the board for the past five years, following an earlier stint as Australian Rugby Union president from 2005-09.
Clyne, whose role has been dogged with controversy and division, first over the culling of the Western Force and then over the expulsion of Israel Folau, will remain on the board as a director until the March 30 annual general meeting.
Clyne had been criticised for announcing he would step down next month, but remaining in the role while major decisions on the future of the game were being made. In particular, the Rugby Australia board is in the middle of negotiations for a new broadcast deal. Fox Sports have ended their 25-year relationship with the code after RA rejected their offer for the rights package from 2021 to 2025.
However, the appointment of McLean as chairman could reset the relationship between Fox and RA.
“The Board has collectively made the decision to make this change, with the full support of Cameron, to enable us to provide support and a comfortable transition for the new Chair following the AGM.
“As the most senior director remaining on the board beyond the AGM, I have accepted the Chairmanship during this transitional period.”
The 31-Test former Wallaby said the nominations committee had interviewed several strong candidates for three vacant Director roles.
“There are three vacant positions that the nominations committee are currently interviewing for, including the new chairperson and there has been a very high level of interest and some high-quality candidates stepping forward for each of the roles.
“The chair is a high-profile role and whoever is chosen and elected as the future chair will benefit from having some time to build relationships and gain an understanding of all the major work happening across the Rugby landscape before they step into the role.
“Ultimately, there are some major pieces of work that are either nearing completion or getting underway, including the negotiations around the media rights, Rugby World Cup bid process, World Rugby positions, and a Collective Bargaining Agreement, and we believe this change will provide added stability at a crucial time for the business,” McLean said.