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World Cup-winning Wallaby Tim Horan backs Broncos boss Paul White for top Rugby Australia job

Tim Horan believes Paul White can help haul the 15-a-side code out of the financial mire should the Broncos chief - off-contract in Brisbane in October - be willing to jump in to the hot seat at Rugby Australia.

Paul White’s Brisbane Broncos contract expires later this year.
Paul White’s Brisbane Broncos contract expires later this year.

Wallabies legend Tim Horan says Broncos boss Paul White is the ideal candidate to rebuild Australian rugby in the post-Raelene Castle era.

Rugby Australia has identified White as a possible successor to Castle, who resigned in April, and former Wallabies centre Horan believes the Broncos chief executive can help haul the 15-a-side code out of the financial mire.

White is off-contract at the Broncos in October and is tipped to seek a new challenge next year.

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“If Paul decides to go down the rugby path, I think he would be excellent for the game,” Horan said.

Paul White’s Brisbane Broncos contract expires later this year.
Paul White’s Brisbane Broncos contract expires later this year.

“I haven’t heard if he has been approached by Rugby Australia but if he is on the radar, he is just the type of leader the game needs.

“Paul has got a wealth of knowledge in the sporting landscape.

“I imagine he would be one of the top four or five candidates if he put his hand up for the chief executive’s position.”

Tim Horan has been impressed by White’s work in Brisbane.
Tim Horan has been impressed by White’s work in Brisbane.

Since his appointment at Red Hill in 2010, White has turned the Broncos into a commercial powerhouse with Brisbane amassing an NRL record $52 million in revenue last year.

His achievements have piqued the interest of rugby in the northern hemisphere, with English club Saracens making an approach to White in March.

The 53-year-old seriously weighed up the offer and was set to board a flight for England for talks before the coronavirus pandemic hit, ultimately scuppering any potential move.

But the RA position remains a live option, with interim chief executive Rob Clarke having no interest in succeeding Castle in a long-term capacity.

White played rugby league and rugby union in the Queensland country and 80-Test great Horan is confident he could come to grips with the rival code’s politics.

“Paul could provide a fresh lens for the game in Australia,” Horan said.

“Paul is someone who has been through the politics of the NRL, he understands the challenges of gathering support and running a sporting business in a commercial sense.

“The big difference is that rugby has so much breadth, there is the Sevens game, women’s rugby and rugby in the country, there’s so many areas to consider.

“But after 10 years at the Broncos, Paul has the skill set to handle it.”

Originally published as World Cup-winning Wallaby Tim Horan backs Broncos boss Paul White for top Rugby Australia job

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/world-cupwinning-wallaby-tim-horan-backs-broncos-boss-paul-white-for-top-rugby-australia-job/news-story/371a91d68f501045c290715e3ace64e3