Australian rugby needs a leader willing to fight in the trenches

Hamish McLennan has commitments across five companies. Picture: John Feder

Over the past month, this column has focused on major issues in our game that I believe need to be addressed.

Two weeks ago, I argued for Dave Rennie to be a hands-on coach of the Wallaby forward pack. It seems Rennie is reluctant to roll his sleeves up and get his hands dirty.

I warned two weeks ago that Rennie was “contemplating” bringing in a rookie coach from Glasgow, Rennie’s former unsuccessful club, Petrus du Plessis. Du Plessis was a journeyman player, originally from South Africa, who scratched out a living, warming the bench, in the English Premiership for 10 years. He has been a player/coach in Glasgow for ONE season.

I warned that he has zero coaching pedigree and zero international experience, a totally unproven coach at any level, certainly not qualified to coach the Wallaby forwards.

I told you Rugby Australia take no notice!

It now appears that Rennie and Rugby Australia have appointed Petrus du Plessis as the Wallabies’ scrum coach. My warning was, obviously, water off a duck’s back to this lot.

There is no other way of saying it; this is a disgrace.

And the overpaid, underperforming Scott Johnson has to be held accountable. Which prompts the question, what does the head coach do? A funny title, if you don’t coach!

Rugby Australia is financially broke but they keep spending money on dud coaches.

Not just on dud coaches. There is supposed to be a Rugby Championship at the end of the year, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina.

No one seems to know where it will be. Australia have two Tests against the All Blacks on October 10 and October 17.

Money? We will have a 60-odd strong contingent on the road, 46 players and 18 staff.

Of course, they can blame COVID-19, even though the Prime Minister said on March 15, “For the majority, around 8 in 10 (as it turns out, it is 9 in 10), it will be a mild illness and it will pass.”

He also made the point that we had to look after the vulnerable, who are the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions. If such a cohort is part of the Wallaby contingent or their opponents, then rugby selection has become a funny game indeed.

Nonetheless, a squad of 60 plus. Even if travel and hotel costs are allegedly being picked up by SANZAAR, the money would be better spent on grassroots rugby.

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Which brings me to the issue of administration.

Just last week, I looked at the role of the interim CEO and the checkered past of Rob Clarke.

Time this week to have a look at the power player who is currently pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Who is Hamish McLennan, the newish chairman of Rugby Australia?

When appointed to the position of Rugby Australia chairman earlier this year, after Peter Wiggs resigned in disgust, McLennan said his priority was to “reunite a divided rugby community and reshape the rugby economy for a sustainable future”.

They are most laudable objectives. However, my view is that our game doesn’t just need a makeover, it needs a complete rebuild.

Does McLennan have the time to do this?

He is currently the chairman of the REA Group, a global digital advertising real estate company in News Corp’s stable.

He is deputy chairman of the Magellan Investment Group, a globally focused equity fund with $98bn under investment.

He is also chairman of Here, There and Everywhere, the parent company of the Australian Radio Network.

And, on top of that, he’s a director at Claim Central Consolidated, a global claims solution business. That’s four major roles, before he puts his Rugby Australia hat on.

McLennan is obviously a successful person. And I salute that. But does he have the time to rebuild Australian Rugby?

If you compare his workload to the outstanding NRL boss, Peter V’landys, I think you would say McLennan is spreading himself too thin.

V’landys has been CEO of Racing New South Wales since 2004. He is so good at that role that he could do it with his eyes closed. In 2018, he joined the Board of the Australian Rugby League Commission.

Due to his experience handling the equine influenza outbreak in 2007, V’landys took a lead role at the ARLC to handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

He has been an absolute star, leading from the front, and, right now, is 100 per cent focused on getting the NRL economy back to normal.

In contrast, McLennan seems to have at least five major chairman-type roles.

There is no way he can commit the time that is needed to rebuild Australian Rugby.

We find out this week that the proposed National Club Rugby competition was pitched to broadcasters without any consultation with the clubs.

Matt Glascott, president of the Gordon Shute Shield Club in Sydney said, “We haven’t been consulted about the NCC; we were only made aware of it when it came through the press, when they announced it as a package for their broadcast deal”.

How is failing to communicate with clubs uniting the rugby community?

I like McLennan, but for the next two years, we need a leader who is going to be hands-on and in the trenches, fighting for everything, every day.

This challenge is not going to be won in the boardroom, sitting on leather seats.

The battle is going to be on the sidelines, in the change rooms and in the clubhouses.

The appointment of du Plessis as the Wallabies’ scrum coach suggests that McLennan has taken his eye off the ball. Where is the due diligence? The game is on its knees.

Johnson is spending scarce resources on an ever-expanding coaching group full of duds.

But don’t worry, “Chainsaw Foulsham” will sack someone else I suppose, to pay for our new South African rookie scrum coach.

I would suggest start with Johnson. His salary would fund the whole Sevens program for two years.

Can someone sign up Peter V’landys?