Embattled Raelene Castle set to fall

Pressure is growing for change at the top of Rugby Australia and Raelene Castle’s days as chief executive look numbered.

Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle may not last much longer in the job

Pressure is growing for change at the top of Rugby Australia and Raelene Castle’s days as chief executive look numbered.

The Australian understands the attitude of the Rugby Australia board has dramatically changed with some new faces joining earlier this week — Virgin Australia co-founder Brett Godfrey, Supercars chairman Peter Wiggs, and former Wallaby Daniel Herbert.

It is also understood some of the state rugby bosses expressed disappointment with RA’s handling of issues on a phone hook-up of chairman last night.

A source told The Australian the coming “48 hours” would be very telling for Castle.

“People are amazed she has hung on this long, everyone knows it has to come to an end soon,” said one insider.

Rugby Australia may have to pay out six months of Castle’s contract.

Earlier this week Castle said she would take a 50 per cent pay cut (she will now earn over $400,000 a year) and stood down 100 of her fellow Rugby Australia staff members for three months.

Some in the annual general meeting on Monday were left shocked when it was announced that RA had given themselves a “72 per cent” ranking on their “internal scorecard”.

This was with viewers down, spectators down, the Wallabies a lowly seventh in the world and after returning a $9.4 million provisional loss ($4m of that said to be paid out to Israel Folau).

This 72 per cent pass mark was also off the back of presenting an unaudited annual financial report. Pre COVID-19 the game was in financial dire straits.

Because of the pandemic the game is staring a $120m in lost revenue just this year.

Pre-COVID 19 the game was pushed the game into a very dark corner when the CEO walked away from a Foxtel’s $40m a year, five-year offer, for TV rights last November. (Foxtel is part-owned by News Corp, publisher of The Australian).

Castle was pushing Foxtel for $100m more. Optus Sports was briefly mentioned as a new home but that deal will not happen in this environment.