Hamish McLennan’s ousting: Explosive texts reveal coup leader met with Rugby Australia’s new chairman
Explosive text messages and call records reveal the ringleader of the Rugby Australia boardroom coup was deep in talks with the code’s new boss just days before he successfully moved to oust Hamish McLennan.
The ringleader of the Rugby Australia boardroom coup was deep in talks with the code’s new boss Dan Herbert just days before he successfully moved to oust Hamish McLennan, shock new text messages reveal.
Texts and call records obtained by The Australian between Herbert and his predecessor show a damning timeline in which the ex-Wallaby met with Queensland Rugby Union chairman Brett Clark – the man behind the incendiary state unions’ letter that triggered McLennan’s demise.
They also reveal that Herbert stopped responding to McLennan after the then-RA chairman asked what Clark and the agitators wanted.
The RA board unanimously voted McLennan out on Sunday night after 48 hours of boardroom tumult. McLennan’s axing has concerned major Wallabies sponsor Cadbury, the key brand signing that was orchestrated by the former chairman, while an $80m loan to shore up the financial future of the code is yet to be done.
The Australian can reveal a text exchange began at 7.44am last Friday, when McLennan wrote to Herbert asking how his meeting went with the QRU chairman Clark – a vocal opponent of RA’s policy to centralise the administration and high performance programs of the game in Australia.
“Herbie, in an all day meeting. How’d you go with Brett Clarke (sic)? Can you pls text? Hamish.”
Herbert wrote back a short message.
“Not good, very icy.”
McLennan wrote back.
“What does he want?”
Herbert did not respond to that message nor did he call McLennan. What transpired next was a phone call from Clark to McLennan to tell him of a letter undersigned by six states and territories calling for his removal.
Clark had also not answered McLennan’s call when the then RA chairman heard the numbers were being counted against his leadership.
On Tuesday Herbert in his statement to The Australian did not directly answer questions of when he was made aware of the Clark-led state union letter and why Herbert did not write back to McLennan last Friday when he inquired about what Clark wanted.
But Herbert did say he would “never breach confidentiality with stakeholders” and the new RA chairman maintained these discussions should be kept private.
“My role as a director requires me to have frequent confidential conversations and meeting with various stakeholders,” Herbert told The Australian. “I would never breach this confidentiality. I am surprised to see private communications between board members now in the public realm. Rugby faces many challenges and I am focused tackling this head on.”
Six days before the letter’s release, on November 11, McLennan rang Clark and he did not return his call. Two days later Clark, who is also chairman of Queensland Ballet, wrote that he would be meeting up with Herbert later in the week and was sorry he missed his call.
“Hi Hamish – sorry I missed your call – crazy weekend. Caught up today as we are down to final interviews for a new AD (artistic director) at QB (Queensland Ballet) – big transition for us so all focusing”, he texted. “Tomorrow I am caught up with ASF (Australian Sports Foundation) as QRU agreed to do a joining presentation on Philathrophy [sic] and Donors to our rugby clubs to start them on their own journeys – now we have the green and gold coming as well to help athletes find money for LA28 and Brisbane 2032 – teach them to fish i say! Having coffee with Herbie this week so might touch base after that. Cheers BC”.
On Friday November 17, Clark called McLennan telling him he was releasing a letter that was scathing of McLennan’s leadership and his decisions and called for him to resign from RA. They dubbed McLennan “arrogant”.
“We do not believe Mr McLennan has been acting in the best interests of our game,” said the unions, who represented every Australian state and territory, except New South Wales and Victoria.
“We no longer have any trust or faith in his leadership, or the direction in which he is taking rugby in Australia.”
After receiving the letter on Friday night McLennan tried calling Herbert. He didn’t call back. He then texted Herbert at 10.45pm; “Herbie, Tried you. Q’ld get me then it will blow up I reckon. Their character assassination is obscene. Hamish.”
Herbert did not write back.
It took 48 hours, five meetings but finally the RA board late on Sunday night unanimously voted – bar McLennan – to install Herbert as the new chair.
Following his ousting, McLennan said the current federated model of governance for rugby was broken and gave power to minor states with very few rugby players and disabled the major players in Australian rugby such as New South Wales and Victoria (who run Melbourne Rebels).
“I wouldn’t give NT, SA and Tasmania a vote at all. It’s ludicrous to say these minnows have a say in the future of NSW, Victoria and The Force,“ McLennan said. “They wouldn’t have 5 per cent of the players of NSW. Punt them out.”
On Monday Herbert, following McLennan’s exit, called for unity.
Herbert said he is focused on the high-performance aspect of the game.
“I know that different people have a different view of what it (centralisation) looks like – but everyone acknowledges that we have to align, we have to integrate, we have to unite,” Herbert said.
“So everyone is agreeing that that has to happen, some people might have a slightly different view of that, but we can only do that when we all get in a room, because I remember when I worked in rugby that this has been put on the table. This has been put on the table a few times and, at the time, various people and various member unions had the appetite and others didn’t.
“I think now we’ve got enough history to see that it does work. Now, it doesn’t have to be a cut-and-paste of anyone else’s, it can be our own version. But the principles are the same, we actually have to work in an integrated system, we can’t work in competition with each other, which is how rugby has been run, or how professional rugby has been run. So if we can integrate, then we give ourselves a chance.”
Sources close to McLennan say he was steering the game to securing its financial future and that of the clubs. It’s understood an $80m loan was close to being finalised to ensure the short-term future of the game, which has been led by his contact, Michael Stock from Jefferies.
More Coverage
