Letter from Wallabies captains the circuit breaker Australian rugby needs

Former Wallabies captains Phil Kearns and George Gregan. Picture: Brett Costello

They have played 951 Tests, won two World Cups and a bunch of Bledisloes. The 11 Wallabies captains who have signed an open letter calling for a change of leadership at Rugby Australia know what they are talking about.

This is not a social media pile-on or angry, uninformed barracking from the stands. This is 11 of the most respected voices in the game standing up and saying enough is enough, it’s time for change.

In a letter obtained by The Australian, Nick Farr-Jones, George Gregan, Phil Kearns, Simon Poidevin, Michael Lynagh, Rod McCall, Jason Little, Nathan Sharpe, Stirling Mortlock, George Smith and Stephen Moore have drawn a line in the sand for the game they love.

They want a new leadership for the game, they want new vision and a plan that gives Australian rugby a future.

They want the reports of the numerous reviews into Australian rugby made public and a cabinet set up to implement the best of the recommendations of these reviews. There have been 11 such reviews over the past few years – including one after the Wallabies crashed out of the 2019 World Cup – but none of the reports have been made public.

They want a special general meeting convened before next Thursday to table Rugby Australia’s unaudited 2019 annual accounts.

These are serious and sensible demands at a time when rugby in Australia is on its knees.

The problems facing Rugby Australia are many – and can’t all be blamed on the impact of COVID-19, which has laid waste the entire sporting landscape.

Rugby, fighting for its place in a crowded sporting market, has been haemorrhaging crowds and television ratings for years.

It is understood RA’s debts have increased to around $16 million and there is the small matter of an unpaid bill to Herbert Smith Freehills, the law firm that acted for them in the long-running legal battle with Israel Folau. And then along came the COVID-19 shutdown with its potential $120m blackhole for the game. A game that doesn’t have a broadcast deal and doesn’t really have any prospect of one.

Nick Farr-Jones.

It is unfortunate that some of the criticism of the Rugby Australia leadership has been personal. In particular, RA chief executive Raelene Castle has been the target of some ferocious attacks. She is criticised for not having a rugby background. Sadly, there are those who believe she should not be running the sport because she is a woman.

But clearly, the problems of Rugby Australia are greater than who is in the chief executive’s chair. And anyway, any decisions she has made have been signed-off by the RA board – which includes men and women.

Paul McLean, himself a former Wallabies captain but now the interim chairman of Rugby Australia, has offered to meet the 11 captains to discuss their concerns.

He needs to be prepared to do more than that. By sending this letter, the captains have provided Australian rugby with the circuit breaker it needs.

Their concerns need to be taken seriously and the opportunity for fundamental change in the game must be embraced.