Rugby Australia director Peter Wiggs steps up, in line to replace Raelene Castle

As Raelene Castle struggled to make headway, one man rolled up his sleeves and ripped in, giving rugby hope of survival.

Rugby Australia director Peter Wiggs has not hesitated in getting the heavy lifting done to plot a way through the game’s issues. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

In just a matter of weeks Peter Wiggs has established himself as Rugby Australia’s top powerbroker.

The Australian can reveal Wiggs is a frontrunner to take up the role of chairman of Rugby Australia once interim-chair Paul McLean moves on.

Other contenders being mentioned are Sydney University rugby doyen and boardroom veteran David Mortimer, World Cup Wallabies captain Nick Farr-Jones and ex-Ten boss and News Corp executive Hamish McLennan.

In rugby’s deepest crisis Wiggs has struck deals, repaired relationships and brought stability to a game on its knees.

When one Super Rugby chairman hung up the phone from the Wiggs-led teleconference last Thursday night (a call detailing Rugby Australia’s shocking financial situation that has them in nearly $16m of debt) he still felt hope. “For the first time in a long while we’ve been able to get a proper presentation on Rugby Australia’s finances,” the Super Rugby chair said. “Wiggs has done all the hard yards of late.”

Former Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle. Picture: AP

Wiggs is an economics graduate of Sydney University, has an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a founder of private equity fund Archer Capital overseeing investments in the billions.

If you look closely at the way the Supercars chairman has rapidly risen to become Australian rugby’s kingmaker, Wiggs has done it by rolling up his sleeves and quite simply ripping in. Within days he was at the negotiating table for the players’ pay deal.

Initially, the then-CEO Raelene Castle had outgoing board member Brett Robinson by her side in meetings with the Rugby Union Players’ Association.

With talks stuttering along, Robinson was soon moved on with RA board members and former Wallabies Phil Waugh and Daniel Herbert stepping into the Zoom meeting room with RUPA — and Wiggs.

The loudest voice in the room from RA’s side was in the end not that of the CEO — rather it was Wiggs. Soon after leading the talks with the players, Wiggs took to forensically combing through the organisation’s dire financial situation. Both Wiggs and Virgin Australia co-founder Brett Godfrey, another new director, worked hard, through weekends, going through the unaudited 2019 annual report and books.

Former Wallabies skipper Nick Farr-Jones is a CEO contender.

Australian rugby’s most successful administrator John O’Neill has known Wiggs for 30 years and believes he should be RA’s next chair. He thinks Wiggs is the man to lead the charge in recruiting a “high calibre” CEO after Castle’s exit last Thursday.

“He is intelligent, hardworking, dedicated and fiercely determined,” O’Neill said. “Qualities that are absolutely needed in meeting RA’s challenges in this incredibly difficult time. Leadership is a foul-weather friend and I genuinely believe Peter Wiggs is the leader for this time. It’s imperative to move forward quickly, without any baggage.

“He is forensically gifted and will see through the bluff and blunder and can identify the problem and more importantly find the solution.” O’Neill, a former CEO of the Australian Rugby Union, added: “In addition to his commercial acumen he has an inarguable affection and affinity for the game of rugby.”

Wiggs has another high-profile supporter in Australian Olympic Committee CEO Matt Carroll. The pair have known each other for 42 years and played rugby together for Mosman.

“He’s very smart, very intelligent, honest and plain speaking,” Carroll said. “He enjoys his rugby and cares about the game.

“He’s not a person just fronting up for the sake of something to do, he cares about the game, he’s been a great supporter of Mosman rugby club over the years, through helping out.”

McLean has stated he will be gone “sooner rather than later” and he is currently pencilled in to exit the executive-chairman’s role by July. Many have questioned the practicalities of an interim-chair overseeing the recruitment of a new CEO, given McLean may not be there later.

One certainty is that there is a movement in full swing for Wiggs to become Rugby Australia’s next chairman.

Carroll said you only have to look at Wiggs’ business successes to see is the person. “Peter’s business Archer Capital is about building businesses and in some cases rebuilding businesses, he is very capable,” Carroll said. “He had to rework V8 Supercars, which I think it is in a better space today than probably when they bought it. I think he could easily be chair.”

On Monday Wiggs had a meeting with former Wallabies captains Farr-Jones and Phil Kearns, along with RUPA chief executive Justin Harrison, for a broad discussion about the issues facing the game in Australia.

“On behalf of our group of Wallaby captains I’d like to thank Rugby Australia for the opportunity to meet and present our thoughts on the future of Australian rugby,” Farr-Jones said.

“It seems Peter, along with Dan Herbert and Brett Godfrey, has brought a much-needed open mind to the board of Rugby Australia and we are encouraged by this approach.”

Additionally, the captains acknowledge the difficult circumstances in which McLean is working at this point.

“It was always hoped last week’s letter, and our plans communicated to Rugby Australia and the member unions, would enhance the willingness to overhaul the game. It’s about structural and governance change,” Farr-Jones said.

“As Wallaby captains we will work closely with Rugby Australia, RUPA and the willing member unions in a coalition for change.”