Cut and pasted from news.com.au
ARU boss Bill Pulver says he’s happy to stand down in wake of Super Rugby overhaul if it helps Australian rugby
UNDER-fire ARU chief Bill Pulver says he will step down “in a heartbeat” if he believes it will help Australian rugby.
Pulver has been widely panned over his role in axing an Australian team from Super Rugby, with former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer among those calling for his head.
The ARU announced on Monday that either the Western Force or Melbourne Rebels will be cut from the competition next year, and an announcement is expected by Thursday.
Many critics believe the ARU has been bullied by South Africa and New Zealand into cutting one of their five teams and want Pulver out.
“I acknowledge there’s a lot of heartache out there and believe me, if I thought stepping aside would advantage Australian rugby in any sense at all, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Pulver said.
“I promise you I am here for the game and that’s the only reason I do it.
“If I thought someone could do a better job I would step away immediately. It’s not an easy task. I’m committed to doing it and I’m enjoying it.
“I have had a discussion with the board, and I am here totally at the whim of the board. As long as the board has confidence in me, I will remain. If they lose confidence in me, I will happily step aside.
“I will stay for as long as I can make a contribution.”
While Pulver’s contract expires in February, it remains to be seen whether he’ll survive in the hot seat that long.
He did confirm that he would not be seeking another long-term reappointment.
“I originally came in on a five-year agreement, I’m not going to seek a five-year agreement,” Pulver said.
ARU chairman Cameron Clyne leapt to the defence of Pulver, saying he had rebuilt international relations between Australia and their southern hemisphere counterparts.
“Bill is in an incredibly challenging job and it is obviously very easy to target Bill,” Clyne said.
“Bill has made an enormous contribution.
“Bill at the moment is doing an extraordinary job under very difficult circumstances. At whatever point Bill and the board decide he transitions out, you want to make sure his successor is set up for success.
“Bill doesn’t get the credit for rebuilding relationships internationally. We perhaps didn’t get the trans-Tasman agreement with the Kiwis but it’s fair to say that we have achieved a lot at the international table and in SANZAAR that has benefited Australian rugby because of Bill’s diligence in rebuilding some relationships that were pretty badly burned prior to his arrival.
“That alone has benefited Australian rugby enormously. It doesn’t get seen but we see the benefit and the impact of that.”
Originally published as I’ll quit if they want me to: Pulver
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