L'Estrange days at the Tahs

[Burgs]

Waratahs boss pays the price

By Peter Jenkins
July 17, 2007

NEW South Wales Rugby Union chief executive Fraser Neill has been sacked in the aftermath of the Waratahs' troubled Super 14 season.

Neill's departure will not be officially announced until this morning but The Daily Telegraph was told last night "performance and leadership" issues emerged as factors in the decision.

The Telegraph also understands the NSWRU has secretly sourced potential replacements over recent weeks and a successor - former banking executive Jim L'Estrange - will be named today.

The Waratahs struggled unexpectedly to finish second last in Super 14 this year - ahead of only Queensland in what was NSW's worst result in the 12-season history of the provincial competition.

Neill revealed at the close of the tournament that a stunning drop in crowds at Waratahs home matches had also left the NSWRU with a $2.3 million shortfall in their revenue forecasts for 2007.

Revealing a series of cost-cutting measures aimed at improving the bottom line, Neill said the game's largest state body might still "break even" after initially budgeting to post a profit of $1 million this year.

He opened the books in May to defuse increasing speculation that the slide in attendances, coupled with the Waratahs failing to reach the finals for the first time in three seasons, had the NSWRU heading towards a massive financial loss.

Twice this year during their seven matches at Aussie Stadium - now Sydney Football Stadium - the Waratahs attracted crowds of less than 20,000. They remain the only occasions NSW have dipped under that figure since the game went professional in 1996.

Neill said the NSWRU had budgeted for an average of 33,900 fans per game this season.

Its sales receipts returned an average of just 24,900 per match.

"We were looking at making an overall profit of $1 million this year but the drop in crowds had us looking at a $1.3 million loss," Neill said at the time.

"We had even earlier indications before we kicked off the season that we might have some financial issues because our memberships were down around 12 per cent."


Blues appoint new chief

July 17, 2007

FORMER Star City managing director Jim L'Estrange has been appointed as the new chief executive of New South Wales Rugby.

L'Estrange, 50, a former Sydney University captain, began work today following the sudden resignation of Fraser Neill yesterday in the wake of the Waratahs' woeful Super 14 season.

"Jim L'Estrange is the right person at the right time for NSW Rugby," said NSWRU chairman Arvid Petersen.

"He will bring a new level of leadership to the organisation.

"The game needs an injection of new ideas and new drive and that's what Jim brings to the table.

"He's improved market share and efficiency everywhere he's worked and it's that type of ability that we currently need at NSW.

"Our stocks have dipped this year and we need to get back on track fast."

L'Estrange said his business career has prepared him well for his new role.

"I'm used to working in a competitive marketplace and NSW Rugby is certainly in one of those," he said.

Petersen acknowledged outgoing CEO Fraser Neill for presiding over an important period for the game in NSW.

"Fraser's contribution was significant as NSW moved out of ARU administration and back to self-governance and we wish him well in the future," he said.

AAP

[The InnFORCEr]

The first one says he was "sacked" and the second says he "suddenly resigned", which do you think it "really" was?

[hopep]

I'd put my money on Jenkins. AAP tend to report 'sanitised' versions.

They had to find some scape goat after last season.

[frontrow]

I would say he was taken to a quite corner and "advised" to resign, or be sacked...

[Burgs]

Waratahs placed on notice

By Darren Walton
July 17, 2007

New South Wales Rugby Union chairman Arvid Petersen placed Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie and his underachieving Super 14 squad on notice today after announcing former Star City casino boss Jim L'Estrange as the franchise's new chief executive.

L'Estrange, a former Sydney first-grade player, replaced Fraser Neill, who resigned suddenly yesterday as the fallout continued from the Waratahs' worst-ever Super rugby season.

McKenzie's side was decimated by the loss of a clutch of key players, including long-serving captain Chris Whitaker, dual internationals Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor and first-choice locks Dan Vickerman and Al Kanaar, as well as skipper Phil Waugh for much of the season with an ankle injury.

Nevertheless, Petersen said NSW's 13th-place finish - after making the semi-finals in 2006 and final in 2005 - was unacceptable and that Neill had to go.

"There's no such thing as standing still. You're either dying or your growing and, accordingly, the board has decided that new leadership is required at NSW Rugby," Petersen said.

Petersen said he recognised the "fickle" nature of Sydney fans in one of the most competitive sporting marketplaces in Australia and said the onus was on the 50-year-old L'Estrange to revive the Waratahs' on-field and off-field fortunes.

"His prime objectives (is) to improve on our professional program," he said. "There's been a very detailed review of our professional program and it's important that we bring the Waratahs back to a winning way and, importantly, get a Super 14 championship for NSW.

"We deserve that."

Petersen said while McKenzie has the full support of the NSW board, anything but a top-four finish from the Waratahs in 2008 would not be acceptable.

"In the area of professional sport, whether you're coaches or players, you're always measured on performance, so Ewen and all the coaches and players know that performance is the key indicator to their success," he said.

"Our goal is to win the title and we wouldn't be satisfied if we didn't make the semis.

"Ewen and I have talked about this and Ewen clearly feels that we're a semi-final team next year if we're healthy, if the recruits come into light.

"We've got some additions to our coaching staff and all of us at NSW certainly feel we should be back and be a contender and there's no reason why we can't be a winner.

"We're never going to be satisfied not winning."

Meanwhile, Petersen said he had notified ARU boss John O'Neill he would be stepping down from the board of the national body in November to devote his full attention to the NSW cause.

AAP

[chook]

I don't suppose he could do any worse than this season. Having an attack coach re-added to the mix is a good move too. Look out 12th Place, S14 2008!!!

[WF2006]

Look out 12th Place, S14 2008!!!

Never picked you as THAT much of an optimist Chook!

[Burgs]

Brace yourself, we are just going into the spin cycle...

NSW show their hand on Neill's exit

Rupert Guinness
Wednesday, July 18, 2007

FRASER Neill spent two months with a noose around his neck before his sudden resignation as chief executive of NSW Rugby.

That situation was revealed yesterday as Jim L'Estrange was named as his successor.

On May 28, NSW Rugby chairman Arvid Petersen told the Herald there was no truth to rumours that more officials in the union would follow the departure of commercial and operations manager David Gibson.

But yesterday, at the presentation of L'Estrange as NSW Rugby's new boss, Petersen said he first contacted the 50-year-old former managing director of Star City regarding Neill's position "a couple of months ago".

Neill resigned on Monday afternoon, and Petersen said the parting was by mutual agreement. But Neill's days were numbered as soon as NSW Rugby completed an across-the-board performance review after a Super 14 season in which the Waratahs finished a worst-ever 13th and experienced a record drop of home crowds and revenue.

"What's important for NSW now is that we have to take our organisation to a new level," Petersen said.

"We felt as a board that that required new skills, a different type of leadership."

Petersen credited Neill, who joined NSW Rugby in 2004, with guiding the union through its transition back to independent control following its administration under the Australian Rugby Union after it went bankrupt.

But the NSW board felt Neill failed this year in helping the union establish "three pillars for our continued success in the future".

Those pillars were "to develop a winning culture, grow and expand the game at grassroots level, and to ensure financial sustainability moving forward", Petersen said. "In all those areas we stalled this year. In our competitive sporting environment we cannot afford to stand still because in my view there is no such thing as standing still. You are either dying or you are growing."

L'Estrange, a former first-grade player for Sydney University who became friends with John O'Neill when the ARU chief executive coached there, was picked from a short list of candidates.

Petersen cited as L'Estrange's key attributes his "passion" for rugby and his managerial experience with Westpac and Citibank Australia that preceded his three years at Star City.

He also warned the under-performing Ewen McKenzie-coached Waratahs that their results must improve too.

"In the area of professional sport, whether you're coaches or players, you're always measured on performance," he said.

"Our goal is to win the title and we wouldn't be satisfied if we didn't make the semis.

"Ewen clearly feels we're a semi-final team next year if we're healthy, if the recruits come into light. We've got some additions to our coaching staff and I think all of us at NSW certainly feel we should be back and be a contender. There's no reason why we can't be a winner. We're never going to be satisfied not winning."

Petersen also admitted that in professional sports, revenue potential was dependent on the team's success.

"We have to get the balance right between the professionals and grassroots," he said. "But equally we have to recognise that in today's professional environment the majority of revenue comes from the elite rugby team."

[hopep]

Brace yourself, we are just going into the spin cycle...

NSW show their hand on Neill's exit

Rupert Guinness
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
"In the area of professional sport, whether you're coaches or players, you're always measured on performance," he said.

Would someone like to send a copy of this to the ARU selectors. Its a novel approach they may not have considered to date.