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It depends on how ‘executive’ the Chair wants to be I think. Clyne wanted full control when Chair and so both Pulver and Raelene had their wings well and truly clipped. Pulver was not up to the job in any way and deserves the puppet tag, but Raelene doesn’t in my opinion. She tried to do a lot but was blocked by Clyne at every turn.
John O’Neill was the worst thing ever to happen to rugby, for mine. The current rot all started with him and was then perpetuated under Pulver, Clyne and Clarke (when he was COO.)
Where I do somewhat agree with you is in relation to the power Clarke thinks he can wield. I say thinks because I reckon McLennan is his own man. Having said that, the fact that Tim North is now on this sub-committee revamping the constitution does suggest that McLennan is taking advice from Clarke, which is a definite concern.
If Clarke gets the CEO gig on a permanent basis, I will eat all my words and agree with you wholeheartedly!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan tells NZ: The ball is in your court
Paul Cully
05:00, Aug 09 2020
Australian rugby boss Hamish McLennan is adamant that keeping five Australian teams in a future Super Rugby competition is a “blood red” negotiating line that Rugby Australia simply will not cross, making it likely that New Zealand Rugby will either have to soften its stance or risk going without an international partner in 2021.
In an extensive interview with Stuff, McLennan also outlined his own vision for the tournament, said the chances of New Zealand being offered some hosting rights at the 2027 Rugby World Cup were diminishing, and put the ball firmly in New Zealand's court as Rugby Australia prepares to test the broadcast market for its own domestic competition.
“There are no resolutions anywhere,” McLennan told Stuff about the ongoing trans-Tasman talks.
“[Rugby Australia] CEO Rob Clarke is chatting with [NZ Rugby CEO] Mark Robinson, and we’ll hopefully see where it lands in the next couple of weeks.
“We have an opportunity to create a world-class competition, but I’m not going to cut my way to greatness.”
New Zealand Rugby announced plans in July to establish a new 8-10 team Super Rugby competition, a plan that would have required Australia to cut at least two teams to participate.
While that was seen as a preferable high-performance outcome on this side of the ditch, the frequently divided Australian rugby community was galvanised in opposition, with several Australian sources telling Stuff they viewed New Zealand's approach as either naive or arrogant.
As a result, McLennan has been open to Australia going its own way, and said discussions about Rugby Australia's next broadcast deal were imminent.
“We will go to the market very soon for our broadcast negotiations for next year and beyond, and we will present a domestic only competition and a cross-Tasman one,” he said.
“We need to get an indication from New Zealand very soon about what they want to do, otherwise we’ll be forced to go the domestic route.
“I think it's 50-50 at the moment. It's in the balance.
“I would dearly like to do something with New Zealand, with a bigger concept that is better for our collective Super Rugby teams, but I can't control what New Zealand think or do, so we're forced to go down the domestic route.
“And, I’m pragmatic about that.”
It's understood NZ Rugby holds justifiable fears about playing depth in Australia, and the desire to include Pacific Islands team puts further pressure on Australia.
However, McLennan said New Zealand should take a longer-term view, pointing to a strong year for the Junior Wallabies in 2019, and Australia's determination to improve the Wallabies under Dave Rennie.
“We're not as good as we would like to be, but we’re not as bad in terms of where the game’s going to be in the long term,” he said.
“We’ve got a proud and long history of rugby, and we’re going to dig in and fix it.”
McLennan also appealed to NZ Rugby to embrace fresh thinking, and to take this chance to bring new supporters to the game with a 10-12 team Super Rugby competition, run by its own commission and management structure, that would be a magnet for private equity money.
As a former executive of Australian TV network Channel 10, McLennan was an architect of the successful Big Bash cricket competition, and he sees some similarities with rugby.
“We put a lot of money, over $100 million, when I was at Channel 10 into Big Bash,” he said.
“Most people in the conservative element in the game said, 'that's a dumb idea, you’re going to ruin test cricket, it's not going to work’.
“So while it’s not a direct comparison with what we’re trying to do with rugby, rugby needs to innovate and do things differently.
“What it did was bring young kids and women, and people who are sitting on the fringes of cricket, back into the game.”
However, one possible sweetener that Australia could have offered New Zealand – some co-hosting rights should it win the bid to hold the 2027 Rugby World Cup – appears to be slipping off the table.
“I have been open to it, but it is predicated on genuine cooperation, and the current mood doesn't fill me with a whole lot of hope,” McLennan said.
“And we’re hearing from World Rugby that they would prefer a single host nation, so we’ll see.
“There's a little bit to think about."
https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300077326/rugby-australia-chairman-hamish-mclennan-tells-nz-the-ball-is-in-your-court
Last edited by Ham105; 09-08-20 at 08:09.
RA seem to be rather confident they’re getting the World Cup pitch. You would think priorities should be with finding some money & a broadcast deal first.
It's my understanding that they think getting the world cup IS finding some money.
Typical of Rob Clarke to chase money that is behind a door that costs a significant amount of money to get through, carries no guarantees and costs a further significant amount of money before the dividend is paid.
C'mon the![]()
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I really don’t know how RA can possibly take a 4-country “Super 8” product to market when the only Union that has agreed to play in it so far is itself. What utter pie in the sky bullshit.
Mind you, the whole package seems like bullshit to me. Clutching at straws at the eleventh hour when even without COVID the product they’re spruiking is third rate viewing that less than 1% of the viewing public actually want to watch.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
There is nothing new in Clarke's collection of brain farts that has not been posited by multiple posters on here, GAGR or The Roar, with the exception of a knock-off "Origin" series. The trick is whether anyone has the appetite to buy any of it. The "Origin" series is the least likely of the lot in that department.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
I think RA would make great vacuum salesmen-they’re great at blowing hot air and trying to sell it.
Looking a bit like the same-old, same-old spin and bullshit from Clarke........
Clarke told the Herald on Tuesday evening there had been an “overwhelmingly positive” response from broadcasters and that any suggestion a frontrunner had emerged was nothing more than “scurrilous rumours”.
“I’m delighted with the feedback," he said. "I’m confident we’ll be able to pull together on all fronts.”
Optus sources said a deal was nowhere near being finalised, while a Network 10 source said the company had barely looked at the tender documents sent on Monday.
However, informal interest has been relayed back to RA about Network 10 remaining as rugby's free-to-air partner.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...11-p55kq2.html
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
It makes me think of the scenario where that annoying sales rep keeps calling you, and to get rid of them you say “Yeah, that sounds great, will let you know....” And then they runaway thinking they’ve made a deal.![]()