New boss of Rugby Australia

[Alison]

No, I don’t think it fair to say that Fingertips. She was on a ‘listening tour’ and was hearing things from us that I think she was hearing for the first time. There is nothing she could reasonably have said in response without going back to base and checking things out at that end.

Personally, I would have been much more concerned if she had made commitments there and then based only on what we had told her. That, to me, would have been irresponsible of her and would have demonstrated that she really isn’t interested and was just pandering to us and trying to fob us off.

Obviously, everything I have said is subject to the ‘the proof of the pudding’ caveat. But on face value, and by eyeballing her in that boardroom yesterday, I am happy for now to accept that Raelene is fair dinkum in wanting to mend fences over here. Believe me, as soon as I even sniff a sense of ‘it’s the same old ARU’, I will be on the barricades with the rest of you. I have her business card and won’t be afraid to make contact if I smell a rat.

[valzc]

A few quick words with Hodgo this morning, and he seems pretty confident about everything going through. I asked if Raelene was aware of our side of the story, and he said yes, especially with Karen & Alison giving her the details, although he & Mindaroo are essentially staying apart from all that. I asked if she has the power to implement making the decisions & he said she has & the Board want her to take the lead in things -sounds like Clyne is being shoved aside by the board, in addition to the fact that he is very unpopular inSydney as well. I mentioned must be hard for his family, & I believe his son plays for a Sydney club. Matt commented maybe they should contact him & offer him a spot, LOL! But definitely things look positive-it’s just the waiting is a killer, and ASIC should be making an announcement soon as quoted in the news.

[blueandblack]

See my post above Shasta. I definitely raised the issue of the lies that were told to the Senate and Raelene most definitely heard it. Obviously she could not comment but I am damn sure from the look on her face that she will be following up on that as soon as she gets back to Sydney.

Maybe she should have a copy of the Senate enquiry paperwork to read on the plane.

[Alison]

Maybe she should have a copy of the Senate enquiry paperwork to read on the plane.

I am quite sure she has already got someone on to that.

[GIGS20]

OK, I'll take your comments at face value Alison and Hansie. I wasn't in the room and don't have anything to go on other than my respect and trust in you.

I am concerned that Raelene might feel that a WA team in super rugby in 2020 will fix the situation. I hope to hell you told her that is a fools errand, because nobody here will trust that team to continue.

I think the general public will distrust the ARU from now on, regardless of what they do. There will need to be publicly iron clad contracts in place if they want a fan base for anything beyond IPRC.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but the only good news in nicks piece was the likelihood of an ASIC announcement soon. I would suggest even that might disappoint as its been very quick for them. Hopefully they're announcing that they have seen enough evidence to investigate.

[fulvio sammut]

What makes people here think that a career administrator, with no hands on, base level experience of Rugby, no knowledge of the people involved in the sport in WA, directed as to every move she makes and word she utters by a cabal of unscrupulous, vindictive swine in the East, who has not been in the job more than a few weeks, on probably her first trip to Perth in her life, who values her job, because jobs that pay her sort of salary aren't there for the picking by just anybody with absolutely no knowledge, experience, connections or interest in the sport, who has been told by her superiors to say nothing, smile sweetly, and look like she gives a toss, is going to say absolutely anything worthwhile, meaningful, and of benefit to WA rugby?

But keep on dreaming.

[Hansie]

Fulvio, fully understand your conclusions, please also understand that what I am about to write is in no way a defence.

1. She does have experience of a Sports Administrator, 1 as the national president of New Zealand Netball.
2. She has experience as CEO of a club beholden to a National comp. Cantebury bulldogs.
3. Born in Wagga, rellies in Perth ( Cousins and Uncles/Aunts ) who, according to her comment to me as I was passing by instigated the petition for the RA board to resign and she is spending the weekend with them!!!
4. 3 weeks into her job, we were the first Union she visited and let me say this - the messages she received including from the State Govt. were about as blunt, direct as you can imagine. She was left in no doubt that we feel the board must go.

There have been some targets, goals and responses she must come back with that will allow us to form the opinion if she is a puppet of Clyne or a breath of fresh air.

[fulvio sammut]

I accept what you say is correct Hansie, I don't know the lady, just what I have read about her, but at the end of the day she is just another employee of the group that crushed WA rugby, crucified the Force, sent Rugby WA into administration, prevents WA rugby from following an alternative, independent future pathway and is arrogantly, publicly, and smugly laughing at us.

I am not prepared to trust a word they say, through whomever they say it, to extend the smallest twig of an olive branch to them, to offer them the most insignificant consideration, or even treat them with the modicum of the respect I would extend to a dung beetle, unless and until they rectify the situation that have created, provide compensation, rid themselves of the insidious cancer at their very heart, and offer WA rugby an unconditional apology and an acknowegment of their wrong doing.

That lady did none of these things.

As the saying goes, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

[GIGS20]

Hear hear

[Darkness]

Well said Fulvio.

Dung beetles are actually quite useful. ARU....... big question mark.

[Kalahard]

Bit harsh on the Dunsborough Dung Beetles, they're a solid bunch down there.

[shasta]

Thanks Alison, Hans & Co. All I hoped from those meetings was that the lady left under no illusions of the absolutey disgraceful conduct of RA. I didn't expect anything concrete from her - at this stage. And I'm still just as hornery and completely distrustful about the whole clusterf@ck as Fulvio.

[cedric rainwater]

Thanks Alison, Hans & Co. All I hoped from those meetings was that the lady left under no illusions of the absolutey disgraceful conduct of RA. I didn't expect anything concrete from her - at this stage. And I'm still just as hornery and completely distrustful about the whole clusterf@ck as Fulvio.

hornery - does that mean you are still disgusted but slightly excited?

arf! i think ornery was the word you were looking for (wasn't it?!?!)

[fulvio sammut]

Cedric, you clearly haven't met shasta, have you?

[AndyS]

The more I think about it, the more I think Castle is seen within RA as just a caretaker CEO to provide a little breathing space after last year. The SMH has already telegraphed the situation - she has been given a single job, which is to bid for the WC.

Which I think is why they picked her. The reality is that if an Australian bid is to be given any credibility, it has to have a national footprint. Which means someone would have to front up in WA and eat shit, when RA never expected to ever be back at all. It couldn't be anyone from within as they wouldn't get through the door, but she wasn't around for the hassle and she isn't part of the establishment. As was the message in her statement about moving on, which was aimed squarely at Forrest and the WA gov't. It was never intended for the fans and RWA, which is why they didn't even make the top half of her to-do list.

But even if she were able to bullshit her way around them and have them come back for seconds, it might not be enough. It is a ludicrous amount of money WR wants these days and it may simply be not possible. It may be that the only realistic option is a joint bid with NZ again, which is another relationship RA have managed right in the proverbial. So again, her being an outsider and a kiwi might just make things possible where anyone else would be told to swim home.

Even so, I don't think they expect to win it; they've been quite clear in the past how and why it is unrealistic for Australia to ever host again. But it is more a labour of Hercules situation - if she manages it, everyone will line up for the credit. If not, no problem, move her on for someone from within the boys club. Probably the person actually negotiating the next version of SR, as there is no way one person will be doing both. And given the state of rugby in Australia, which is more important?

In which case, anything she says about any topic other than the RWC is not worth the paper it is written on. She can say anything to smooth the waters, but I doubt she can actually do anything. My guess is we'll see and hear a lot from her going forward, but scepticism surely has to be the colour of the future. Because even if RA had suddenly somehow changed direction on a dime, it only highlights just how quickly it could change back again.