Terms of Reference for a Senate Inquiry into the Future of Rugby Union in Australia

[sittingbison]

...A meeting was requested by the ARU, through Tourism WA to meet with the Minister
for Tourism to discuss the ARU s desire to explore the opportunity to bring forward
funds from the Bledisloe Cup Event in 2019. The meeting was scheduled and held on
Tuesday, 6 June 2017 and attended by Mr Bill Pulver, representing the ARU....

so the slimy wankers were asking the WA Govt to give them taxpayer money AFTER announcing IN PUBLIC they were going to axe the Force

[Bakkies]

so the slimy wankers were asking the WA Govt to give them taxpayer money AFTER announcing IN PUBLIC they were going to axe the Force

They had to contribute towards those unit trusts

[UAUdiver1959]

How do we find out when/if other franchises ask for money/loans/advances from the ARU? Do we have to wait for their annual report or media leaks?
I will bet my house on the Rebels have already asked and received extra funding.
I will bet my car that no other franchise will be made to enter into an alliance agreement.

[UAUdiver1959]

The new $20m RugbyAU headquarter is described as being at the Moore Park sporting precinct which is, “The precinct is home to all NSW Waratahs home games, the Sydney Sevens and one Wallabies Test per year.”

So I guess the NSW boys won't be complaining too much....

[jono]

Well done David Hawkins!!

This board did not support Ewen McKenzie and supported Beale and Hooper who knifed him. This allowed them to move Cheika in to replace the ex Reds coach.
This board paid Imperium Sports Mismanagement $6m + $750k + $1.8m in creditors without any due diligence (unit trusts??)
This board wrote off MRRU $13m in loans
This board wrote off Brumbies loan of $1.4m
This board paid Pocock his annual salary of $750,000 for his sabbatical year off (and to play in Japan for a few more dollars).
This board paid to bring Beale ($600k) and Genia ($500k) back to Australia when Cheika requested it.
This board spent $20m on a new Rugby Headquarters in Moore Park.
Now this board allowing Israel time off instead of fulfilling his Rugby contract and he still gets his ARU top-ups.

This board is inept and money drunk. They are not fulfilling their own directorial duties, they don't know if they are solvent, almost insolvent or what they are lending the other unions. They have spent countless millions on 13 reviews into Rugby and only implement the one that cost us our club.

NOTHING has been spent on grass roots, revenue from grass roots players has been spent at the management level.

David Hawkins is absolutely spot on. This board has to go.

THAT is why the ARU is broke and will remain border line insolvent.

Folau taking time off is actually him fulfilling his contract.
He had an option to take a short term deal in Japan but chose not to, instead opting for a break - his first extended one in 10+ years.
His ARU top up would have his factored into the contract renumeratuon, he will also not get matc payments while he isn’t playing.
I’m as anti ARU as the next person here, but we should still be accurate

[JSJ]

The new $20m RugbyAU headquarter is described as being at the Moore Park sporting precinct which is, “The precinct is home to all NSW Waratahs home games, the Sydney Sevens and one Wallabies Test per year.”

So I guess the NSW boys won't be complaining too much....

the NSW gov did put in $10mil to be fair. Fed Gov $5mil and ARU $5mil from memory.

But blowing $5mil of ARU money, when they are in such dire financial straits, that they needed to axe the Force.
And of the $5mil federal money, probably $1mil+ came from WA Taxpayers & WA GST etc.

[sittingbison]

the NSW gov did put in $10mil to be fair. Fed Gov $5mil and ARU $5mil from memory.

But blowing $5mil of ARU money, when they are in such dire financial straits, that they needed to axe the Force.
And of the $5mil federal money, probably $1mil+ came from WA Taxpayers & WA GST etc. And of the NSW gov $10mil, probably $6mil went into paying off Cox's debts back home in UnZud

fixed it for you JSJ, no charge

[Bakkies]

How do we find out when/if other franchises ask for money/loans/advances from the ARU? Do we have to wait for their annual report or media leaks?.

Waiting for both usually with the Reds you usually just have to put two and two together to realise they have screwed themselves.

[Bakkies]

Can anyone recall if de Clyne had any questions on notice from his 'testimony?' Clarke had around a dozen but he has one only got one up on the Hearing website and that deadline has past.

[jackster]

How do we find out when/if other franchises ask for money/loans/advances from the ARU? Do we have to wait for their annual report or media leaks?
I will bet my house on the Rebels have already asked and received extra funding.
I will bet my car that no other franchise will be made to enter into an alliance agreement.

It is all hidden under their confidentiality agreements, but I suspect you are correct. These sort of things should be tabled so that stakeholders are aware of the true financial situation of the clubs and the ARU. Keeping it all secret is what allowed the ACT Brumbies land deal to go sour - and two years later we are still waiting for the investigation to reveal what happened; also the incredible sale of the Rebels with so much money paid to them with no performance hurdles (according to Senator Reynolds) ! Wow, what a deal. Either the ARU are truely incompetent (which is MHO), or it is hard to manage a national sports organisation (in which case they are out of their depth and need to be replaced). So, yes, lets table the extra payments to franchises each quarter, lets be transparent and accountable - if they have done the right thing, then stakeholders will support them.

[sittingbison]

jackster you can include in those opaque deals the "grounds for hire" with the Tahrds where as far as we know the investigation is STILL underway (now at presumably the bottom of Sydney Harbour) , and the first sale of the Rebels from the first private owners back to the ARU (where huge debts had been accumulated and guess what...forgiven). And also (first I heard about it) a $1.6m loan to the Brumbies that was not repaid mentioned I think in submission 15?

But strangely, what was never kept opaque were dealings with the Force, such as the Kanaar fine, Firepower fiasco etc.

[Bakkies]

It is all hidden under their confidentiality agreements, but I suspect you are correct. These sort of things should be tabled so that stakeholders are aware of the true financial situation of the clubs and the ARU. Keeping it all secret is what allowed the ACT Brumbies land deal to go sour - and two years later we are still waiting for the investigation to reveal what happened; also the incredible sale of the Rebels with so much money paid to them with no performance hurdles (according to Senator Reynolds) ! Wow, what a deal. Either the ARU are truely incompetent (which is MHO), or it is hard to manage a national sports organisation (in which case they are out of their depth and need to be replaced). So, yes, lets table the extra payments to franchises each quarter, lets be transparent and accountable - if they have done the right thing, then stakeholders will support them.

The Canberra Times report regularly about where the team is financially. They put out an article at least six months before the financial report was issued that the Brumbies were going to make a profit. Last year they said that the Michael Jones' case prevented them from making a profit which is what occurred. They usually get most of their Rugby stories spot on unlike the gutter Sydney press

[sittingbison]

Good on the fourth estate, but it's the reporting of the actual organisations that is remiss....including their statutory financial reports.

It was the ARU that made public the Force problems with Kanaar and Firepower

[Bakkies]

On the land deal if anyone was to get in trouble for it it would be the ACT Government they have been making shady land deals for a long time. The ACT Government also know that all land in the ACT is Crown land via leasehold so if you make a purchase you technically don't own the land. That's how the Government which is really a local council makes a mint.

This site shows how messy ACT leasing is http://www.planning.act.gov.au/topics/design-and-build/fees/change_of_use_charge_-_lease_variation_charge

The Brumbies organised a pre paid lease presumably to protect themselves from astronomical property increases. Given that the facility is at the University of Canberra they are never going to own the building

[shasta]

So; David Hawkins and others at the senate inquiry have clearly shown that the current ARU board has acted contrary to the constitution, to my way of thinking at least. IF no actual illegalities can be uncovered, does anyone know where any over sight of their actions might be referred? Or is the matter of abiding by the ARU constitution solely for it's voting constituents to decide in a no confidence motion?