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Thread: John O’Neill courted for key rugby role

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    Immortal Contributor The InnFORCEr's Avatar
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    John O’Neill courted for key rugby role

    12:00AM December 9, 2019



    Former Rugby Australia boss John O’Neill has been approached to take over as chairman of the struggling code but is understood to be asking to pick his own CEO and board to get the game back on track and negotiate a new broadcast deal.

    The movements come as Optus focuses on landing European football rights and Socceroos World Cup qualifiers ahead of rugby union rights under new CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin.

    Rugby Australia is preparing to kick off negotiations with broadcasters for its new rights package, with a tender document due to be sent to broadcasters in mid-January outlining the auction process. While RA chief executive Raelene Castle previously walked away from a Foxtel offer believed to be worth around $20m for the domestic rugby rights, Foxtel is yet to decide whether to enter the new round of rugby rights negotiations.

    Last week Rugby Australia settled its long-running legal feud with Israel Folau in a multi-million-dollar settlement that could now accelerate the departure of chair Cameron Clyne.

    While Clyne is set to step down in March at RA’s AGM, board members are understood to be pushing for an earlier departure, with both the Wallabies coach and the Folau issues resolved. It is understood several board *members have approached *former ARU chief executive and FFA boss O’Neill about returning to the game, which he led in *Australian rugby’s most suc*cessful period between 1995 and 2003, and again between 2007 and 2013.

    Several are also understood to be pushing for Castle to be replaced as CEO at the same time, with former Wallaby captain Phil Kearns consistently mentioned as a contender.

    Those familiar with negotiations say O’Neill has made it clear he would only return if he were given the right to choose the CEO, the board and have no board elections for four years.

    A similar approach was taken with former FFA boss Frank Lowy when he gave O’Neill the job of turning around the Football Federation Australia — leading to the most successful period in the Socceroos’ history.

    When contacted, O’Neill declined to comment on any talks and whether he would take the chairmanship, but told The Australian the game needed to know “what it is selling”, and urged a more streamlined Super Rugby competition with only Australian, New Zealand and maybe a Japanese team.

    “Could someone in the broader marketplace please tell us what the proposed competition will look like from 2021? Has any consideration been given to reforming Super Rugby as we know it as a tighter zone rugby competition that excludes South Africa and Argentina?” O’Neill said.

    He also urged Rugby Australia to sit down and talk with billionaire Andrew Forrest about how his Rapid Rugby tournament could be incorporated into Super Rugby’s plans.

    “Has anyone engaged Andrew Forrest to see what the options are for constitution of a new rugby competition and how his ‘Rapid Rugby’ competition could be compatible? The Wallabies winning 75 per cent of their matches is critical, but the game shopfront is Super Rugby, and this is the most competitive sports market in the world.”

    Rugby officials are keen to find a free-to-air partner for Super Rugby but interest has been lukewarm after preliminary discussions with all broadcasters.

    Meanwhile, The Australian understands Optus is on the verge of securing rights for three more European football competitions, believed to be the German, Spanish and Italian leagues, currently showing on BeIn sports.

    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/bus...133dbe03cabdb8

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    Hell no!! A lot of the current rot started under him! And in NO WAY should any incoming Chair choose his own CEO and board! What an utterly ridiculous proposal.

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    What a depressing thought!!! We need to go forward not back...

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    Champion andrewM's Avatar
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    Hugh has a pretty good take on it

    http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/the...o-high-heaven/

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    He does. But didn't mention the usual suspect at News Ltd who isn't in on the hatchet job. Wayne Smith seems to miss out on quite a lot of memos over there.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alison View Post
    Hell no!! A lot of the current rot started under him! And in NO WAY should any incoming Chair choose his own CEO and board! What an utterly ridiculous proposal.

    Your not welcome in the sports media man! You think Pulver and Catle are trouble , wait until this idiot gets back in if he does

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    Legend Contributor blueandblack's Avatar
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    Not sure where to put this, but this place will do. Story in The Guardian today

    Is Australian rugby in danger of experiencing a leadership vacuum?

    Isn't that what we've had for a number of years already?

    Anyway, it starts like this -

    "With a new coach comes the temptation to install a new captain, but there are not many alternatives to Michael Hooper

    There has been much speculation about how the Wallabies will play under new coach Dave Rennie and who his assistants will be, but little mention of the most important role in the team – the captaincy.

    Perhaps, it is assumed that incumbent captain Michael Hooper will continue in the role he has performed for the last three years. Hooper is well regarded. Mature beyond his years when he arrived on the Super Rugby scene with the Brumbies in 2010, he was only 22 when he led the NSW Waratahs to their maiden title in 2014, taking over from the injured Dave Dennis mid-season.

    When former captain Stephen Moore announced his intention to retire from Test rugby in 2017, Hooper was immediately given the armband. Since then, with a work-rate second to none, Hooper has led the Wallabies by example. But with the change of coach, is it also time to reconsider the captaincy?

    Hooper was closely associated with Michael Cheika, perhaps more so than any other player, and the ball-in-hand style of game the team played. Last year, under the their joint leadership, the Wallabies experienced their worst season since 1958, winning just four of 13 Tests.

    The Wallabies then produced their poorest result at a World Cup in Japan, losing a key pool match to Wales before being eliminated by England in the quarter-final. Cheika’s selections and tactics in Japan were heavily criticised. Having vowed to step down if Australia did not win the tournament, he did not seek re-appointment, but there was little chance of that happening."

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    I quote our good friend, moderator and post leader Burgs

    Rugby Captains dont wear armbands, thats a soccer thing.

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    Champion andrewM's Avatar
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    wise words as always Sensei X

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