Why defiant McLennan is standing his ground
Why defiant McLennan is standing his ground
Six state unions have handed Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan an ultimatum to resign, but he has vowed to continue in that role.
The unions, led by formidable Queensland, wrote to McLennan and the board of RA, requesting his resignation following a disastrous year that saw the Wallabies lose the World Cup in the group stage for the first time.
Because of their current negotiations with RA, the signatories—ACT Rugby, Rugby WA, NT Rugby, Tasmania Rugby, and South Australia Rugby—did not approach the NSW or Victorian bodies.
The six member unions of RA will call an extraordinary general meeting to adopt a motion to oust McLennan if he does not submit to pressure.
According to reports, McLennan, who the AAP called for comment, intends to fight to save his job.
“This will be the turning point in the rugby battle.” All that matters is money and power, and we have been failing at this for years. The Sydney Morning Herald was informed by McLennan that “we live in interesting times.”
This has to do with values. In reality, they are prioritizing their own interests and local interests over the game.
The shocking development caps off a turbulent time for Australian rugby, which was exemplified by a catastrophic World Cup campaign managed by coach Eddie Jones, who has since left the position.
After coach Dave Rennie was fired and Jones was named, some referred to this as McLennan’s “captain’s pick.”
Additionally, McLennan faced criticism for allegedly paying AU$4.8 million to sign teenage NRL star Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i, which put many existing Test players out of commission.
The letter states, “We do not think McLennan has been acting in the best interests of our game.”
“We have lost all faith and confidence in his ability to lead and the way he is heading rugby in Australia.
Furthermore, we think McLennan has been going beyond the scope of his directorship and improperly influencing Rugby Australia’s executives and operations.
The six unions requesting McLennan’s departure claim they are in favor of a new leader managing the transition rather than being against RA’s centralization plans.
The letter reads, “Over the last 12 months, McLennan has made a number of calls that have damaged our game’s standing and reputation and caused us to doubt his judgment and comprehension of high-performance sport.”
“With all of the unfortunate and public fallout that went along with it, his decisions and ‘captain’s picks’ have directly led to a historic failure at the men’s World Cup and a Wallabies international ranking [of No. 9 in the world] at a historic low.”
The six unions worry that RA might ruin sports if it can’t take advantage of the British and Irish Lions Tour in 2025, the men’s World Cup in 2027, and the women’s World Cup in 2029.
“If we don’t make the necessary changes to the leadership of our game now, these opportunities will be lost and our game will continue to flounder for decades to come,” the letter adds.