Radical changes coming for Australian Rugby

Radical changes coming for Australian Rugby
Article Published: Tuesday 29 January 2008
Super14.com - Super 14 rugby


Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill has returned to health but has painted a bleak picture for the future of Australian rugby after undergoing neck surgery in November.

Under O'Neill's past tenure Australian rugby boomed and enjoyed one of the most successful periods in their history. He oversaw the Wallabies winning the rugby world cup and also saw them win a British & Irish Lions tour.

In his first media briefing since resuming work on January 14 said that the ARU management team had spent 2½ days discussing the state of the game in Australia.

"The option of doing nothing can't be contemplated and some very significant radical changes have to be undertaken," O'Neill told AAP.

He said that the ARU was set to report a loss of $7 million to $8 million in April, despite a grant of $7 million from the IRB and that the ARU's reserves had diminished from $35 million after the 2003 World Cup to around $15 million.

"The position is fairly disturbing, the Wallabies over that four year period had a win-loss ratio of 60 per cent compared to the 70-80 per cent they enjoyed in 1998-2003," O'Neill said.

"In the recent World Cup the Wallabies were knocked out in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1995 and our Super rugby teams have only won the title two years out of 12.

"Even worse, the teams that are our heartland of rugby, New South Wales and Queensland have never won a Super rugby championship and were the two bottom teams last year.

"The matches are not providing the entertainment that fans demand."

The ARU chief also spoke of the need to increase the amount of high level rugby and spoke of the ways that the Super 14 could be expanded to possibly two rounds in a home and away format.

"I think our players are very well paid relatively compared to players around the world and in relative terms they are under utilised," O'Neill said.

O'Neill acknowledged that Australia does not own the Super 14 and that any changes to the tournament could only be made with the approval of South Africa and New Zealand. Both countries have other domestic tournaments that fill their calendars.

"The SANZAR partnership is in very good shape, but their needs and our needs inevitably are subtly different," O'Neill said.
O'Neill said that the Wallabies needed to aspire to a win-loss ratio of 75 to 80 per cent which he felt would bring major trophies back to Australia.

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