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Dear Wallabies fans,
With the Wallabies’ 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign coming to end this weekend, on behalf of Rugby Australia I wanted to thank you for your support of the team whilst they represented our nation with pride in Japan.
While we did not get the result we all wanted against England in the Quarter Final, there are many positives to take from the year in Rugby and much to look forward to in 2020 and beyond.
Immediately, now that season 2019 has concluded for the Wallabies, Rugby Australia’s Director of Rugby, Scott Johnson will lead a thorough review of the Rugby World Cup campaign and the 2019 season.
This is an important process which is undertaken at the completion of each tournament or series and this review will continue over the coming weeks, examining all aspects of the Wallabies program from coaching, to physical preparation, player fitness and skills development.
As expected at the end of a Rugby World Cup year, there are a handful of senior players leaving the Wallabies program and coaching staff coming off contract ahead of next year. There has already been much work completed in preparing for the future in this regard, and that work will also continue until the end of the year.
One of the main positions to resolve moving forward is the Head Coach role, with current Coach Michael Cheika’s contract expiring this year. The process for determining the Wallabies Head Coach for beyond 2019 is under way and will also be concluded before year’s end.
A number of positive moves were made throughout the year to shore up a core group of players in the Wallabies squad with skipper Michael Hooper, and up and coming leaders Allan Alaalatoa, Isaac Rodda, Taniela Tupou and teenage Test debutant, Jordan Petaia all signing long-term contracts over the past 12 months.
We will also continue to work on repatriating Australian players with Test experience who have spent time outside our program at overseas clubs in recent years, in order to have the best possible talent at our disposal for the 2020 season and beyond to the next Rugby World Cup.
Beneath the Wallabies level we have had several successes in our elite player pathway in 2019, following a comprehensive overhaul of the national talent management model.
The Junior Wallabies defeated New Zealand Under 20s to take the Oceania U20 Championship crown before falling agonisingly short of a U20 World Championship triumph after going down by the barest of margins to France in the Final. Over 90% of the players in this exciting young squad have been contracted with Super Rugby clubs, and many of these talented youngsters have been secured in Australian Rugby long-term.
Our Australian Schools and Under 18’s team also recently returned from an historic undefeated tour of New Zealand, including a win over the New Zealand Schools team for the first time since 2012. With the vast majority of our Under 20s players contracted, our retention focus has now shifted to this next wave of junior talent.
While player recruitment and retention will continue to be a priority, there is an equal focus on coaching at every level from community grassroots clubs through to Super Rugby, the Wallabies, Wallaroos, and the Australian Sevens teams.
A major focus is the continued development of our current Australian Super Rugby coaches, as well as continuing our efforts to retain our best young coaching talent in the Australian Rugby coaching system to develop the Wallabies, Wallaroos and Aussie Sevens coaches of the future.
While it may take some time for all of these initiatives to bear fruit, we remain committed and confident that the changes we have made to our high performance structures will deliver our teams the capability to perform at a consistently high level over the next four-year cycle.
Announcements regarding our 2020 Test match program for the Wallabies and Wallaroos will be made in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on the Rugby Australia website for further details.
We know that, like us, all Wallabies fans are hurting after the defeat on Saturday but we remain steadfast in our belief that the changes we are making will deliver many brighter days for all Australian Rugby fans.
Raelene Castle
Chief Executive
Rugby Australia
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Whatever Ralene! Not interested unless Cameron Clyne announcing his leaving!!
Paper, meet cracks
C'mon the![]()
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From what I can see absolutely no one has a relationship with chairman he appears true sociopath
The rest of the board need to sacked for their silence and therefore compliance
“Much to look forward to in 2020 and beyond”. Really? Difficult at this stage to see what.
And goodness knows where they will find the money and coaching talent to “repatriate” players who’ve left to earn squillions in England and France and learn better skills from coaches with far more obvious talent than those in Super Rugby in Australia.
And I’m very interested to learn all about the changes they are making to deliver many brighter days for rugby fans in WA.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Didnt Clyne originally say he was leaving after the World Cup? Hurry da fuck up!
Why Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle, chairman Cameron Clyne need to be held accountable for the current crisis
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Monday, 21 October 2019 10:55AM
Rugby Australia’s board needs to fall on their own swords just as departing coach Michael Cheika has done.
Cheika’s failure is their failure.
Before the World Cup, Chief Executive Raelene Castle said anything short of making the final would be unacceptable.
Yet Castle, RA chairman Cameron Clyne and the rest of the board held onto Cheika 10 months ago after the Wallabies’ worst year on record.
More here
https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...ng-b881358652z
Paywalled! Gahhhhh!!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...22-p5337f.html
"The fallout from the Wallabies' quarter-final capitulation to England continued on Tuesday when the touring party were greeted by a sizeable media contingent on their return to Australia.
...
Castle is in Japan for a few more weeks attending SANZAAR and World Rugby meetings and will work to establish the terms of the review."
It is reassuring to know that in spite of the Wallabies' failure at the RWC, the Moet and the caviar canapés will continue to sustain the ARU/RA's hard working C-Suite in Japan. One assumes that Ms Castle et al. will, as compensation for staying on, have best seats for the forthcoming RWC semi-finals and the RWC Grand Final.
It's a tough job, but somebody 's got to do it.