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Rugby World Cup 2027 the focus for new RA chairman Hamish McLennan
The Springboks celebrate after winning the 2019 World Cup. New Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan is not holding back on efforts to win the bid to host the 2027 tournament. Picture: AP
The Springboks celebrate after winning the 2019 World Cup. New Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan is not holding back on efforts to win the bid to host the 2027 tournament. Picture: AP
EXCLUSIVE
WAYNE SMITH
SENIOR SPORT WRITER
2 HOURS AGO JUNE 15, 20204 COMMENTS
Hamish McLennan has marked his first day as Rugby Australia chairman by announcing a high-powered advisory board headed by News Corp director Rod Eddington to oversee Australia’s bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Rugby union has been in the wars in recent years, but McLennan wasted little time in demonstrating its ability to tap into the top end of town by assembling a seven-person advisory board that includes a former prime minister, John Howard; a former governor-general, Peter Cosgrove; and the most successful Wallabies captain of all time, John Eales.
Intriguingly, the committee also includes the CEO of the Fortescue Metals Group, Elizabeth Gaines. Her presence is further evidence of the growing thaw in the relationship between Fortescue non-executive chairman Andrew Forrest, the Western Force owner, and Rugby Australia.
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That was not, however, the reason Eddington wanted her on the board. “I’ll tell you why I want her … she is a very successful chief executive of one of Australia’s leading companies, Fortescue,” Eddington said. “She is west coast-based so I wanted a bit of geographic diversity and she brings that to the table as well.”
Gaines insisted she was delighted to have been asked.
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“Hosting the Rugby World Cup in 2027 will further bolster Australia’s strong position on the world sporting stage, bringing considerable benefits across the entire economy and I’m honoured to be invited to join the advisory board charged with leading our bid to secure this outstanding opportunity,” she said.
McLennan said last month after being confirmed as RA’s next chairman that he intended making the 2027 World Cup bid one of his key priorities, and he proved that by turning to his friend of the past 25 years to head up the campaign. Eddington, a West Australian by birth, a Victorian by adoption and a rugby fan from his days as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, believes the 2027 World Cup can serve as “a light on the hill” for the game in these troubled times.
“I see that as a challenge because the worst thing we could do is to take it for granted that we are going to get it,” Eddington said.
Rugbys on its knees in Australia, they’ve got no money, players wanting to bail, no broadcast deal, massive debts, complete inability to manage their accounts......and all they’re worried about is hosting a World Cup? And trying to smooch up to Twiggy in hopes of a handout? I guess its more about distraction from those pesky report figures that they still haven’t released. RA - the gift that just keeps giving.