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John O'Neill AO Appointed Managing Director & CEO of Australian Rugby
June 07, 2007 - 11:15am
Story by: ARU
The Chairman of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) Board of Directors, Peter McGrath, today announced the appointment of John O’Neill, AO as Managing Director & CEO, effective 28 June 2007.
John O’Neill was previously Managing Director of the ARU from its first days of professionalism in 1995 to the end of the very successful Rugby World Cup held in Australia in 2003.
Peter McGrath said that the ARU Board was unanimous in its desire for John O’Neill to return as head of Rugby in Australia. “The Board is very pleased to have drafted John back to Rugby. Everyone acknowledges his extremely successful track record in sport, firstly with Rugby, culminating in the legendary 2003 World Cup. This was a success financially for Australian Rugby.
Then there was the spectacular success from 2004 to 2006 with the Socceroos and the rise in profile of Football in this country under his leadership,” said Peter McGrath. “The ARU has a very talented new Board and we now have secured Australia’s finest sports administrator.
“There has been a lot of speculation about the CEO role and the Board’s view, even my view, of John. John’s abilities have never been questioned, this was all about process. Over the years we have made great strides in ensuring the off-field management of Rugby is more professional. John in fact started that process in 1995 and saw it through to 2003. Corporate governance continues to be at the forefront of the Board’s agenda.
"We have gone through that process, no one was excluded from the search and we have secured the best person for the job, all in just over a month since Gary Flowers departed as ARU CEO. John will be working with a very experienced senior management team to keep things moving towards the Rugby World Cup in France later this year. I know John has strong views on where Rugby should be going and how it should go about achieving those goals. John has the support of the Board in pursuit of those goals,” said Peter McGrath.
During John’s time at the ARU the Wallabies won a Rugby World Cup in 1999, won the Tri Nations Series in 2000 and 2001, held the Bledisloe Cup for five (5) consecutive years and reached the final of the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Sydney, a tournament that drew worldwide acclaim for its organization and the $45 million windfall generated for Rugby in Australia.
“I will work hard for Australian Rugby to again reach its extraordinary potential,” said John O’Neill. “It is an honour and a privilege to have been invited back. I am very comfortable in the Rugby environment. I recognize that there are many challenges ahead and I need to hit the ground running.
"I can assure everyone, the participants, fans, sponsors, broadcasters and Rugby players at all levels that my total focus and dedication will be to making Rugby great in this country.
“We all want Rugby to be successful in Australia and we want the Qantas Wallabies to continue to be successful in the Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series and in the Rugby World Cup in France in September and October this year.
“The rapid introduction internationally of the new playing laws that have been successfully trialed in a number of places around the world, including at Premier Club Rugby in Brisbane and Sydney, will be a priority. We want the International Rugby Board to have them in place for next year’s Super 14 season.
“I am also aware that the Board has commenced a Fundamental Business Review which will include not just the ARU but each of our Member States. We need to eliminate overlap, replication of activities and we need to direct our resources to where it is most needed, which is in attracting and retaining youngsters to the game of Rugby.
“We need to get our Investec Super 14 teams and the Qantas Wallabies more competitive. To do that we need to develop a greater depth of elite players and the inaugural Mazda Australian Rugby Championship is a key plank in that strategy. Planning for this event is well advanced,” said John O’Neill.
Was the wait worth it - Ya betta baby 
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