With Jones’ resignation meaning the controversial coach, and most of his staff, are no longer part of the Wallabies system, the value of a forensic review is likely to be found in what steps are recommended to ensure a similar train wreck isn’t allowed to happen again.

But many in Australian rugby, particularly among cash-strapped state unions and community rugby groups, were eager for the review to also reveal how much money had been spent on the Wallabies’ pursuit of success at the Rugby World Cup. There has been speculation the budget blew out by over $4 million.

But an RA spokesman the review’s terms of reference had been focussed on the Wallabies’ high-performance structures and strategy, and not a forensic accounting of the program’s spending. Informed sources with knowledge of the review panel’s work did cover the governance and processes behind the Wallabies’ spending, however.

A clearer picture of the total amount spent on the Wallabies in 2023 will only emerge when Rugby Australia publishes its annual report in April, and even then may require detective work to piece together.

At a time when state unions are struggling, several Super Rugby officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they’d been told about wasteful spending on travel, accommodation and a 23-strong backroom staff, which included expensive external consultants.

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In a recent interview, Waugh explained why the Wallabies’ budget had blown out.

“We can go through it in more granular detail but obviously, there was a lot of change in assistant coaches through that period … you would have seen the number of people travelling within the environment, which again has been well socialised,” Waugh said.

“And the preparation into the World Cup, which, if you think about how the economics and how the system works, when 80-85% of our revenue comes from the men’s 15-a-side game, the importance to give every opportunity to a successful World Cup campaign with a new coach and a new coaching team, and a team that was not overly set, it lent to a larger spend than was budgeted. That will come out over time.”

Waugh became chief executive shortly before the Rugby World Cup but he has been on the RA board from 2020, and will face questions for his decisions about Wallabies spending in that role.

The former banker has also painted a clear picture he intends to run Rugby Australia with fiscal restraint, however, and six Rugby Australia staff were made redundant last week.

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