Add Category
Rugby Australia’s push for centralisation has already hit an obstacle, with Brumbies chairman Matt Nobbs slamming RA for its “appalling” treatment in trying to take over the Canberra club, and indicating other member unions in Australian rugby have lost trust in head office.
Nobbs also became the first senior rugby official to publicly say “someone has to be accountable” at RA for the Wallabies’ disastrous campaign at the World Cup.
“We were in a hole three or four years ago, and the only thing that has happened is the hole has got bigger. Someone now has to be accountable,” Nobbs said.
In August, RA announced it had secured in-principle agreement with member unions to build an aligned high-performance structure. RA boss Phil Waugh said different member unions would likely engage at different levels in an RA-led centralised system, and talks with each have been ongoing throughout the World Cup.
But the Brumbies are bristling after a recent meeting with RA, in which Nobbs said the governing body presented a terms sheet with an offer to wipe the Brumbies’ debt if the club relinquished all aspects of its business, including intellectual property. The proposal was rejected, with the Brumbies determined to maintain a locally run club in Canberra.
Mobbs admitted the Brumbies were one of several Australian outfits under financial duress but said it was due to RA cutting funding in 2021. When the Western Force returned to Super Rugby, the other four clubs had grants cut from $5.5 million a year to $3.9 million, and assurances it would go back up have not been met.
Nick Frost celebrates the Brumbies’ opening round victory over the Waratahs in 2023.Credit: Getty Images
“We have said from day one, we are happy to lead the charge [for an aligned high-performance system] and get it sorted. Because everyone accepts there has to be change. We have all seen the results. Things have got to change,” Nobbs said.
“But the issue we have got, is the way we have been treated by RA has been appalling. They had us over the barrel, financially, and the only reason they had us over the barrel goes back to the reduction in funding from the last broadcast deal. The 30 per cent they reduced our funding, by $1.7 million, is the reason that we are in financial difficulty.