Rugby Australia boss's embarrassing admission about $2.6 million World Cup mistake
Former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones was involved in $2.6 million of unauthorised spending on the Rugby World Cup.
Rugby Australia (RA) boss Phil Waugh has revealed former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones was involved in $2.6 million of unauthorised spending on Australia's Rugby World Cup campaign. A review into the Paris failure uncovered millions of "unacceptable" and "unapproved" expenses.
The gross overspend was revealed as Waugh addressed the findings of a review into the biggest World Cup failure in Australian rugby history that saw the Wallabies fail to make the knockout stages for the first time. Waugh confirmed the money was spent on team costs, staff travel and player benefits but said Rugby Australia was unaware of the excess spending until after Jones spectacularly quit to take up the head coaching role with Japan.
Waugh admitted that some "lenience was given in the hope that we would succeed at the World Cup and make it deep into the tournament". "I mean, the reality is that 86 per cent of our revenue comes through the men's fifteens program for Rugby Australia, and a successful World Cup program is critical to that," Waugh continued.
"Delegation of authority is important and clearly, there were breaches in that area and we’ve made personnel changes on the back of some of those breaches. That over-investment, that’s not acceptable and it won’t happen going forward."
Waugh refused to pin the blame directly on Jones or Wallabies World Cup manager Chris Webb, instead insisting that they will ensure it doesn't happen again. "I'm not going to point the finger at one individual," he said. "I think it was a cultural deficiency that we need to rectify."
Rugby Australia say culture is something they must be address
The main conclusion RA came to from the external review into the Wallabies' World Cup performance was that the players and staff's trust had been broken, much of which stemmed from the uncertainty surrounding Jones' leadership. Jones quit just 10 months into his five-year deal and has since signed on as Japan's national coach, despite denying he was interviewed for the Brave Blossoms position before presiding over the Wallabies' worst-ever World Cup campaign.
"The lack of trust certainly comes through and we talk through elements of culture as well as governance there," Waugh said. "The actual specifics of Eddie and the linkages to Japan, not so much. But I think that's the broader lack of trust across the system."
The RA chief said 94 participants from the Wallabies' playing group, coaching staff and support group offered feedback for the review, which has shaped how they will go about things moving forward. "Following the Rugby World Cup last year, we began to systematically apply structural and personnel changes to address a significant number of the improvement opportunities raised in the review," he said.
"Last season was a unique situation with a unique set of circumstances, and it was important for us to hold an external process to get a very detailed and honest evaluation from the stakeholders - especially the players. This will allow us to process the 2023 season and use it to build a stronger Wallabies program.
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"We have been stressing the importance of an aligned and united rugby ecosystem across all levels, and it is essential that the Wallabies lead the way - the Wallabies are an important team to Australia, with a long and storied history. I am confident that this review will help draw a line in the sand as we strive to implement the processes and structures that will drive the Wallabies towards a successful future."
with AAP
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