Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan in danger following tumultuous World Cup campaign

17-11-2023
3 min read
(Getty Images)

Rugby Australia could be set for another major change, with under-fire chairman Hamish McLennan urged to quit his role after a tumultuous World Cup campaign.

After the struggling Wallabies missed the tournament's knockout stage for the first time in history, Eddie Jones stood down as head coach of the side, just 10 months after taking over from Dave Rennie.

His decision has led to increased scrutiny on the RA board to make wholesale changes, with the code's performances both on and off the field in Australia continuing to spiral.

RA's bid to bring in a host of rugby league stars and build for the future has mostly backfired, apart from a multi-million dollar deal for Joseph Suaalii, with the likes of Mark Nawaqanitawase now considering a switch to the NRL instead.

Hamish McLennan urged to quit as Rugby Australia boss

In a joint statement from six of the member unions - including Queensland, ACT and Western Australia - McLennan was heavily criticised for his role in the recent issues and told to quit as the organisation's leader.

"We do not believe Mr McLennan has been acting in the best interests of our game," the statement said. 

"We no longer have any trust or faith in his leadership, or the direction in which he is taking rugby in Australia.

"Additionally, we believe Mr McLennan has been acting outside his role as a director, exerting an undue influence on the operations and executives of Rugby Australia.

"During the past 12 months Mr McLennan has made a series of calls that have harmed the standing and reputation of our game and led us to question his judgement and his understanding of high-performance sport," the letter states.

"His decisions and 'captain's picks' have directly led to an historic failure at the men's Rugby World Cup and a Wallabies international ranking at an historic low, with all of the regrettable and public fallout that came with it.

"If we don't make the necessary changes to the leadership of our game now, these opportunities will be lost and our game will continue to flounder for decades to come."

Australia have a massive few years coming up, with a British and Irish Lions tour scheduled for 2025, before the country hosts the World Cup in 2027. 

Since the departure of Jones less than a year into a long-term contract, RA have yet to appoint a new head coach.