SYDNEY, 01 JUNE 2020 (STUFF NZ) – Kiwi Dave Rennie has a blunt message for Australian rugby: Stop the infighting.
The new Wallabies coach told AFP the public squabbling over the game in Australia was a bad look and needed to stop.
“Things have been a bit messy and that’s putting it mildly,” Rennie said in a video conference call.
“An enormous amount of stuff has come out in the press and that’s one thing I’d like to stop. A lot of discussions need to happen behind closed doors.”
Rennie, who has replaced Michael Cheika, joins the Wallabies after finishing up with Scottish club Glasgow Warriors.
He was hired by fellow Kiwi, Raelene Castle, but she has since resigned as Rugby Australia chief executive after months of internal fighting within the code. There are also growing financial strains on rugby in Australia, not helped by the Covid-19 pandemic.
RA reported a provisional A$9.4 million operating deficit last year and has laid off 75 percent of staff to cut costs during the virus emergency.
Following weeks of wrangling – and having hurdled a raft of obstacles – the NRL rugby league competition has resumed in Australia.
Rennie said Castle had been “bullied the last couple of years” which was disappointing, but he was “committed” to doing the job he has been hired to do.
And he told AFP there were many good things happening in Australian rugby.
“We have got to have a brand that is attractive to kids coming out of school and that is basically the Wallabies playing a really good brand of footie.
“We are ranked seventh in the world and need to be better than that.
“A lot of experienced players have gone post World Cup and now we must identify some guys who will be Wallabies for years to come.”
He praised Cheika and said he’d be keen to catch up with his predecessor so get his views on what had worked, and what they needed to change.
