Rugby Australia Chairman Blasts Raelene Castle's "faceless" Critics

Rugby Australia Chairman Blasts Raelene Castle's "faceless" Critics

Rugby Australia chairman Paul McLean has thrown his support behind departed CEO Raelene Castle, stating that she was constantly on the receiving end of abhorrent bullying from "faceless people" during her tenure as boss.

 

Castle resigned from her role at Rugby Australia on Thursday with a search for a new CEO officially beginning on Monday while McLean replaces her in the interim. The former Wallabies skipper praised Castle's dedication to the organisation and said it was the criticisms that most people didn't see that prompted her to quit.

"Criticism is easy, being cynical is easy, but decision making is tough," McLean said. 


 

"She was able to do that and do that with some clarity.


 

"She would run through broken glass to get things done, and she has done that."

 

Castle was criticised mainly for her handling of the Israel Folau saga and her initial rejection of the broadcast deal with Fox Sports. The coronavirus pandemic placed added pressure on Castle with 10 former Wallabies captains writing to Rugby Australia earlier this week calling for a leadership change.

 

But it was the criticisms from the "silent forces" that hit the hardest, says McLean.

 

"It's the silent forces, the dark forces that upset me most," he said. "It's the people who didn't ask, didn't know the facts or just one of those faceless people out there that was the damaging thing from her perspective and she shared some of that with me, which I found quite abhorrent.

 

"(If not for the) unwarranted criticism and, in fact, bullying, I think it might have been a different scenario."

 

Speaking to Newstalk ZB yesterday, Castle admitted that "inaccurate" criticisms were difficult to deal with.

 

"It's not easy when you pick up a paper and see things written that are either inaccurate or running an agenda," she said. "But the most important thing is the people around you understand you and support you.

 

 

Since her resignation, New Zealand Rugby released the following statement acknowleding Castle:

 

"New Zealand Rugby (NZR) would like to acknowledge the commitment, hard work and dedication Rugby Australia Chief Executive, Raelene Castle has given to rugby in Australia and as our colleague on SANZAAR and at World Rugby.

NZR has always enjoyed a special and close relationship with Rugby Australia and Raelene has worked hard to both enhance and strengthen that. We have enjoyed working with her and are sad to see her go, however we respect her decision to resign.

It says a lot about Raelene’s character that while we consider that she still has much to contribute to Rugby Australia, she has taken an unselfish look at what is best for the game in Australia.

NZR wishes Raelene all the very best and thanks her for her contribution to Rugby."

While Rugby Australia released another statement on Friday:

Rugby Australia has today thanked Raelene Castle for her service to Rugby after more than two years in the role of Chief Executive Officer, following her resignation.



Rugby Australia Chairman, Paul McLean said: “On behalf of the Board I have offered my heartfelt thanks to Raelene for her considerable contribution in what has been a challenging period for Rugby in Australia. These challenges have been amplified for Rugby and other sports recently by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.


“Raelene demonstrated great courage in standing up for the values of the game and had a very positive impact on the sport in the strong relationships that she developed both within the Australian Rugby landscape and internationally.

“There is not a harder-working, more dedicated professional in sports administration and we are sincerely grateful for her leadership and the genuine care she has for the game and the desire to see Rugby succeed at all levels. She did everything she could for that to happen.

“Raelene has guided some great advancements for the organisation and the game in Australia, led by the significant progress made to align the high performance programs across the professional game. This key strategic work will prove to be fundamental in the future success of our Super Rugby and international teams.


“Over the past two years we have also seen double-digit growth in female participation each year, as well as key developments in the delivery of technology and services to grassroots Rugby clubs to enable them to administer their competitions and clubs more efficiently and effectively,” he said.

McLean will take on the role of Executive Chairman for a short period to manage the transition period, while a search for a permanent successor is conducted.

Rugby Australia’s focus moves to the welfare of all staff and players through this challenging time and working alongside its Member Unions and partners as it continues to navigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis and plans for the future.

“The sporting environment in our country has undergone significant change as a result of this issue and there is a need to refocus our strategy to address this changing landscape and ensure all parts of our Rugby community can thrive,” said McLean.


“Work has already commenced on investigating and developing a range of strategies with our Members to secure the game's future, and that process will involve a broad range of stakeholders.


"Our three immediate areas of work are on our financial security, competition structure for this year, and continuing the engagement with our community, partners, media and broadcasters."

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