Australian Rugby -- Latest News

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Rugby Australia chairman pushed to step down after Rugby World Cup Disaster

Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has been urged to resign from his role after a move was made against his leadership on Friday.

It was led by chairman of Queensland Rugby Union, Brett Clark, and comes after the Wallabies’ worst Rugby World Cup campaign in history, with them exiting at the pool stages for the first time.

The poor tournament culminated in the resignation of Eddie Jones as head coach, who only lasted 10 months of his five-year deal.

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‘Everything was unanimous’: RA board was united in belief McLennan had to go

New Rugby Australia chairman Daniel Herbert has revealed he and fellow board members had voted unanimously to end Hamish McLennan’s three-year reign late on Sunday night, deciding the code could no longer prosper under his leadership.

The RA board voted to remove McLennan following a series of meetings and phone hook-ups over the weekend that were sparked by a letter of no-confidence being sent on Friday on behalf of six member unions.

“We feel that moving forward the game requires everyone to unite,” Herbert said on Monday. “We felt that would only be achieved with a change of chair.”

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Eddie Jones finally says what he really thinks about ‘deceitful’ Sir Clive Woodward

Eddie Jones has provided a withering assessment of Sir Clive Woodward as he opened up on why the relationship between the two became strained.

While the 63-year-old was in charge of England, Woodward became a huge critic of the Australian, especially following the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Although some of it may have been justified as the Red Rose performances dipped after the global tournament, Jones felt there was an ulterior motive to his constant barrage.

Woodward wanting England job
“He hasn’t coached since 2005 and he’s the ‘world’s best coach.’ You’re the world’s best coach when you don’t coach. What’s the old thing, the man in the arena?” he told James Graham’s The Bye Round podcast.

“He’s consistently criticising. We had a bit of a thing when we were England and Australia coach, but his great gripe is that he wanted to be director of rugby at England.

“He wanted to oversee it and he never got that job. After the World Cup in 2019, he ran an internal campaign with the RFU to take that position and he did it behind my back and I thought it was quite sneaky and deceitful.”

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‘Something I needed’: Salakaia-Loto returning to Australia with point to prove

New Rebel Lukhan Salakaia-Loto is out to deliver success to the Melbourne-based club as he reflects on his return to Australian Rugby.

Salakaia-Loto departed the Reds at the end of 2022, taking up an opportunity with English club Northampton.

Bursting onto the international scene as a 21-year-old, the lock was one of the more established players in a Queensland system undergoing a youthful roster overhaul.

It meant the 30-Test lock had to step up as a mentor for the likes of Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson whilst still trying to develop his own game.

However, the move to the Saints allowed Salakaia-Loto to test himself in a new environment whilst picking the brains of fellow lock/backrower and English superstar Courtney Lawes.

“It was something that I needed, probably something that I realised I needed until I was actually over there experiencing it all,” he said via the That’s Right Rugby Podcast - The Melbourne Rebels official Podcast.

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AUSTRALIAN RUGBY​

 

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Maddocks' Pau take shock Top 14 lead as Laporte loses on return

Australian fullback Jack Maddocks' Pau have stormed to the top of the Top 14 ladder after a thumping 30-6 win over Stade Francais.

Uncapped English fly-half Joe Simmonds slotted 15 points as the surprise packages won their sixth straight game.

Maddocks has been a standout for the Pau, who are usually involved in the relegation scrap, scoring four tries in seven games. This included a double against Lyon, which had him tied for top tryscorer before France winger Damian Penaud became the first player to score four tries in a Top 14 game since 2018 as Bordeaux-Begles hammered Perpignan 46-22.

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