Brumbies CEO Michael Jones has been stood down by the club board tonight.
The news caps an eventful 48 hours after an interview Jones conducted on the weekend where he addressed rumours about his future and discussed attempts from external parties to undermine his tenure.
Jones also addressed the potential defamation case brought against him by University of Canberra Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Parker. The Brumbies are currently located on the University’s campus after moving from their former base at Griffith.
The sale and subsequent move raised eyebrows with Jones saying anomalies were found in the sale transaction and referred them to the AFP for investigation.
ARU CEO Bill Pulver was spotted in Canberra today as the rumour mill started to fly and it was later confirmed he met with the Brumbies.
Brumbies Chairman Robert Kennedy said in a statement “It was with great regret that I informed Michael of the Board’s decision. However, I believe this decision is in the best long term interests of the Brumbies.”
Jones has only been stood down and has the right to challenge the decision. Craig Leseberg the current general manager of community rugby will act as interim CEO but the Brumbies would be unlikely to be searching for another CEO after three in recent years.
If you have a spare 20 minutes, this is the interview from the weekend.
https://soundcloud.com/666abccanberra/brumbies-ceo-michael-jones-tim-gavel-local-grandstand
