Australian Rugby / RA

[RedsHappy]

That kind of poses an interesting question. What are RAs responsibilities? Contracting for Wallabies, scheduling matches and dealing with the related logistics, a bit of Wallabies marketing, a bit of accounting and governance. What else? There must be loads more given there are 200 employees and the above could be managed by about 10

- additionally Derpus:

- all the Wallaby coaches and direct support staff are in the RA headcount
- Wallaroos support (not large)
- ditto men's and women's 7s programs' coaches etc
- legal and HR for national matters
- minor property admin
- reception and some admin support
- seeking and contracting broadcasters and Wallaby sponsors (though the former is only once every ~ 5yrs and the latter is also typically multi-year)
- the (infamous) High Performance Programs and the new Director of Rugby
- national player-related insurance programs
- website and 'RA communications'
- liaison with WR (World Rugby)

Whatever: and as I've said before, how on earth your list plus mine gets to 147 people in RA is beyond me and, I'm sure, implies a very high degree of excess staffing and/or unnecessary bureaucracy.

For a commentary somewhere else I did a detailed analysis of what I thought professionally was the FTE required to perform the RA tasks identified. I reckon the tasks RA must legitimately perform requires an FTE headcount of ~ 70 max. And that is before we get to the obvious functional and cost replication within and across the local RUs.

 

[Braveheart81]

From Tom Decent:

Breaking: Major cuts at Rugby Australia 33 per cent of full-time staff gone (47 of 142 leaving) Plus another 30 contractors and casual workers Saves $5.5 million in wages Those remaining asked to take 5% base salary pay cut Thoughts with those at RA. Many good men and women

 

[KOB1987]

^^there are a lot of development officers out in the regions too. There are 2 in our zone and I was talking to one of them recently, although they run around in Waratahs kit they are actually on the RA payroll. I assume it’s the same for the other states. Some would say they are unnecessary but they actually do a really good job organising clinics etc, and run the coaching/ref clinics etc. There is probably room for consolidation but we actually need blokes like these out here.

EDIT: I was responding to Redshappy, not BH. That’s sad BH, but inevitable

 

[RedsHappy]

^^there are a lot of development officers out in the regions too. There are 2 in our zone and I was talking to one of them recently, although they run around in Waratahs kit they are actually on the RA payroll. I assume it’s the same for the other states. Some would say they are unnecessary but they actually do a really good job organising clinics etc, and run the coaching/ref clinics etc. There is probably room for consolidation but we actually need blokes like these out here.

EDIT: I was responding to Redshappy, not BH. That’s sad BH, but inevitable

Fair enough too. I would can lots of RA's overhead as I mentioned and happily try to support good in-field development officers of the type you note, provided they were qualified and applied in the right areas.

It's worth noting that - remarkably - it's clear today that not only were there 142 FTEs in RA but on top yet another '30 contractors and casual workers'. No wonder the books don't balance, sheesh.

 

[RugbyReg]

and of course commiserations to many of these very passionate rugby people. The sad part of working in rugby, particularly these lower levels, is that it is overworked and underpaid and the top management rely heavily on the love of the game/ buzz of being involved in sports to work you very hard with limited reward other than the fact you get to say your part of a game you love.

Good luck to these soon to be unemployed folk. It's a terrible time to be unemployed.

 

[RedsHappy]

This appears in RA's media release today plus W Smith's first para lead-in the The Australian:

Clarke said phase two of the restructure was underway and would examine the role of Rugby Australia and the state and territory member union in getting the game out to the community.

“Today we have announced phase one of the restructure of the rugby landscape, and the next phase will focus on the role of
Rugby Australia and the member unions to find further opportunities for savings and efficiencies in the way we deliver our rugby programs and administrative operations across each of our businesses,” said Clarke.

“This second phase involves a significant piece of work that will be managed carefully over the coming months working closely with the leaders of each of the organisations looking at both the delivery of the professional game, and the community game across each state and territory.”

This all sounds like PR speak to cover the fact that - at long last - RA may be biting the inevitable bullet of a big, essential cross-function integration and cost and performance rationalisation of all the local RUs, and their relation to RA's functions and tasks.

I cannot help but think a hard-nosed viability assessment of the Rebels will also be in the mix.

 

[RedsHappy]

and of course commiserations to many of these very passionate rugby people. The sad part of working in rugby, particularly these lower levels, is that it is overworked and underpaid and the top management rely heavily on the love of the game/ buzz of being involved in sports to work you very hard with limited reward other than the fact you get to say your part of a game you love.

Good luck to these soon to be unemployed folk. It's a terrible time to be unemployed.

I would argue that in fact the 'elite' management of the code - certainly within RA - have been vastly overpaid (eg, today is it reported that R Castle will in fact be paid a $114,000 cash bonus that was decided upon by C Clyne _before_ the RWC 2019, FFS) probably at the expense of the very type of 'lower level' employee you identify Reg.

It has been recently and widely reported that RA had in 2020 no less than 15 'senior executive managers'. If RC was on a widely reported $840,000 pa salary you can bet the average pay of those 15 would not be less than ~ $300,000 pa.

 

[Rebels3]

I would argue that in fact the 'elite' management of the code - certainly within RA - have been vastly overpaid (eg, today is it reported that R Castle will in fact be paid a $114,000 cash bonus that was decided upon by C Clyne _before_ the RWC 2019, FFS) probably at the expense of the very type of 'lower level' employee you identify Reg.

It has been recently and widely reported that RA had in 2020 no less than 15 'senior executive managers'. If RC was on a widely reported $840,000 pa salary you can bet the average pay of those 15 would not be less than ~ $300,000 pa.

Mate it might be a day to give it a rest.

 

[Derpus]

I would argue that in fact the 'elite' management of the code - certainly within RA - have been vastly overpaid (eg, today is it reported that R Castle will in fact be paid a $114,000 cash bonus that was decided upon by C Clyne _before_ the RWC 2019, FFS) probably at the expense of the very type of 'lower level' employee you identify Reg.

It has been recently and widely reported that RA had in 2020 no less than 15 'senior executive managers'. If RC was on a widely reported $840,000 pa salary you can bet the average pay of those 15 would not be less than ~ $300,000 pa.

That's coffee money in private sector CEO bonus payments. Even at the executive level most of these blokes do it because they like Rugby.

Rugby is not a profitable enterprise for anyone involved.

 

[KOB1987]

Beth writes the story then posts this.

 

[Rebels3]

That's coffee money in private sector CEO bonus payments. Even at the executive level most of these blokes do it because they like Rugby.

Rugby is not a profitable enterprise for anyone involved.

Sport like non for profit, you’d be looking at receiving 30% less than the real market rate and probably more when you head up the ranks.

 

[Rebels3]

Beth writes the story then posts this.

View attachment 11505

She was one of very few left at rugby.com.au, makes me wonder what will happen to that platform going forward.

 

[RedsHappy]

Mate it might be a day to give it a rest.

Thank you but just skip my posts. So easy to do on a thread scroll-through. Apart from a breach of the site rules no one has a patronising right to start - as you do - instructing others to stop writing X or Y as if 'you know best'.

I'll cease my posting here when I see genuine signs of superior, fair-minded and competent leadership break out in the management of my most-loved sport in this country, vs the opposite.

 

[Derpus]

Thank you but just skip my posts. So easy to do on a thread scroll-through. Apart from a breach of the site rules no one has a patronising right to start - as you do - instructing others to stop writing X or Y as if 'you know best'.

I'll cease my posting here when I see genuine signs of superior, fair-minded and competent leadership break out in the management of my most-loved sport in this country, vs the opposite.

They should certainly be criticized for recent performances. I do think there is a small element of 'you get what you pay for' though. Suggesting that salaries should be even further reduced just means we will get even less competent managers - unless we can nab some managerial genius who wants to do it for funzies (which is unlikely since we chase all our coaches and upper management out with sticks).

 

[KOB1987]

 

[RedsHappy]

They should certainly be criticized for recent performances. I do think there is a small element of 'you get what you pay for' though. Suggesting that salaries should be even further reduced just means we will get even less competent managers - unless we can nab some managerial genius who wants to do it for funzies (which is unlikely since we chase all our coaches and upper management out with sticks).

Mate, respectfully, I would on occasion disagree. I see many, many very competent CEO's in private companies with annual revs of ~ $80-$300m pa on, say, $450,000 - $600,000 pa and doing a great job and only expecting bonuses on hard-edged, measurable, positively-improved KPIs that benefit the whole enterprise.

To say as you have above that 'rugby is not a profitable enterprise for anyone', well, is, say, Cheika's reported $1.2m pa and Rennie's reported $1m pa and Pulver's goodbye bonus of $500,000 (on top of a reported base of nearly $1m pa) and JO'N's goodbye payment of $2.1m (on top of over $1m pa base)......not 'profitable'.

Maybe they are not if raking in say Big 4 or Macquarie Bank salaries etc are your thresholds for 'profitable', but for most people they'd look at RA salaries and say 'that's f-ing profitable'.

 

[Derpus]

Mate, respectfully, I would on occasion disagree. I see many, many very competent CEO's in private companies with annual revs of ~ $80-$300m pa on, say, $450,000 - $600,000 pa and doing a great job and only expecting bonuses on hard-edged, measurable, positively-improved KPIs that benefit the whole enterprise.

To say as you have above that 'rugby is not a profitable enterprise for anyone', well, is, say, Cheika's reported $1.2m pa and Rennie's reported $1m pa and Pulver's goodbye bonus of $500,000 (on top of a reported base of nearly $1m pa) and JO'N's goodbye payment of $2.1m (on top of over $1m pa base)..not 'profitable'.

Maybe they are not if raking in say Big 4 or Macquarie Bank salaries etc are your thresholds for 'profitable', but for most people they'd look at RA salaries and say 'that's f-ing profitable'.

Like who?

And when i say profitable i mean relative to what they would be earning if they wern't pursuing a passion project. Hell even Cheika made a lot more money when in business than as coach.

Anyway, as the post above points out, this isn't about the upper management. It's about everyone else.

 

[formerflanker]

^^there are a lot of development officers out in the regions too. There are 2 in our zone and I was talking to one of them recently, although they run around in Waratahs kit they are actually on the RA payroll. I assume it’s the same for the other states. Some would say they are unnecessary but they actually do a really good job organising clinics etc, and run the coaching/ref clinics etc. There is probably room for consolidation but we actually need blokes like these out here.

Development Officers are the key to rugby's growth and success.
They should be well resourced and numerous and highly visible. We could learn from the AFL in this regard.

 

[RugbyReg]

Thank you but just skip my posts. So easy to do on a thread scroll-through. Apart from a breach of the site rules no one has a patronising right to start - as you do - instructing others to stop writing X or Y as if 'you know best'.

I'll cease my posting here when I see genuine signs of superior, fair-minded and competent leadership break out in the management of my most-loved sport in this country, vs the opposite.

can we get some specifics here? What might those genuine signs be?

 

[Rebels3]

Sarah Friend is gone as well, I have a feeling we might of seen Rugby.com.au for the last time. I honestly don’t know who’s left.