Lorenzo
Colin Windon (37)
Mystery surrounds the background of the Australian Rugby Union official at the centre of the latest Kurtley Beale incident, which has had the troubled star dropped from the squad to play Argentina on Sunday.
Di Patston, the Wallabies team business manager, has returned to her home in Manly after being engaged in a midair slanging match with Beale as the team travelled from Johannesburg in South Africa to Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Patston works closely with Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie, who first employed her as an administrative assistant during his tenure at the Queensland Reds. She then followed McKenzie to the ARU in July last year, where her role was expanded to include managing the full playing squad and staff, managing the team budget, finance and logistics and, significantly, human resources and disciplinary matters.
On her LinkedIn page, which was first heavily edited, and then removed completely late on Thursday, Patston stated she joined the Reds in February 2011 after 11 years working as a "Snr Audit and Compliance Officer" with the "Australian Federal Misconduct Commission".
Inquiries by Fairfax Media were unable to establish the existence of any such body – past or present – or what function it may have served. Patston's Facebook page was also deleted after calls were made to the ARU, Queensland Rugby Union and her husband Wayne, who lives on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Wayne Patston said he had been told not to comment on the matter. Requests to make contact with Di were unsuccessful.
The LinkedIn page cited degrees from the University of Sydney in Business Administration (2003-2005), Behavioural Science (2005-2008) and a degree from Queensland's Griffith University in Criminology and Criminal Justice (2009-2011).
A spokesperson for the University of Sydney told Fairfax Media there was no record of Patston studying at the institution during that period, while sources also said there was no record of her enrolment at Griffith University, although the institution was unable to comment as there remains a possibility all of her study was completed under a different name.
Patston was known to be a key member of the McKenzie entourage, with one player describing her as "untouchable" within the Wallabies set-up.
The ARU is continuing its investigations into the incident.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/australia-rugby/di-patston-official-at-centre-of-kurtley-beale-incident-has-long-history-with-ewen-mckenzie-20141002-10p5wr.html#ixzz3EzTLv8cV
Di Patston, the Wallabies team business manager, has returned to her home in Manly after being engaged in a midair slanging match with Beale as the team travelled from Johannesburg in South Africa to Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Patston works closely with Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie, who first employed her as an administrative assistant during his tenure at the Queensland Reds. She then followed McKenzie to the ARU in July last year, where her role was expanded to include managing the full playing squad and staff, managing the team budget, finance and logistics and, significantly, human resources and disciplinary matters.
Di Patston in a Wallabies team photo at Manly in June. Photo: Facebook
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The LinkedIn page cited degrees from the University of Sydney in Business Administration (2003-2005), Behavioural Science (2005-2008) and a degree from Queensland's Griffith University in Criminology and Criminal Justice (2009-2011).
Gone: Di Patston's LinkedIn profile.
Patston was known to be a key member of the McKenzie entourage, with one player describing her as "untouchable" within the Wallabies set-up.
The ARU is continuing its investigations into the incident.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/australia-rugby/di-patston-official-at-centre-of-kurtley-beale-incident-has-long-history-with-ewen-mckenzie-20141002-10p5wr.html#ixzz3EzTLv8cV
