The Awful Truth About The ARU's Financial Position

[Hugh Jarse]

Bravo Scott and your helpers.

I sincerely hope that this "adjustment" and 2011 restatement was a simple result of aligning accounting and reporting procedures to an appropriate standard, and not part of a deliberate and ongoing deception programme of under-reporting year X figures in the year X report where only Year X-1 and X figures are available and then restating year X figures in the year X+1 report where there is no comparison between year X-1, restated year X and year X+1 figures.

I look forward to the Benchmarking exercise tomorrow. Pretty sure that the Lords of Darkness figures are rather heavily scrutinised by the 30 (odd) member unions that that they have.

I'd also like to see a future blog article comparing the ARU Constitution (2013 version) with the NZRU constitution. In many areas NZ leads us politically in terms of egalitarianism, and social policy and reform.

 

[No4918]

Has there been any reporting of this from the likes of the Australian and SMH?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^^ What do you reckon?

The Pie Oven at St Leonards would be permanently closed to any journo who has the journalistic integrity and professionalism to do so.

Same with Fox. We get to see the level of hard hitting edgy "the people have a right to know" tough questions that they ask everytime Dingo and or QC (Quade Cooper) are on their show.

 

[Scott Allen]

^^^^ What do you reckon?

The Pie Oven at St Leonards would be permanently closed to any journo who has the journalistic integrity and professionalism to do so.

Same with Fox. We get to see the level of hard hitting edgy "the people have a right to know" tough questions that they ask everytime Dingo and or QC (Quade Cooper) are on their show.

So, do you think the ARU may not give me media accreditation for the Lions series so I can't get any pies?

 

[cyclopath]

So, do you think the ARU may not give me media accreditation for the Lions series so I can't get any pies?

We know barbarian takes all the pies / sausage rolls anyway.
But in all seriousness, I would bloody hope not.

 

[barbarian]

Nah you only get pies at Waratahs games. At Wallabies games it is generally a thai chicken curry with fresh bread rolls.

Actually this might start to explain why the budget is in trouble.......
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

All I'll say is if JO'N was still in charge, I'd hope you already have your Level 3 Coaching Accreditation and all of your other ARU qualifications up to date.

 

[the baz]

the finances at NSW have gone backwards since to lack of foresight from the board saw it unnecessary to keep Fraser Neil, the CEO who dragged them out of the quagmire and into financial stability. Many changes need to be made at NSWRU from community,to marketing and (lack of) promotions. But no-one wanted to hear that from the inside. Where is Jason Allen. Never see him, never hear from him. Many great staff seem to have left over the years, and the place has gone backwards. When will someone lead the way. too many people at NSW (ARU) IN IT FOR THEMSELEVES, NOT FOR THE GROWTH AND PROMOTION OF THE GAME...

 

[cyclopath]

the finances at NSW have gone backwards since to lack of foresight from the board saw it unnecessary to keep Fraser Neil, the CEO who dragged them out of the quagmire and into financial stability. Many changes need to be made at NSWRU from community,to marketing and (lack of) promotions. But no-one wanted to hear that from the inside. Where is Jason Allen. Never see him, never hear from him. Many great staff seem to have left over the years, and the place has gone backwards. When will someone lead the way. too many people at NSW (ARU) IN IT FOR THEMSELEVES, NOT FOR THE GROWTH AND PROMOTION OF THE GAME.

Think your wires are crossed - this is the ARU, not the NSWRU or Waratahs Inc.
May want to rant in the appropriate thread, perhaps. Not detracting from the point you are trying to make.

 

[blues recovery]

Agree Fraser was an excellent CEO, just as Link was also an excellent Coach. They just didn't suck up enough to the Private School boy Board.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

There's a comment on the front page that suggests that there was no net increase in expenditure.
if I am following this correctly, and there is a distinct possibility I am not, the restatement of the 2011 figures puts the comparison on an equal footing, does it not? if so why is one note entitled to look at the 2 years and be gobsmacked at the difference.
I can feel an Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman, moment coming on.

 

[Sidbarret]

There's a comment on the front page that suggests that there was no net increase in expenditure.
if I am following this correctly, and there is a distinct possibility I am not, the restatement of the 2011 figures puts the comparison on an equal footing, does it not? if so why is one note entitled to look at the 2 years and be gobsmacked at the difference.
I can feel an Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman, moment coming on.

A blind man driving an overpriced car recklessly with no thought for the younger generation? Good metaphor for rugby governance in the SH.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

A blind man driving an overpriced car recklessly with no thought for the younger generation? Good metaphor for rugby governance in the SH.

Our rugby governance is worse than yours

 

[Scott Allen]

The argument that there has been no increase in expenditure relies on a guess that 2010 corporate expenditure may have been the same as has now been revealed for 2011.

Without guessing all we can do is rely on the expenditure disclosed by the ARU which is $8.65 million for 2010, $14.70 million in 2011 and $16.91 million in 2012.

If the ARU make an announcement revising the 2010 number, it may well turn out that there was no increase but at the moment that's a guess. The numbers disclosed by the ARU shown above show that the 2012 corporate expenditure is 95% higher than 2010.

 

[Bowside]

Brilliant articles of late Scott. You wouldn't look out of place as a rugby writer at news or fairfax. Better than some of the tripe they currently serve up.

 

[Scott Allen]

Thanks - the final part of the article will be published tomorrow.

There are some more revelations - this time regarding the cash position.

The benchmarking against the NZRU shows how weak the ARU's current position is but the strategic priorities of the NZRU do offer some hints of how the ARU can improve Australian rugby.

 

[Sidbarret]

Thanks - the final part of the article will be published tomorrow.

There are some more revelations - this time regarding the cash position.

The benchmarking against the NZRU shows how weak the ARU's current position is but the strategic priorities of the NZRU do offer some hints of how the ARU can improve Australian rugby.

I should probably waited till tomorrow to comment, but one of the problems I've found with comparing the performance of different unions over the world is the difference in structure. For example in South Africa the franchises/unions are given far more autonomy in raising money and contracting players. In New Zealand the NZRU keeps things in house, but have for example bailed out Otago Rugby Union recently.

Basically the point I trying to make is that it is hard to consider the health of each country's professional game without looking at the books of all the unions that make up the national body.

As I understand things the ARU has far more commercial control over the professional game than SARU has.

 

[Gnostic]

Brilliant articles of late Scott. You wouldn't look out of place as a rugby writer at news or fairfax. Better than some of the tripe they currently serve up.

There is no need to be insulting Bowside. Scott's content has been far better that what I have seen coming out of Fairfax or Uncle Rupert for a long time.

 

[2bluesfan]

I'd be lowly ranked in financial literacy but some of this would seem to have parallels with the Centro scandal.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

How did they account for the ARU Constitutional Reform Bribes to QRU (QC (Quade Cooper) topup) and NSWRU (Folou topup)?

Under player payments for Wobs or will these be in next years accounts?