The vote for world rugby's new leader hangs in the balance.
COMMENT:
Those rugby-following optimists among us who can see the benefits of the coronavirus in New Zealand and beyond – families cycling together with confidence on quiet roads, fresher air, a slower pace of life, the potential and in fact requirement for the global game to reset – may havelost a little positivity regarding its future following recent bizarre events.
How else to view the nomination of Francis Kean, a man convicted of manslaughter in 2007, as Fiji's candidate for World Rugby's executive committee? This was a very murky episode which does not reflect well on anyone. Kean, by the way, was a backer of World Rugby's chairman Bill Beaumont, who is himself seeking election this weekend.
I say "was" because, thankfully, Kean's nomination – backed by French Federation president Bernard Laporte, who is running to be Beaumont's vice-chairman – has been withdrawn following a Sunday Times report of homophobia allegations against Kean and other explosive claims by Pacific Rugby Players' Welfare chief executive Dan Leo.
The appointment of Kean, Leo said, would "utterly debase" the game's values. World Rugby, who have promised an investigation into the homophobia claims, have done the right thing in distancing themselves from an individual clearly not suited to the role in a moral or ethical sense, but the question remains about whether it would have acted if not for the negative publicity and Leo's proactive stance.
This, as they say in politics these days, was a case of bad optics. Others would call it an extremely shabby state of affairs. Will being associated with it – even at arm's length - affect Beaumont's chances as the national unions go to the polls this weekend? Could it push those unions still wavering into the arms of rival Agustin Pichot? I know which side I'd rather be on.
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont and vice-chairman Agustin Pichot. Photo / Photosport
It wasn't the only recent rugby case of a series of poor decisions reaching a somewhat depressing conclusion.
As if Australian Rugby chief executive Raelene Castle didn't have it bad enough, what with her being a New Zealander and a woman presiding among an old-boys' club attitude which rivals even World Rugby in its insularity, now 11 former Wallabies captains have written a letter demanding change.
What exactly that change is, apart from the removal of Castle and other administrators, no one seems to know.
Making the movement even more of a farce, though, is Michael Lynagh withdrawing his name from the protest because he wasn't properly briefed about what the group was protesting about. Bravely, Kearns, Nick Farr-Jones, George Gregan, Stirling Mortlock, George Smith, Simon Poidevin, Stephen Moore, Jason Little, Rod McCall and Nathan Sharpe have stood strong. Many of those 10 have held rugby administration roles in the past (some might say with mixed results) and yet still can't seem to come up with concrete solutions.
"This is not the way I do things and I have withdrawn from the whole thing," Lynagh told The Australian newspaper.
As Aussie rugby destroys itself from within and World Rugby bumbles its way to the polls, it was left to former Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill, a man firmly from the establishment, to speak perhaps the most sense over the last bewildering several days.
"Poor administration? Sure," O'Neill told The Australian. "But when will the on-field failures by players be exposed to the same sunlight? If you have winning Super Rugby and Wallaby teams on a consistent basis then administrators look OK. The nexus is so damn obvious. I oversaw a glorious period of on-field success, which made me look like a genius off-field. It's as simple as that."
