Raelene Castle tipped for Australian Rugby Union's top role

Former New Zealand Netball chief executive Raelene Castle. Photo / Dean Purcell

Raelene Castle could swap codes in the coming weeks.

Sources have told Sydney's Daily Telegraph she is a candidate to become the Australian Rugby Union's next chief executive.

Incumbent ARU boss Bill Pulver faces a possible putsch at next week's emergency general meeting over his handling of their Super Rugby team removal and fleeing sponsors.
To make matters worse, the Wallabies were beaten 24-19 by Scotland last night in Sydney.

Castle resigned as CEO of the NRL's Canterbury Bulldogs last month, and will leave the role at the end of the year.

ARU chairman Cameron Clyne told the Daily Telegraph he had not been in contact with Castle and insisted their support for Pulver had not been withdrawn.

"It is obviously challenging times but that's not the view of the board [about Pulver]," Clyne said.

"He has certainly not said that [he will step down] and the board has no intention of asking him to go."

The ARU are meeting next week to discuss the process of removing one of their five Super Rugby teams.

Nothing has been decided.

Pulver has faced legal threats from Rugby WA and Melbourne Rebels, with former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer and player Brendan Cannon calling for his exit.

Castle spent six years in charge of Netball New Zealand before moving across the Tasman to become the first woman to lead an NRL franchise.

Clyne said the board had considered the ARU leadership for next year, but there were more pressing issues to address first.

"With Bill we have a conversation closer to that time [February] but there is no movement at this point," Clyne told the Daily Telegraph.

"Any new CEO you would want to be set up for success and I am not sure the governance structure at the moment is there for that."