The Australian Rugby Union will be the "subject of a Senate inquiry into the future of the code" after a motion from West Australian Senator Linda Reynolds was passed in the Upper House on Wednesday, according to Tom Decent of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. In light of RugbyWA losing its appeal in the NSW Supreme Court to keep the Western Force in Super Rugby next year, Senator Reynolds asked for "an inquiry to be established to look into a number of issues," including:
- ARU board deliberations "leading to the decision to reduce Australian teams from five to four."
- Whether there "continues to be a truly national" rugby union footprint in Australia.
- The role of national and state-based bodies in "encouraging greater national participation in rugby."
- The corporate governance arrangements and composition of national and state-based rugby bodies, "including community representation on those bodies."
- The impact of the decision to "reduce the number of Australian teams on national participation in rugby."
The matter will be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee and the inquiry is "expected to report back to the Senate by November" (
SMH, 9/6).
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: In Sydney, Wayne Smith wrote a Senate inquiry into rugby union is "intended to bring transparency" to the ARU’s process to cull the Western Force but "could easily spread into other controversial issues that have plagued the code." Reynolds, who moved the motion without dissent in the Senate that set up the inquiry, said, "Like with many Senate inquiries, when you start looking into something you follow the evidence. If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about." That "may cause some discomfort" in some rugby and political circles. The allegations that "swirled" through Canberra last year over claims made by then-Brumbies CEO Michael Jones were "left unresolved when he was terminated." It "may well be that answers to that mystery might finally surface" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 9/7).
