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Brett Robinson names the thing 'he really wants to get stuck into'

By Liam Heagney reporting from Dublin
New World Rugby chair Brett Robinson (right) with vice-chair Jonathan Webb in Dublin (Photo via World Rugby)

New World Rugby chair Brett Robinson has promised to unite the game as quickly as possible following his close fought election win in Dublin on Thursday. The Australian was named successor to Bill Beaumont on a four-year term when he pipped fellow candidates Abdelatif Benazzi (France) and Andrea Rinaldo (Italy) to the post.

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Following the first round of voting, Robinson had 22 votes to Benazzi’s 21 and Rinaldo’s nine. The next step was to eliminate the Italian and the second and final vote concluded with Robinson beating Benazzi 27 to 25.

Appearing at his first media conference in the role alongside new vice-chair Jonathan Webb of England, Robinson was asked what was the thing he was really looking forward to getting stuck into now that he was the new World Rugby chair?

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“I am really looking forward to sitting down with Alan (Gilpin, World Rugby CEO) and mapping out the next six months. We have got some really good plans in place. There is an opportunity to improve.

“But the other thing I really want to do is unite the game. We have got differences of opinion, we have got some challenges and there will be some people who will be disappointed out of the election.

“It’s really important in my role that I bring the game together and we agree what shared success looks like and we pursue it together because as a game we know that the teams that are the most united are the most powerful – and I guess my role as chair is to facilitate that happening.”

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1 Comment
B
Bull Shark 33 days ago

He looks like he could want to get stuck into the petty cash.


I’m joking. 😗

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Mzilikazi 2 hours ago
Does the next Wallabies coach have to be an Australian?

Great read on a fascinating topic, Nick. Thanks as always.


My gut feel is that Joe Schmidt won't carry on through to the next RWC. He is at the stage, and age, in his life , that a further two years in a very high pressure coaching job would not be a good thing for either himself or his family. The fact that he remains based in Taupo seems a significant pointer, I would have thought. I believe he has a round trip of 12 hrs driving just to get on a plane to Australia.


Amongst the many good things Joe Schmidt has achieved to this point is that the WB's are now a more enticing prospect to coach going forward.


Tbh, the only Australian coach I would see stepping up and developing the WB's further would be Les Kiss. He has far more in his CV than any other Australian. He now has 23 years of coaching Union,starting with a defence role with the Boks, then back to Australia with the Waratahs. Overseas again for nine years in Ireland, which included 5 years as defence coach with the national team, during which he was interim head coach for two games, both wins. His last years in Ireland were with Ulster, even then a team beginning a decline. So that spell was his least successful. Finally the spell with London Irish, where I felt Kiss was doing very well, till the club collapsed financially.


Of the other Australian options, Dan McKellar has a lot to prove post the year with Leicester. Stephen Larkham has not, in my view, yet shown outstanding qualities as a coach. Nether man has anything close to Kiss's experience. Some may see this as being harsh on both men, ignoring good work they have done. But is how I see it.


Looking outside Australia, I would see Vern Cotter as a strong possibility, if interested. His time with Scotland was outstanding. Ronan O'Gara, I would think, might well be another possibility, though he has no international experience. Jake White ? Maybe .

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