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Kean no longer election candidate but Dan Leo isn't finished with murky World Rugby controversy

(Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Dan Leo has every right to be happy after Fiji rugby chairman Francis Kean stood down from the World Rugby executive council election after homophobia allegations came to light. The CEO of the Pacific Rugby Players Welfare organisation wrote an open letter to World Rugby less than 24 hours before the resignation, highlighting why Kean shouldn’t be an election candidate after he was backed by French federation president, Bernard Laporte. 

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The ex-Samoan international’s letter illuminated Kean’s harrowing past, which included being convicted of manslaughter. “His time in office has become a byword for intimidation, vindictiveness, corruption and self-dealing, nepotism, and the threat and realisation of violence. This is all conducted in plain sight,” wrote Leo. 

The no-nonsense letter was undoubtedly instrumental in the decision to pull Kean from the election, along with a weekend article by The Times over the weekend. 

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Sam Cane and Dane Coles feature on the latest episode of Isolation Nation

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Sam Cane and Dane Coles feature on the latest episode of Isolation Nation

In response to the latest development, Leo has questioned whether any rugby union should have any political ties. This is because Kean’s brother-in-law is Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who also happens to be the president of the Fiji Rugby Union. 

Leo highlighted nepotism in his letter to World Rugby and said on Twitter that this is another topic of discussion in the wake of this entire ordeal. “Ridding any union of political ties like having the country’s PM as president should also be up for discussion as a result of all this?”

Kean will now not be considered for the World Rugby executive committee, and the FRU have confirmed that John O’Connor will take his seat on the World Rugby council. 

A shedload of questions have emerged after this decision and while Leo and many others will be happy that the Fijian has resigned, the very fact that he was able to be nominated in the first place for such an important role has raised many concerns.  

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Eliza Galloway 1 hour ago
Geoff Parling: An Englishman roasting the Lions?

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JW 1 hour ago
James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum

Lol you need to shoot your editor for that headline, even I near skipped the article.


France simply need to go to a league format for the Brennus, that will shave two weekends of pointless knockout rugby from their season and raise the competitions standards and mystique no end.


The under age loophole is also a easy door to shut, just remove the lower age limit. WR simply never envisioned a day were teams would target people under the age of 17 or whatever it is now, but much like with Rassie and his use of subs bench, that day was obviously always going to come. I can’t remember how football does it, I think it’s the other way around with them, you can’t sign anyone younger than that but unions can’t stop 17 or 18 yo’s from leaving for a pro club if they want to. There is a transaction that takes place of a few hundred thousand for a normal average player. I’d prefer rugby to be stricter and just keep the union bodies signoff being required.


What really was their problem with Kite and co leaving though? Do we really need a game dominated by Internationals? I even think WR’s proposed calendar might be a bit too much, with at minimum 12 top tier games being played in the World Championship. I think 10 to 12, maybe any one player playing 10 of those 12 is the best way to think of it, for every international team is max, so that they can allow their domestic comps to shine if they want, and other nations like Japan and Fiji can, even some of the home nations maybe, and fill out their calendar with extra tours if they like them as a way to make money. As it is RA don’t have as good a pathway system, so they could simply buy back those players if they turn good. Are they worried they’ll be less likely to? We wait for baited breath for the new season to be laid out in front of us by WR.

It could impose sanctions on the Fédération Française de Rugby, but the body which runs the Top 14 and the ProD2, the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, is entirely independent.

It’s not independent at all. The LNR is a body under, and commissioned by, the FFR (and Government control) to mediate the clubs. FFR can simply install a new club competition if they don’t listen, then you’d see whether the players want to stay at any club who doesn’t tow the line and move to the new competition, as they obviously wouldn’t fall under the auspice of world rugby. They would be rebels, which is fine in and upon itself, but they would isolate themselves from the rest of the game and would need to be OK with that. I have no doubt whatsoever that clubs would have to and want to fall in line to remain part of the EPCR and French rugby. Probably even the last thing they would want is to compete with another French domestic competition that has all the advantages they don’t.


All those players would do good for a few seasons in France, especially the fringe ones, with thankfully zero risk of them being poached if they turn good. New Zealand had a turn at keeping all of it’s talent, and while it upticked the competitiveness of the Super Rugby teams into a total dominance of Australian and South African counterparts (who were suffering more heavily than most the other way at that stage), it didn’t have as positive an effect on the next step up as ensuring young talents development is not hindered does. Essentially NZR flooded the locate market with players but inevitably it didn’t think the local economy could sustain any more pro teams itself, so now we are seeing a normal amount of exodus for the availability of places again. Are Australia in exactly the same footing? I think so, finances where dicey for a while perhaps but I doubt they are putting money constraints on their contracting now. It’s purely about who leaves to open up opportunity.

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LONG READ
LONG READ James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum James O'Connor, the Lions and the great club v country conundrum
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