Kafer hits out at ‘sick’ state of game

Former Wallaby Rod Kafer has delivered a brutal spray on the performance of Kiwi chief executive Raelene Castle and her Rugby Australia (RA) board, saying its financial woes started long before the Coronavirus pandemic.

Castle has confirmed she would be taking a 50 per cent pay cut – understood to be worth more than A$400,000 – in the wake of RA announcing an

A$9.4 million loss for 2019 at its

AGM on Monday.

But speaking on Fox Sports

News yesterday,

Kafer said that wasn’t good enough given the dire state of RA’s finances.

‘‘She’s gone down to $400,000 a year – more than

95 per cent of all players in the game with her salary sacrifice,’’ Kafer said.

‘‘I mean, something’s wrong.’’

The 12 test Wallaby, who previously worked for RA in elite coaching development under Castle between 2017-19 before turning his hand to commentary with Fox Sports, said the organisation’s finances were ‘‘sick a long time before the coronavirus came along’’.

Castle and RA were not able to present a full financial picture or an annual report due to complications surrounding the Covid-19 crisis at the AGM but forecast a worst-case scenario of an A$120 million loss if rugby is wiped out in 2020.

‘‘When the CEO comes out and says we’re looking down a A$120 million hole – how did we find ourselves in that position?

‘‘How does a board allow the game to get into that position?

‘‘We know rugby was sick a long time before the coronavirus came along,’’ Kafer said on Fox Sports News.

‘‘Rugby has been sick for years. People have been calling for change and it hasn’t occurred.

‘‘And yet the same people who have taken it off the cliff are still there, still employed.’’

On Tuesday, RA announced it will stand down 75 per cent of its staff for three months, starting yesterday, in a desperate bid to stay afloat.

Castle described that move as ‘‘the toughest decision in the game’s history’’.

RA is yet to strike a deal with Australia’s players’ association and the man in charge, former Wallabies lock Justin Harrison, is reportedly becoming frustrated at an apparent lack of transparency from RA.

‘‘There’s no knowledge about what’s actually is going on,’’ Kafer said.

‘‘Everybody has been kept in the dark at the moment. Reducing 75 per cent of the staff – is it too much or not enough?

‘‘Nobody has got any idea,’’ Kafer said. ‘‘This concept for the rugby community that everything is OK, just trust us.’’

Kafer was also bemusement by RA’s apparent positive self-appraisal of its performance after he claimed the organisation gave itself a 76 per cent self-assessment at the 2018 AGM and 72 per cent last year.

‘‘And this is in a year in which the Wallabies slipped from sixth to seventh in the world and were tumbled out in the quarterfinals,’’ Kafer said.

‘‘The same people who have taken it off the cliff are still there, still employed.’’

Rod Kafer