Former Wallabies captain Phil Waugh appointed Rugby Australia CEO

Former Wallabies captain Phil Waugh has been confirmed as the next chief executive of Rugby Australia, one month on from Andy Marinos’s shock resignation.

The RA board unanimously endorsed the 43-year-old’s appointment which comes three months out from the Rugby World Cup in France, which starts on 8 September.

Waugh said his appointment was “an absolute honour and privilege”.

“There is definitely a buzz around the game regarding our upcoming golden decade, and I intend to work with the team at RA and our many stakeholders to maximise this period and secure financial sustainability,” he said.

Waugh is the first Wallaby to take on the CEO position; he played 79 Test matches for the national side between 2000 and 2009, including in two Rugby World Cups, and became the Wallabies’ 74th Test captain in 2006.

He also played more than 130 Super Rugby games for the New South Wales Waratahs.

Since retiring from playing in 2011, Waugh has gained executive and governance experience most recently at National Australia Bank, and has been on the RA board since July 2018.

In his non-executive director role on the board Waugh was involved in informing former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie of his sacking earlier this year – a task Waugh undertook alongside RA chair, Hamish McLennan, while Marinos was in South Africa.

Given his experience in the organisation, Waugh is expected to hit the ground running in step with McLennan and Wallabies coach Eddie Jones as they work towards the September World Cup with growing optimism.

McLennan said Waugh had proven himself on and off the field as “a true believer in the potential of where the global game of rugby can take you”.

“Phil has exacting standards which will deliver us improved pathways and