The former Wallabies five-eighth, who oversaw a controversial high-performance program for Cricket Australia, is tipped to become the next chairman of Queensland Rugby following the retirement of Jeff Miller.
After four years as chair and four decades of service to rugby as a player and administrator, Miller said farewell to players and staff after the Reds’ game against the Rebels at Suncorp Stadium last weekend.
Pat Howard addressing media while working for Cricket Australia.Credit:Fairfax
The affable former Wallabies breakaway, who captained Queensland, is focusing on a new national job as chief growth officer with the Kooyong Group in medical finance.
Enter Howard, who finished a seven-year stint as executive general manager of team performance at Cricket Australia in the post-sandpapergate purge.
Howard is now a QRU director, and serves as the QRU board’s performance director. The 20-cap Wallaby also served as the ARU’s head of high performance between 2008-2010 and was called upon in 2019 to lead the review panel looking into the Wallabies’ performance at the World Cup.
Howard’s influence in Queensland rugby is strong and he is a frontrunner to become the new QRU chairman. QRU directors Brett Clark and Selwyn Button are the other contenders.
Memories: Steve Roach stirs up the Raiders.Credit:Steve Christo
Tahs want to lock in Blocker rev-up
The Waratahs were keen to enlist some Balmain Tigers royalty to speak to the team before their game against Queensland at Leichhardt Oval on Friday night; the first of five games at the venue Tigers’ fans like to call the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. Steve Roach was keen but for one fact – he is in Ireland. Arrangements are being made for a rev-up speech when he returns.
Rugby keeping HQ at Moore Park
A giant “FOR LEASE” sign outside Rugby Australia’s flashy headquarters in Moore Park has prompted a few punters to ask the obvious question: is the cash-strapped RA downsizing? To a share office, perhaps?
The answer is no. It turns out Rugby Australia shares the building with the University of Technology, which own most of it and is moving out.
Rats’ cunning could snare Roberts
In Shute Shield news, the fight is on for Jamie Roberts’ service on the northern beaches. The Wales and British and Irish Lions centre is loving life in Manly and while the Marlins have naturally made an approach for him to join their club, it is not that straightforward.
Manly’s fierce enemies, the Warringah Rats, have also pitched up to Roberts and, in news that’ll make Manly blood boil, we hear the 94-Test veteran could end up with the green-and-white. There will no doubt be calls on the Corso for a royal commission into Darren Coleman’s connections to the Rats.
Two Blues flex muscle
There appears to be no shortage of talent bubbling up at the Western Sydney Two Blues. At the Warringah Sevens tournament last weekend, the club took home wins in both the Shute Shield division and the colts division.
Old soldiers put bodies on line for charity
There was always going to be injuries in the Vintage Reds v Tonga Invitational XV charity match last Saturday, it was just a matter of how many and how bad.
Berrick Barnes looked to have suffered a serious knee injury when he hobbled off after 30 seconds but roaming Vintage Reds correspondent Jim Tucker reports that Barnes only did his MCL and will be back on the lawnmower in Lennox Head in three or four weeks.
Berrick Barnes talking with Toutai Kefu.Credit:Brenden Hertel/QRU
Former Reds five-eighth Shane Drahm pinged a hammy in the warm-up, and somehow Drew Mitchell walked away uninjured after getting poleaxed by 47-year-old Tongan torpedo Pila Fifita, who played at the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Funds raised at the game went to the UNICEF Australia Tongan Recovery Appeal, which has now raised more than $120,000.
Loading
Watch every match of the Six Nations and Super Rugby Pacific on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Super Rugby Pacific continues this weekend with Waratahs v Reds (Friday 7pm AEDT), Brumbies v Fijian Drua (Saturday 2pm) and Rebels v Force (Saturday 7pm AEDT). All streaming ad-free, live and on demand only on Stan Sport.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
SCG tipped to host showdown between Eddie’s England and Wallabies
Source: Philippines Alive
