Can sharing Super staff save Australian rugby? Brumbies say yes

A mooted dual-coaching role for Dan McKellar is part of a wider vision to eliminate duplication in high-performance and some back-room staff positions.

Rugby Australia and new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie are expected to speak with McKellar in the coming weeks about how he can be involved in the Test environment. The Brumbies were initially reluctant to have McKellar work as a Wallabies assistant coach and juggle his Super Rugby duties in Canberra at the same time.

But financial constraints and coronavirus problems have changed the thinking and his double coaching job is set to pave the way for wider reform across a variety of roles duplicated at Rugby Australia head office and Super Rugby franchises.

There has been strong resistance to "centralisation" in the past, with teams reluctant to share information. Those walls have been slowly broken down over the years, and the next step could be sharing some staff to help the Wallabies.

It could lead to high-performance officials, including analysts, strength and conditioning and medical staff, working under Rennie's guidance when the Super Rugby season finishes and is set to open up more collaboration between international and domestic programs.

It has been done before, with Stephen Larkham, Nathan Gray and Michael Cheika all juggling two roles at some point. But Rugby Australia is set to investigate ways to streamline other areas to make use of Super Rugby staff during the international season.

It could also extend to game-day staff for matches and corporate events, but the biggest alignment will be in high performance and being able to collaborate at a time of the year when the Super Rugby workload is light.

"Times have changed, especially over the past three months," said Brumbies boss Phil Thomson. "We have been working very closely with Rugby Australia over the past two years about more alignment and collaboration in the high-performance area.

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"I can see that growing and getting stronger as we move forward and plan for the future, and the sharing of resources with key staff. That's going to be important to us all. It's more like shared services. Where there is duplication, we can look at how we do things more economically and share the resources that will help us all perform at a higher level."

Rennie is expected to arrive in Australia in the coming weeks, but has been in constant contact with Super Rugby mentors and players of national interest. Rennie's staff have also been offering their insights about law variations and game trends ahead of the launch of a domestic competition.

The new Super Rugby AU season on the first weekend in July, with the Brumbies to play the Melbourne Rebels in their opener on July 4.

A crowd of up to 1500 will be allowed to attend, with the Brumbies to contact members via email this week to start a ballot process. Crowds at the Brumbies' first game and the Canberra Raiders' return to the capital will be "pilot" programs in the hope of increasing numbers at future matches.

The restart of on-field action will give Rugby Australia reprieve from the off-field drama it has endured for the past three months. Rugby Australia cut 47 of its 142 full-time staff earlier this month and interim chief executive Rob Clarke foreshadowed further changes to stave off insolvency.

Clarke and new Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan are working to finalise a competition structure to sell to broadcasters for 2021 and beyond.

"The organisation needed to be restructured," Clarke said on the Playmakers' Playbook podcast. "We needed to take cost out and that's what we've done. There will be some further fine-tuning of that as the rest of the year goes on."

The delayed process has left Super Rugby clubs and some players in limbo, with teams prevented from reopening contract negotiations until the financial future of the game is locked in.

The Brumbies were close to re-signing several players, including winger Tom Wright, before the coronavirus shutdown and hope to complete those deals as soon as possible.

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July 4: ACT Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels at Canberra Stadium, 7.15pm.