CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
The fallout from Australia’s exit from the Rugby World Cup has continued, with Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle today announcing drastic new measures to buoy the boys.
Australia crashed out of the Rugby World Cup at the quarterfinal stage in Oita, when the Wallabies conceded their biggest-ever score against England at a Rugby World Cup. Going down a 40-16.
After five years in the job, Coach Michael Cheika has since confirmed that match will be his last in charge of Australia
Commentators and three-test legends from the amateur-era of Australian rugby continue to use this opportunity to berate Raelene Castle for being a woman and not being able to neutralise the hospital pass thrown to her by Bill Pulver, with many calling for the tried and true knee-jerk of replacing the CEO to make themselves feel like something has changed.
In an effort to shut up the punch-drunk couldabeens, Castle has today announced a bold new plan to bring a winning culture back to the Wallabies.
“We need to return to the hot tub era” said Raelene Castle in a press conference today.
“We need to get Buddy Franklin in the mix…”
In rugby union circles, ‘The Hot Tub Era’ was as a time of brash millennial confidence in the Wallabies – that many loyalists viewed as a problematic culture of young pretty boys behaving like rugby league players.
Epitomised by one particular instagram post that showed the Queensland Reds superstars partying with the Melbourne Rebels superstars in a rooftop spa bath, the day after they had played each other in a Super Rugby fixture during the winter of 2013.
The then-Hawthorn Hawks star, Buddy Franklin, also briefly crossed codes for the off-field havoc that the Wallabies bad boys were creating in Melbourne at that time.
While the old rugby identities of yesteryear were always very vocal in their condemnations of the naturally talented Wallabies ‘brat pack’ from earlier this decade, it is undeniable that their siege mentality of rooting, drinking and talking shit played a big part in the 2015 RWC finals appearance.
Raelene Castle says that, much like losing Eddie Jones, sometimes you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
“I propose that we foster talent as cocky as those boys were… The showboating, the group chats, the open disdain for the coaching staff”
“It seemed to work” she says.
“Digby, Rabbit, QC, KB… This was the era that brought us a Reds Premierships and a Tahs Premiership…”
“We need to see the boys breakdancing after tries”
“We need to see the boys willing to jump into a hot tub while wearing chinos to get that perfect insta shot”
“Digby still had his phone in his pocket!”
Quade Cooper has said that while he currently has commitments in Japan, if Rugby Australia wants him to lead the bad boy renaissance, then they will need to scrap the player curfews and fire up the communal GHD hair straightener.
