Australia’s top rugby executive Gary Flowers announced his resignation on Friday, paving the way for the possible return of his predecessor John O’Neill after this year’s World Cup.
Flowers, who has been criticised for a lack of leadership and recently lost the support of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) board, said he will leave when his contract expires on December 31 2007.
”After much thought and discussion with my family I have informed the chairman and the board of the ARU that I will not be seeking to enter a new contract,” he told a press conference.
Flowers replaced O’Neill as the ARU’s chief executive in June 2004.
O’Neill, who said he was driven out of the game by internal wrangling, saw the Wallabies reach two World Cup finals including a win in 1999, and oversaw the successful hosting of the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Since his departure, rugby union in Australia has been wracked by internal divisions and the Wallabies have struggled to make an impact on the field.
O’Neill, now with a sports marketing and management company, said he had no immediate plans to take on his old job.
”My affection for rugby is unabated. If the right opportunity came to assist rugby, I would consider it. At this juncture no such opportunity has arisen,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. – Sapa-AFP