Hawker steps down as ARU chairman
Hawker, who played 25 Tests for Australia, has served the maximum nine-year term across two periods (2001-2003 and 2009-2015) but will remain on the board as a director until the 2016 annual general meeting.
Cameron Clyne was elected as the new Chairman, effective January 1, 2016, and has been a director since October 2013 while he is also the current chair of the audit and risk sub-committee. He has had a lifelong involvement in the sport, having represented Victoria as a player in matches against the All Blacks and Springboks.
The board also approved the appointment of former Australian sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and will join the Board for her first meeting in February 2016. This sees her replace Nerolie Withnall, who served from October 2013 to June 2015.
Clyne thanked Hawker and Withnall for their contributions in their respective roles, and welcomed the appointment of Broderick.
"Michael has been a terrific chairman and guided everything admirably through some challenging years. His passion for rugby and his experience in the banking and insurance industries as a director and non-executive director, significantly enhanced the capability of the board to deliver the best possible outcomes for Australian Rugby.
"It is a privilege to succeed him. He has left the Australian Rugby in a strong position for the future.
"Nerolie has made a similarly valuable contribution. As a member of the governance and policy sub-committee, she has impacted real change that has been felt throughout the rugby community. We are delighted to have Liz Broderick joining our team. As one of the most influential people in Australia, she brings strong credentials from previous roles, most recently as the Australian sex discrimination commissioner from September 2007 to September 2015," Clyne said.
ARU CEO Bill Pulver said he is delighted at the election of two of the most influential women.
"With Liz Broderick and Ann Sherry, we now have two of Australia's most influential women on our board, which bodes extremely well for the growth of women in rugby," he said.
Pulver is already engaged in the Elite Sport Male Champions of Change program, an initiative devised by Broderick during her tenure as the Australian sex discrimination commissioner.
Under the leadership of Clyne, the board will oversee the delivery of Australian Rugby's Strategic Plan, which will be published in early 2016.
In conjunction with the election of Clyne, Dr Brett Robinson was elected deputy chairman, effective 1 January 2016. Dr Robinson brings a unique set of skills to the board being an orthopaedic surgeon, a former Wallaby, previously head of the Australian Rugby High Performance Unit and a successful businessman.
The Board will continue to represent Australian Rugby internationally. Clyne will sit on the SANZAAR board and Dr Brett Robinson will sit on the World Rugby Council, replacing outgoing chairman Michael Hawker.
@Wallabies
