Brett Robinson, once a flinty Wallabies back-row forward, now wants to drive his beloved sport into a new era after his historic appointment as the first chairman of World Rugby from the Southern Hemisphere.
In what could also prove a huge boost for the game in the country he once represented 16 times in the gold shirt, low-profile trailblazer Robinson, a former surgeon and now successful businessman and sports administrator, was elected to the influential post on Thursday, succeeding English legend Bill Beaumont.
The 54-year-old was voted in as the governing body’s new chief, defeating the challenge of Moroccan former French international Abdelatif Benazzi and Italian Andrea Rinaldo in Dublin.
It wasn’t a straightforward triumph with Robinson, backed by support from the powerful English and New Zealand unions, only getting the nod narrowly, 27 votes to 25, from Benazzi after the second round of polling by the World Rugby Council.
The former Brumbie reckoned it was a “privilege and honour” to take the reins of a global sport whose four previous chairmen in the professional era had been from northern hemisphere countries.
He’ll serve a four-year term with the possibility to stand for re-election in 2028.
Having been on Rugby Australia’s board for nine years and on the global body’s executive board for eight, Robinson’s candidacy was based on pushing the globalisation – and modernisation – of a game which he also feels must be safer for participants on the field and more financially sustainable off it.
His appointment may prove particularly significant for domestic rugby at a time when the Lions’ visit next year and the 2027 men’s World Cup is putting the game firmly back in the spotlight.
Robinson says he will aim to deliver “financial sustainability across all member unions” and “competitions that drive audience engagement and commercial outcomes.”
He’s also promised the progressive evolution of global growth strategy, deepened collaboration across the game and continued prioritisation of player welfare.
As a player, Robinson might have won more caps if not for his medical studies in Brisbane and then at Oxford, where he proved a victorious captain in the Varsity match against Cambridge in 2001.
After his playing days, he went into the insurance industry and is now chief executive of Australia’s largest private owner of retirement villages.
His son Tom is proving a chip off the old block as a player, having recently captained Australia schoolboys to their first victory over New Zealand in five years.
Robinson, who has a doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Orthopaedics from Oxford, will have former England full-back Jonathan Webb as his vice-chair.
“Jonathan and I are both clinicians, so healthcare is at the heart of our personal purpose,” Robinson told a news conference in Dublin after his election.
“As ex-internationals we are incredibly passionate about the game, but also about creating an environment where our players are safe.
“I myself am a concussion research investigator with the University of Queensland. Webby is directly involved as a clinician in everything to do with player safety and welfare.
“We love our game. We want it to be safe and we want to do all we can to make sure that young boys and girls, and mums and dads feel safe in playing this great game, because it has so much more to offer.”
“This game is a beautiful game, it is a global game and it is something that we want to make sure has a long, long future.”
With Agencies
