http://www.rugbymag.com/magazine/current-issue/view-from-the-sidelines-failure-of-leadership.aspx View from the Sidelines: Failure of Leadership The Print version of Rugby Magazine is now out. Here at RUGBYMag.com we provide you with a taste of what's in each issue. From this Summer edition comes a column by Ed Hagerty on USA Rugby's Board of Directors, and some misplaced priorities. A View From the Sidelines Opinion Column by Ed Hagert (Reprinted from Rugby Magazine) It has been more than four years since the day in 2006 that USA Rugby CEO Doug Arnot went, hat in hand, to the International Rugby Board seeking funding for cash-strapped USA Rugby. Since its founding back in 1976, USA Rugby had plugged along, supported itself and, guided by amateur, volunteer rugby enthusiasts, made steady growth and progress over those 30 years. The insolvency USA Rugby found itself in during Arnot’s reign, however, led it to enter into an agreement that gave the IRB unprecedented involvement in the direction of American rugby. The IRB appointed South African Alan Solomons as director of rugby, Englishman Steve Griffiths as interim chief operating officer, and Irishman Morgan Buckley to co-author the Strategic Plan. Saatchi and Saatchi top-gun, Kevin Roberts (born in England, but now a New Zealand citizen), became USA Rugby’s new Chairman and former international Nigel Melville was brought over from England as CEO. USA Rugby’s 26-member Board, composed of people intimately involved in US rugby, voted itself out of existence and became USA Rugby’s newly formed Congress, which serves only in a non-voting, advisory capacity. Chastened, the Americans were told to sit back and see how it’s really done. National Team First? The Kevin Roberts Board has elected a top-down plan where winning international matches is more important than anything else. Talented American coaches are ignored for foreign “name” hires. Most of the rugby world doesn’t know or won’t remember that these men coached the Eagles, but we will. It isn’t Eddie O’Sullivan’s fault that USA Rugby is paying him around $200,000 per year; get what you can get. Similarly, Nigel Melville as CEO and head of Rugby Operations was signed on at $300,000 per year (he voluntarily took a pay cut after that), but USA Rugby can’t afford it. The golden era of the US National Team — self-funded via a BskyB sponsorship deal, with victories over Tonga and Fiji and a narrow loss to Wales — occurred when Jack Clark was running the National Team. The sponsorship money Clark raised during his tenure paid for the entire National Team operation. The Eagles didn’t cost high school and college players a dime of their CIPP dues, and they didn’t have to beg the IRB for money. Clark’s pay was linked to how much he raised for the Eagles and was capped at $97,000. Back in 2002 Rugby Magazine was critical of Clark’s pay, but looking back it’s clear we got a bargain. At the time, Clark told his players, “if you ever have to pay to play again, it will be my fault.” You never hear that statement of accountability anymore. The USA Men’s National XVs Team is fueled by IRB welfare and member dues, with some sponsorship money thrown in. And yet money is still a problem and the team isn’t any better than before. In 2006 Tom Billups stepped down as USA coach in protest of Arnot’s smoke-and-mirrors financial approach. He left a team ranked 13th in the world; that ranking fell to 19th during the Peter Thorburn/Scott Johnson period; recent victories have bumped the ranking up to 15th. Meanwhile funding for other national teams is inconsistent at best. O’Sullivan is a competent coach, but even if he is three times as good as his predecessor Scott Johnson, what does this mean? A couple of victories where we had defeats? USA Rugby should cut the dreaming and hire an American coach who has skin in the American game and will do the job for less. It’s nonsense that a couple million dollars from the IRB and importing a coach from overseas is all that is needed to become a Tier I rugby nation, but it’s what Kevin Roberts wants. Kevin Roberts USA Rugby Chairman Kevin Roberts is a very talented and energetic man and many of us were encouraged when he became USA Rugby’s Chairman. Here we had a former rugby player, the CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi Worldwide, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious ad agencies, employing around 6,000 people in 150 offices across 86 countries. Roberts had previously served on the New Zealand RFU’s Board. Many of us expected Roberts to use his marketing expertise to provide guidance to USA Rugby and tap into his Rolodex. But four years on, Roberts continues to do work for the New Zealand RFU while doing very little to move USA Rugby forward. In working with USA Rugby’s Congress, he has also angered many by addressing members of that body as if they were employees; stating that the Congress should support the Board “unconditionally” on every aspect of the Strategic Plan. And he has not supported American rugby. While Roberts resides in New York City, we have never seen him at any National Championships or high level matches played in the area. Much of that attitude would be forgiven if he delivered the goods, but he hasn’t. While Roberts was supposedly involved in signing the recent Emirates contract for the USA national teams, that is remarkable because it is so rare. One wonders if serving as Chair of USA Rugby’s Board is just another highlight among the numerous accomplishments listed on Roberts’ extensive resume. Go to www.saatchikevin.com/The_Unofficial_KR_Bio/ to see what we mean. We have come to believe that USA Rugby would be better served by an American chairman with US rugby experience who has a more active and involved interest in the US game. Powerless Congress USA Rugby’s Congress is a non-voting, 27-person body charged to ‘debate the strategic direction of the sport and review how the Board is functioning.’ In 2006, many of the people who now constitute our Congress voted away their authority with zero comprehension of what might take place. Since then, USA Rugby’s Board has resisted Congressional requests for drafts of key planning documents, and the limited information Congress receives makes it hard to assess the Board’s performance. This is the same body that seemed reluctant to hold Doug Arnot to task four years ago. Are they stunned into silence once more? Last year, Congress had asked for operational plans from the Board, but they don’t exist. The new Strategic Plan seems little more than a wish list, and the Business Plan (how we accomplish the wish-list) isn’t there. The Mid-Atlantic RFU’s Eric Pittelkau told Rugby Magazine’s website, “a lot of information seems to have fallen into a black hole and it’s a source of frustration for a lot of Congress members.” The Congress began its tenure meeting only once a year. They at least realized they needed more than that and requested more frequent meetings, which they got. Secretive, Out-of-Touch Board Why does the USA Rugby Board, supported by membership dues, no longer meet in public, publish its minutes, or produce a public budget? How do dues-paying players and clubs know that they are being effectively represented by the Board, which is essentially appointed by a Congress that itself is elected by a small number of officials? After the Board’s poor track record of the last several years, who in their right mind would believe they don’t need input from the Congress and the rugby community at large? How can we hold the Board or Melville accountable when not even Congress gets minutes of the Board meetings? USA Rugby is not a private family company or play-toy of the Board. There must be open communication, full disclosure, debate and oversight among the Directors, Congress, and dues-paying members of USA Rugby. Anything less is unacceptable. “The simple fact is that Congress has no idea where or how much money is being spent by this Board and administration,” said Tennessee youth administrator Marty Bradley. And what of the Boardmembers themselves? Paul Tsuchiya, who, like Roberts, is up for reelection this fall, has lauded contacts in professional sports and sports marketing, but USA Rugby has not benefited. How did Bill Middleton secure a second term when he hasn’t raised any donation funds, hasn’t raised any sponsorship funds, has zero expertise in coaching, refereeing or local administration, and hasn’t authored any major plans to advance American rugby? The one thing Middleton, an ex-pat now living in New York, put his name on has been the High School eligibility rules which have derailed our objective of official school status. Time for a Change We are in need of new leadership. Kevin Roberts and the Board need to be thanked and relieved of their duties. The American sporting culture is different from that of Europe or New Zealand and so we need to reverse the foreign takeover that has wasted millions in IRB grants and run a money-losing union that, despite a bigger budget, has had to cut back on activities for various national teams. We need to seriously reexamine priorities that say high salaries for a few solves everything. And in this time when Rookie Rugby is taking off, fueling growth in the youth game, and when the National Guard gives away 400 kit and equipment packages and NBC wants to broadcast the World Cup, we need a Board and Congress that can tap into that enthusiasm. If the USA is to make a competitive splash in the 2015 World Cup or the 2016 Olympics, we need to get our house in order. This implies a new direction: prioritizing high school and college rugby and increasing the number of high-level athletes playing rugby in the US. What Can You Do? According to USA Rugby’s By-Laws (Section 5.7 Removal of Directors), any Boardmember can be removed by the Congress. But with the Congress currently so impotent, it will take a big push from the USA Rugby Membership. But this fall, you won’t even have to do that. Kevin Roberts is up for reelection in September, as is Paul Tsuchiya. Candidates have stepped forward to run against them. All you need to do is contact your Congress member (check usarugby.org, click on About USA Rugby) and tell them how you want them to vote. More than anything, USA Rugby’s members, and by extension the Congress, need to get involved. What we want is action. The Strategic Plan is horribly short on specifics. We need the Board to produce a Business Plan that shows how we can fund national teams — all of them, without giving short shrift to any — now, not just in some halcyon future. We need to learn from the past. American volunteers did a pretty fair job running the Union in the past. CIPP funds were restricted to domestic rugby; the Eagles funded themselves and provided financial support to other national teams and USA Rugby’s general account. Internationals helped pay for the kids, not the kids paying for the internationals. Our forefathers took a stand a long time ago against taxation without representation. The Board has taken our dues while telling us to be quiet, not ask questions, and speak only when spoken to. Rugby Magazine spoke to USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville about the contents of this column. Melville countered USA Rugby has made huge strides in building membership and especially in youth rugby, and he pointed to expanded TV coverage and changes in how the Board and Congress communicate as steps made toward improving the game in the last few years.
IMHO Kevin Roberts is an arrogant ass! From what I have read he doesn't think that the USA Rugby brand is good enough to sell to the sponsors. He has the talent and the contacts, but reading his blog he is spending as much time or more helping the All Blacks and his other love Man City Football Club. USA Rugby needs John Prusmack and Bob Philips on the board. Two amazing business and rugby men who happen to be born and bred Americans. I just don't think that KR's heart is in it. Nigel Melville is a talent, but has had a big learning curve on the varsity system stateside versus the academy system in the commonwealth nations. IMHO we keep Melville and EOS for another 4 years and we get rid of KR and elect Prumack and Philips to the board. Oh and amen to the rucking! God bless the tight five! (;
It's a thankless job. The current people in charge have failed but the people they took over from failed also. Trying to perform a series of necessary functions while growing the sport with little money is quite the trick for any organization to do. So what's the magical combination to make everything work, or can it just not? I'm a back, not a forward.
wow. I don't know what to think. I mean...... Here's the thing. Do we parachute in "experts" or home grow someone into the position. I must confess, doing things with well intentioned, honest, good volunteers who want the best for USA rugby? Or do we get some well qualified, well paid, 'been there done that' people who can make an immediate impact on USA rugby? I guess it boils down to who's funding this thing.
-High schoolers, collegians, and club players via CIPP dues -National Guard via sponsorship (and they're there for the high schoolers and collegians) -the IRB Did some reading today, the leadership that got removed in 2006 was led by an American with no rugby background (thus no political baggage) that was previously part of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee (and is now part of the London Olympic Committee). There's a nice chart over at Gainline.us (note: the blogger there has several axes to grind), showing how the balance sheet of the union decreased in quality every single year with this man in charge except one and that was solely from selling the USA 7's to a private company, which still owns USA 7's to this day and turned it from a money loser under USA Rugby stewardship to making money. When the old leadership got removed, the CEO went hat in hand to the IRB, and the IRB pretty much gave USA Rugby the money but installed all their own people with the commonwealth sports model, the people described in the article yankee_rob copied, which has created a new list of problems while not improving the finances any. And that's where we are today.
The issue that pisses me off is that outside of KR's real job USA Rugby seems to be third on his list of priorities behind NZRFU and Man City. Oh and if your a back then you are right, you do need to work on your rucking.
I think that we are on the right track with Rookie Rugby, SBRO, CCI 7s and the College Premier League but probably about 20 years to late. IMHO get rid of Kevin Roberts and bring in Jon Prusmack (owner of USA Rugy Sevens LLC and RugbyMag) and Bob Philips successful businessman and great rugby guy! Keep on the same track we are on now USA Rugby just needs people on the board who can get big sponsors.
http://rugbyamerica.net/2010/08/18/hagerty-brings-the-revolution-to-the-people/ Hagerty Brings The Revolution To The People Posted on August 18, 2010 by RugbyAmerica 6 In the most recent issue of Rugby Magazine, American rugby journalism legend Ed Hagerty took off the kid gloves in a piece detailing the failures of the current administration at USA Rugby. The “top-down” strategy, implemented by Chairman Kevin Roberts and CEO Nigel Melville, focused primarily on the Eagles. Chasing a few test victories has failed to make a scratch in the American sporting landscape, bring in significant sponsorship, or even fund itself for that matter. The CIPP fees of college and high school players along with the welfare from the IRB have been misappropriated in epic proportions by USA Rugby. Yet, they haven’t answered to anyone and all we get is more and more spin from Boulder. Only recently has USA Rugby changed their tune to a “top-down, bottom-up” strategy and that came on the back of major efforts at the high school level and a near schism in college rugby. While I have taken my share of snipes at the current administration, I do not nearly have the reach, universal respect or clout of Ed Hagerty. The level of which can only come from decades of vital work for the rugby community. Hagerty’s article was a long time coming and couldn’t have been more on target. I applaud him for it and pray that it serves as a watershed moment for USA Rugby. There have been obvious failures from the current administration while at the same time they have implemented a rather occlusive strategy that has left the constituency in the dark over where our tax dollars are allocated. My biggest fear is that this great article will fall on the blind eyes and deaf ears of an already broken and apathetic membership. Sadly, this may be what the administration is banking on so they can continue to tell us how “our” way is not working all while their way is failing miserably. Then I think of the progress made at the youth, High School and College level by hard-working rugby people all across the nation. People that honestly care about American rugby and not a paycheck or a stepping stone on resume. These are people who have already invoked change and people who can do it again. Hoping to lend a hand, I went digging into the USA Rugby Bylaws. Of course, the excerpts are from the nearly two-year old Bylaws posted on the USA Rugby website. There may be a more recent version that just isn’t being shared. But, this is all we have to work from, so here goes… Here’s a look at a few passages that are important to our cause. ARTICLE IV: CONGRESS Section 4.1 Authority. The USA Rugby Congress (the “Congress”) shall be the representative body of the Members. All matters required by law to be submitted to a vote of the Members shall be submitted to the Congress, except as otherwise set forth in these Bylaws. The role, powers, and duties of the Congress shall include: (a) To receive and review periodic reports on the activities of the Corporation and actions taken by the Board of Directors and to report back to its constituent Members; (b) To approve, from time to time, the dues structure proposed by the Board of Directors; (c) To elect and/or ratify the election of certain Directors of the Corporation, as set forth in Section 5.4 of these Bylaws; (d) To remove the Directors in accordance with Section 5.7 hereof (see below); (e) To approve amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Corporation as set forth in Article XV; and (f) To approve all fundamental change transactions not in the ordinary course of business, including without limitation, all mergers, consolidations, divisions, sales of substantially all assets, and the liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation. Section 5.7 Removal of Directors. The entire Board of Directors or any individual Director with the exception of the Athlete Representative Directors may be removed from office for cause upon the petition of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the members of the Congress in office and the subsequent vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the Congress in office. For purposes of this Section 5.7, “cause” shall mean the failure by the Director to carry out his/her duties or responsibilities as a Director or any action or inaction which, in the discretion of the Congress, materially and adversely affects or may affect the Corporation. (Note: Strong “cause” arguments can be made regarding pretty much all of the current Board Members) The Athlete Representative Director may be removed from office for cause upon the petition of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the Athlete Representative Congress Members in office and the subsequent vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Athlete Representative Congress Members in office. For purposes of this Section 5.7, “cause” shall mean the failure by the Athlete Representative Director to carry out his/her duties or responsibilities as an Athlete Representative Director or any action or inaction which, in the discretion of the Congress, materially and adversely affects or may affect the Corporation. Now, who are our Congress Members? Here is a list from the USA Rugby website with email addresses. International Athletes Annie Collier: annie.collier@gmail.com Farrah Douglas: fddougla@gmail.com Mark Griffin: griffrugby@yahoo.com Dan Lyle: danlyle8@msn.com Chris Osentowski: osentowski@hotmail.com Ines Rodriguez: ines2@vet.upenn.edu Mid-Atlantic Territorial Union Dana Bateman: danabatemn@aol.com George Durocher: durocher01@comcast.net Eric Pittelkau: epittelkau@gmail.com Midwest Territorial Union Jeremiah Johnson: jeremiahkjohnson@yahoo.com Kurt Weaver: kurt@rugbyohio.com Adrian Gannon: rugbyteacher@sbcglobal.net Northeast Territorial Union Gary Lee Heavner: gary@heavner.net Clay Gardner: clayton.gardner@us.army.mil Pacific Coast Territorial Union Frank Merrill: fmmjrdvm@sbcglobal.net Ellen Owens: ellenowens@sbcglobal.net David Pelton: david.pelton@microsoft.com Southern California Territorial Union Marni Vath: marnielyn@yahoo.com Patrick Guthrie: pguthrie100@yahoo.com Steve Vent: stevevent@gmail.com South Territorial Union Martin Gardner: lmdcg@comcast.net Pat Kane: pmkane78@aol.com Danita Knox: danita.knox@ge.com West Territorial Union Bill Sexton: wsexton@atsu.edu Alan Sharpley: sharpley@dynastat.com John Wolf: jawolf4@aol.com So, that is 26 Congress Members and a petitition with 25% of Congress signed to get to a vote. That’s only seven members needed on the petition and hardly a long shot. Once there a 2/3 vote is needed. That means 18 of 26 need to be in favor of the removal of any one Board Member. Now, that’s a bit of a tougher sell. Honestly, I’d be pretty happy just to see Kevin Roberts out of office and Nigel Melville’s salary taken down a peg (or three). Melville is a good rugby man that seems in a bit over his head. But, he has value… just not at $250K. Roberts seems to care nothing about USA Rugby (but he loves his All Blacks) and he has done next to nothing in four years as Chairman. Make no mistake; this is not going to be easy. As Ed Hagerty said in his article, it all starts with Congress. If they will not vote against the current Board of Directors then we have no chance going this route and things get a little more drastic. How drastic? Seeing as the way to USA Rugby’s heart is through money, it may require withholding CIPP fees to get them to see differently. Speaking of… How necessary, to the operation of the clubs in America, is the CIPP fee? Think about it honestly and then think about it some more. When everything is stripped down to the basics, you may wonder why anyone pays them. You’ll also walk away feeling more strongly about how your money is allocated. While I’m not a huge fan of the CIPP, I am not against it either. That is… as long as it is being used in the right manner. Before it does get too rough, please make your voice heard through your congress members. They are appointed to represent all of us. The support of the membership may give them the confidence to finally stand up to the Board. If they can’t or won’t make a stand, then we may all get to see a major revolution at a time when it may be detrimental to some of the progress that has been made. Then again, if not now… when? i4 Votes Share this: StumbleUpon Digg Reddit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Possibly related posts: (automatically generated) Portugal and Spain Claim Titles at World University Games USA Rugby Names Collegiate Strategic Committee USA 7′s LLC Continues to Leave USA Rugby in Their Dust Premeir Players Magazine Rugby Article Posted in: Club Rugby, College Rugby, Editorials, High School/U19 Rugby, IRB, The Eagles, Womens Rugby, Youth Rugby ← U20 Women Thump Cayman IslandsWomen Name Lineup for World Cup Opener → 6 Responses “Hagerty Brings The Revolution To The People” → Contact Your Congress Members! August 18, 2010 The email for Martin Gardner is wrong. If you want to contact him, use martinkg@qtaerospace.com. Reply Contact Your Congress Members! August 20, 2010 Check out the blog that Kevin Roberts posted this week. http://krconnect.blogspot.com/2010/08/game-they-play-in-america.html Reply RugbyAmerica August 20, 2010 He gets a giant FACE-PALM for the effort. Love the first comment someone posted. No posts about American rugby in ages (and a ton about the All Blacks) and then one magically appears days after Hagerty blasts him in RugbyMag. Roberts could care less about us, he just wants to tell his buddies that he was the one to break open the American floodgates. Sadly, he’ll probably still take credit for it when it happens after he leaves. Reply Contact Your Congress Members! August 21, 2010 That comment has since been removed and replaced with a “positive comment.” Reply Northeast Congress members August 26, 2010 FYI the Northeast congress members have changed. Clay Gardner from NERFU has been replaced by Joe Olzacki coronajo@aol.com and NYS is now represented by Mike Hodgins president@nysrugby.org Reply RugbyAmerica August 26, 2010 Thanks for the update on the congress members. It is greatly appreciated. Reply
http://www.gainline.us/gainline/ 24 August 2010 Guest column: Mea maxima culpa by Randy Stainer Mr. Stainer is past vice president of USARFU and 'father' of the Club and Individual Participation Program (CIPP). Preface: Several weeks before Ed Hagerty published his thoughtful and thought-provoking 'Failure of Leadership', I drafted this piece. I put it in the hands of some people, and I was looking for a way to have it published before the rugby players of America. I applaud Ed for starting the dialogue, and I have happily altered my original draft to fit better with Ed’s groundbreaking work. In 1975 several gentlemen formed USA Rugby to help oversee rugby in the United States. One high priority was domestic play -- schedules, championships, and refereeing. Another high priority was enabling representative play. By 1988, USARFU was in deep debt. The union made budgets based upon 'money to be raised' and never published those budgets for the members to see. Representative play, domestic and international, was essentially player paid. Players were asked to play with next to no practice because no money existed to gather them for practice and training. Membership growth was stagnant. The fledgling national office was manned by an administrative assistant because the board fired the director for not working a miracle. An elite few were seen at IRB events, but they only issued trite sound bites when asked about American rugby. Local unions, clubs, and players were rightly dissatisfied. Starting in that year, a number of people began to chip away at the established way. They created a new dues device (CIPP) to fund the national office and the domestic game and growth. They wrote and passed a new constitution that met Olympic acceptance criteria and included more people in governance. They began to publish real budgets annually in the same year as the expenditure. They helped support the creation of meaningful representative and club play – including collegiate, women, and high school. These things set the stage for Jack Clark’s successes with the national team and its funding. Elitism, old style management, and fiscal irresponsibility faded. The game responded with astonishing growth in membership, primarily in the women, collegiate, and high school areas. From 1992 to 2004, USA Rugby oversaw hotly contested domestic representative rugby; the creation of Division I, II, and III championships in both genders and at club and collegiate level; and USA Rugby established a full-time national office. The national teams became very respectable and some were world leaders. Then something happened. Somehow the old style elitists wrested control from the elected representatives. A promise of vast future funds and implementation of 'real first tier' models was all it took. The Irish have an expression: Jesus wept. Look where USA Rugby is today: In debt. Budgets based on monies to be raised from unknown sources are never published. They don’t even bother to admit how they spend your dues. Players pay their own way to events. Practices don’t happen. Domestic representative play does not happen. Domestic club play is almost totally ignored, and when they do pay attention, they get it wrong. Can you believe how they have blundered with high school rugby? An elite few are seen at IRB events, but they only issue trite sound bites when asked about American rugby. I apologize for whatever role I had in creating this sad state of affairs. I should have known you can’t trust some rugby types to care about the game, keep a promise, or be honest. What is worse, what was done last time can’t be repeated as easily. The dues-paying members no longer have a real vote. Congress members get to vote on a slates and plans controlled by the board. If they don’t go along quietly, they are castigated. As a former player, as a former club coach, as a former high school coach, as a former club president, as a former local union president, as a former Western RFU board member and director, as a former USA Rugby board member, as a former USA Rugby vice president, as a Silver Eagle Lifetime member of USA Rugby, and as the author of CIPP, I join Ed and say enough is enough. However, I disagree with Ed on what to do next. As always, Ed seeks a peaceful, non-confrontational way to solve a problem. History teaches us that peaceful non-confrontation does not work. I say refuse to pay your dues. I say publicize that refusal - tell the college dean and the high school principal why. I say create an ESPN firestorm. With the Olympics beckoning and the vast USA television market at stake, an organized dues strike will so embarrass the elitists they will break. Demand a vote. Demand an accounting, for the past and for the future. Demand a change to some American form of government that does not demand elected representatives fall in line. Ask your Congressman if they think foreigners should dictate how we run our Olympic sport. After all, what do you risk? Will you miss the services and support you get from USA Rugby? Will they cancel the U20’s? Will they make the All Americans pay their own way? Cancel the ITT’s? Take your rugby back. Randy Stainer randolphstainer AT hotmail DOT com
Since it looks like Kevin Roberts will be reelected as Chairman he better buck up and come through on the fundraising front. If he wants USAR to have a $12 to 20 million annual budget he needs to make it happen. Thats why he is there. http://www.gainline.us/gainline/ 16 September 2010 On fundraising It is evident, is it not, that Kevin Roberts' test-fueled commercial strategy has failed. What of another quality prized by nonprofits, fundraising? Though a stated focus of the 'strategic' board seated in summer 2006, the record is underwhelming. At its September 2006 meeting, the board set out to reinvigorate USARFU's donations program. A year later, a congress member who attended the annual meeting reported that 'Fundraising with respect to the planned giving program was a failure/disaster for 2007. [The board] are reworking this program and will hopefully be able to roll out something perhaps in 2008'. USARFU's web site duly added an updated version of the old 'Silver Eagle' program and provided a tool for identifying companies that match employee giving. But since then, the director most experienced in fundraising has departed, while the union's web site continues to present 2008 giving information. In 2009, fundraising was expected to total a bit more than 1 percent of the union's total revenue, according to internal USARFU documents presented to congress this time last year. By contrast, annual and endowment giving often comprises more than 50 percent of sporting non-profits, including universities. Moreover, donations are frequently enough earmarked -- and even made payable to the USARFU personnel directly involved -- so that the money does not disappear into the general fund. USARFU's hopes for commercializing test rugby require much-improved event management (not least: attendance), growing corporate sponsorship sales, and a cohesive broadcast strategy. Set aside that agenda, and the union's primary revenue opportunities are fundraising, International Rugby Board grants (i.e., restricted-use welfare), and member dues (i.e., CIPP). Only one of the those three categories has been reliably increasing. And so when it comes to financial affairs, one wonders what is so very different between the old 'volunteer' board and the present iteration? 16 September 2010 in America | Permalink | Comments
http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/national/Roberts_Re-Elected_Chairman.shtml Roberts Re-Elected Chairman The USA Rugby Congress voted to re-elect Chairman Kevin Roberts and elect former Pepsi executive Rob King at the annual Congress meeting Saturday in Dallas, TX. Each will serve a four-year term on the USA Rugby Board of Directors. There was no decision reached as to who will replace Jen Joyce as female International Athlete (IA) on Congress. The position, which is voted on by the six current IAs in Congress, will be decided within the next 75 days following candidate interviews with the IA Congress members. Following the meeting, an energized Roberts looked forward to continuing his work with the Board. “These are exciting times for USA Rugby,” Roberts said. “A recent independent survey shows that rugby is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Our membership numbers are at an all-time high and hundreds of thousands of kids took up the game last year. The game has never been in better health. “The men’s and women’s 15s & 7s teams are going through very successful periods at this time and I’m thrilled to continue working with Nigel Melville, the USA Rugby Board, and Congress in driving further growth of our great sport in the United States.” Rob King joins the USA Rugby Board after more than 20 years of executive experience at Pepsi. His success at Pepsi in aligning an organization against a vision will serve USA Rugby well in its mission to inspire America to fall in love with rugby, a game King has loved for decades. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the USA Rugby Board of Directors and look forward to working with the Board and Congress to move our sport forward over the next few years,” King said. “As a former player, it’s a dream come true to think that I can become reengaged in the sport and help continue its growth in the United States.” USA Rugby will also begin a search for a new Congress representative to the Board after current representative John Mullett withdrew his name from nomination.
Hundreds of thousands of kids took up the game when the total membership of USA Rugby is something like 97,000? I always love these kinds of quotes. They actually think they have f*ck all to deal with a 16-year-old deciding to play rugby when they give zero toward it occurring? It's the idiocy of people in large organizations (and this certainly applies to USSF) that they take credit for stuff done by people with little to no connection to the parent org and receiving no help from them. It's like Gary Bettman taking credit for a Mexican kid picking up a hockey stick.