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Rugby Australia has been approached about selling the Waratahs to a private ownership group, while Stephen Hoiles will join Michael Cheika's staff as senior assistant and heir apparent.
Rugby Australia has been approached about a possible sale of the NSW Waratahs to a private ownership group, sources have confirmed. The approach came as Stephen Hoiles was locked in as Michael Cheika's senior assistant coach for next season, making him the heir apparent to the head coach role as early as 2028.
RA chief executive Phil Waugh was recently contacted by a representative of the potential buyers, but talks remain very preliminary. Cheika, a former Waratahs and Wallabies coach, is aware of the ownership discussions but is not involved with the group, which views the Waratahs as an undervalued asset. Waugh and RA are believed to be open to selling the franchise licence, but the parties have not yet reached the stage of valuation or due diligence.
RA and Cheika both declined to comment on the ownership talks. Cheika, 59, signed a two-year deal with the Waratahs and will start in November after finishing his role as an assistant coach with the Roosters in the NRL and leading Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup. He intends to coach at Test level again and has the option to leave the Waratahs after the 2027 Rugby World Cup, when international vacancies traditionally arise.
Hoiles, 44, has coached in California for the past two seasons in Major League Rugby and has agreed terms with RA and the Waratahs as senior assistant coach. He was a member of the 2014 Waratahs' title-winning squad and coached Randwick to a title. He also owns a health and well-being business. The remainder of Cheika's staff is yet to be finalised, with attack and scrum coaches still to be appointed.
Current scrum coach Dan Palmer is set to depart to work in the neuroscience sector, according to informed sources not authorised to comment publicly. The private ownership interest follows the broader deal that rescued NSW Rugby from imminent financial collapse. The franchise recorded a 4.8 million dollar deficit in 2023, with forecasts of similar losses to come. This is not the first time private groups have expressed interest in buying the Waratahs, including a Cheika-led Waratahs.
One earlier consortium featured former Waratahs and Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer and ex-Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom, while Pet Resorts tycoon David Levy was behind another bid. The group behind ANZ Stadium was also in the mix at one point, but none of those private ownership options were pursued by the Waratahs board. Private ownership of Super Rugby franchises in Australia has had mixed results.
The Melbourne Rebels were launched in 2010 under a consortium headed by prominent Melbourne businessman Harold Mitchell. After incurring significant losses that required RA bailouts, that group handed the licence to the Victorian Rugby Union. Another private group led by businessmen Andrew Cox and Peter Sidwell bought the Rebels in 2015, but it also struggled financially and ultimately returned the licence to the VRU for 1 dollar in 2017.
Cheika's return has generated enthusiasm, and the potential investors see the Waratahs as an undervalued asset with room for growth. The talks are still at an early stage and no valuation of the Waratahs licence has been discussed. Both RA and Cheika declined to comment on the private ownership approach.
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brisbanetimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
NSW Waratahs Rugby Australia Michael Cheika Stephen Hoiles Super Rugby Private Ownership
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