Rugby Australia has confirmed that Director of Rugby Scott Johnson will leave the organisation following the completion of his contract on 31 December 2021.
Johnson was appointed Director of Rugby in December 2018, to provide organisational oversight of the Wallaby program, Australia’s national teams, the working relationship with the Super Rugby clubs and World Rugby as well as the players.
Johnson’s role further covered the selection and appointment processes of the national and super Rugby coaches.
The former Wallabies assistant coach has also formed part of the National Selection Panel since 2019, and played an integral role in the recruitment of Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie and his coaching staff.
Rugby Australia CEO Andy Marinos said: “On behalf of Australian Rugby, I want to thank Scott for his terrific contribution to the game over the last three years. He stepped into his role at a difficult time within Australian Rugby and has played an important role at an important time for the game in Australia and leaves Australian Rugby in a better place.
“We have commenced a process that is reviewing our high performance program, and the entire system nationally, to drive a high performing environment to deliver sustainable success for all of our teams. This is an exciting time for Australian Rugby, with a blockbuster calendar ahead for the Wallabies, a refreshed Super Rugby Pacific competition and a jam-packed schedule for our Buildcorp Wallaroos and Australian Sevens sides with both programs competing in World Cup next year,” Marino said.
Outgoing Rugby Australia Director of Rugby Scott Johnson said: “It’s been a great personal privilege to serve in this role over the last three years. The game has evolved rapidly over the last few years, especially through COVID, and it’s time for that next evolution in 2022 and beyond.
“I want to thank Andy, Dave (Rennie) and the team at RA, as well as each of the Australian Super Rugby sides, for their spirit of cooperation over the last three years. I am confident that everyone is on the same page to drive forward into this new era to enable future success,” Johnson said.
Johnson’s departure will enable a review of the high performance department to begin in 2022, and the opportunity for re-defined roles across Rugby Australia.
