Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh has revealed $2.6 million in unapproved expenses were invested in Eddie Jones’ disastrous 2023 World Cup campaign.
While declining to single out Jones for blame, Waugh on Thursday said the over-spend was “unacceptable” and would not happen again.
“The over-investment that was unapproved was $2.6 million, which covered three main elements, being team costs, staff travel and then player benefits,” Waugh said, adding that RA only found out the extent of the excess spending “retrospectively”.
“So a lot of that came through post-World Cup … You want to set the team up for success.
“I mean, the reality is that 86 per cent of our revenue comes through the men’s fifteens program for Rugby Australia, and a successful World Cup program is critical to that.
“And I guess, yeah, there was lenience given in the hope that we would succeed at the World Cup and make it deep …