Raelene Castle quits as chief executive of Rugby Australia

Raelene Castle has resigned as the chief executive of Rugby Australia.

Castle announced on Thursday night that she would be stepping down from the post she took in 2017, becoming the first woman in charge of one of Australia’s major football codes.

The pressure on Castle had become extreme after 11 former Wallabies captains delivered a vote of no confidence in an extraordinary letter calling for a leadership overhaul.

In a statement provided to the ABC, Castle said the RA board believed the best path forward would be without her.

“I love rugby on every level and I will always love the code and the people I have had the honour of working with since I took this role.

“I made it clear to the board that I would stand up and take the flack and do everything possible to serve everyone’s best interests.

“In the last couple of hours, it has been made clear to me that the board believes my no longer being CEO would help give them the clear air they believe they need. The game is bigger than any one individual - so this evening I told the Chair that I would resign from the role

“I will do whatever is needed to ensure an orderly handover. I wish the code and everyone who loves rugby nothing but the best and I would like to thank the people I work with and the broader rugby community for their enormous support.”

[Source: Fox Sports]