Rugby job swallowed in revamp
THE South Canterbury Rugby Union is to lose its chief executive position after a restructuring by the board.
The decision could save the cash-strapped union up to $40,000, although the position carried a salary package well above that.
Ian Hegarty ’s job was the only one lost after an internal review and he is likely to finish work by the end of March.
The chief executive role has disappeared as the union continues its belt tightening after controversially disestablishing the groundsman position last year.
Union chairman Stephen McFarlane said finance was a key consideration as well as the union ’s longterm sustainability. F? "The board has as one of its core tasks iH~. consideration and review of the appropriate employee _________ structure required by the SCRU for the Stephen I delivery of quality rugby services to the community.
"With the disestablishment of the chief executive position, the functions of that role will be redistributed among existing positions and outsourcing options," he said.
"In terms of the timetable and the specifics of implementation of these decisions, discussions with affected staff continue which is why there has been no official announcement to date." Mr McFarlane said the outcome was understandably disappointing for Mr Hegarty who had worked hard, and with passion, for South Canterbury rugby in the past two years.
"A final date for the chief executive function to be officially disestablished is still under discussion but is likely to be in the first quarter of 2009.
"Naturally, Ian is disappointed that his employment will cease and he certainly expressed to the board that he wanted the role to be retained and to carry on in it." Mr McFarlane said Mr Hegarty had indicated his desire to ensure that the transition to the new structure was a smooth one.
Mr Hegarty was on leave because he had a lot of lieu time and annual leave accrued, Mr McFarlane said.
If the union needed Mr Hegarty for the upcoming Crusaders game, he had indicated he would be available but things for the game were running smoothly, Mr McFarlane said.
He would not be drawn, how-ever, on whether Mr Hegarty would receive any redundancy except to say "the union will be meeting all obligations in the chief executive ’s employment agree- ment".
The Herald under-stands the board ’s decision means the union is the only union in New Zealand without a chief execu-tive although the disestablishment had AcFarlane been discussed with the New Zealand Rugby Union.
The review leaves the union with 2.5 fulltime equivalent paid employees plus the club liaison officer position which is shared with Mid Canterbury.
Mr McFarlane said outsourc-ing options would be called upon as required for specialist skills such as marketing, human resources and so on.
"Remaining staff members will face changes in how their day-to-day work tasks are structured and this is currently being discussed with them." The disestablishment follows a tumultuous period in the union ’s history, with previous incum-bent Paul Treves being sacked, interim chief executive Russell Leech sacking coach Ken Wills, for which the union had to pay compensation, and a construc-tive dismissal payout to another chief executive, Wally Bell.
Stupiddington©timaruheraldconz
Timaru Herald,
Timaru Canterburry,New Zealand
