IRFU may get more involved in coaching recruitment after Munster’s Randle controversy

Randle was announced in mid-May to be linking up with Clayton McMillan at Munster until the deal was called off due to a wave of backlash

IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys with Mick Kearney. Pic: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

The Irish Rugby Football Union could become more involved in the recruitment of positions within the wider coaching set up following Munster’s controversial botched appointment of Roger Randle.

The former All Blacks winger was announced in mid-May to be linking up with his old boss at the Chiefs, Clayton McMillan, at Munster on a two-year deal as a replacement for Mike Prendergast.

But a fortnight later, following the resignation of independent members of Munster’s Professional Game Board (PGB), ex-players Billy Holland, Mick O’Driscoll and Killian Keane, it was announced by Munster that the deal was off by “mutual agreement”.

The U-turn followed a wave of backlash regarding rape allegations in South Africa, which were later dropped, from his days as a player in 1997.

McMillan, who is believed to have considered walking away from his post less than a year after joining the side because of the controversy, said soon after that he was “disappointed” by the outcome and added that he had a lot of “respect” for his old colleague at the Chiefs.

Munster announced former Irish centre Jared Payne as their new attack coach in early June, but the welcome news wasn’t enough to spur a late season revival as the 2023 champions crashed out in the first week of the finals.

While an investigation into the handling of the controversy only just got underway, IRFU performance director David Humphreys admitted the national body weren’t across every appointment but revealed on the Munster one that “we provided some support”.

“It's been obviously a hugely difficult number of months for Munster for a couple of reasons,” Humphreys told reporters in Sydney during a rare briefing with the Irish press.

IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

“From a high performing point of view, none of us want anything that comes out to deflect away from the rugby that was going on, and also the planning for next year. But that's what this review has been putting in place to bring out.

“How both Munster, from a governance point of view, could have done it better, and how the IRFU - one of the outcomes may be how the IRFU may have to take a more of an oversight position in some of these recruitments.” Humphreys said he wasn’t aware when the review would be finished.

He admitted that several lessons will have come from the review.

“I think coming out of that will be very clear that there's definitely things we could have done better and things we could have done differently,” he said.

“Based on the recommendations that come out of that, first and foremost it will be for Munster, but the IRFU will definitely be involved.

“Going forward, as I said, there may be some recommendations that are made that will be implemented in terms of how we see some of the higher profile recruitment. Because again, to go back to what I said a moment ago, we do not want to be involved in every provincial decision.

“We want a huge amount of autonomy and give them the flexibility to make decisions that are right for Munster. Because sitting up in Dublin, you don't have a sense of what's required in every single decision.” Asked whether either Munster or the IRFU had to pay compensation to Randle, said: “That's a confidential piece that I'm not going to comment on.” Despite the ugly episode, the high performance boss added that Munster had landed a bright young assistant coach in Jared Payne.

“The positive out of it is that I think now when you look at the coaching team that Munster have put in place with Jared Payne coming in, I think from a backs-attack point of view, they'll be very pleased with what they've got,” the former out-half said.

“I think they bring a huge amount of value together with Jimmy Duffy coming in from Ulster.

“You'll have heard how highly he's regarded as a coach. There was a fear that we might have lost him from the system, but the opportunity to come into Munster I think will definitely strengthen them from where they've been this year.”