Peter O'Meara (rugby union)

Peter O'Meara was the inaugural CEO of the Western Force rugby union team.[1] He was appointed in March 2005 following the successful bid by RugbyWA for the right to host the fourth Australian franchise.[2][3] O'Meara had previously been on the boards of the NSWRU and QRU and had moved to Western Australia in his capacity as an executive with the Commonwealth Bank.[4][5]

After the launch of Western Force and two completed seasons in the Super 14 competition, O'Meara resigned as CEO in January 2008. This followed RugbyWA being fined $150,000 by the Australian Rugby Union for a breach of protocols relating to player contracts.[4] The controversial fuel technology company Firepower Holdings,[6] run by O'Meara's friend Tony Johnston,[7] had provided sponsorship deals which were a major factor in luring high profile players including Wallaby star Matt Giteau and others to play for the Western Force.[8] Firepower's Australian operations were put into liquidation in early July 2008 in the Australian Federal Court,[6] leaving Giteau and a number of other sportsmen owed millions of dollars by Firepower.[9]

He was succeeded by Greg Harris as CEO of the Force, appointed in March 2008.[10] O'Meara was appointed as CEO of the Catholic Cemeteries Board in Sydney in 2010.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "RugbyWA Staff". RugbyWA. 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007.
  2. ↑ "Perth Super 14 team announces CEO". Australian Rugby. 2005.
  3. ↑ Guinness, Rupert (8 January 2008). "CEO quits in new Force woe". Brisbane times. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Force CEO Peter O'Meara resigns". The Australian. News. 7 January 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 White, Richard. "Wise as Serpents & Gentle as Doves". Dialogue (WN Bull Funerals) (Spring 2011): 17–18. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ryle 2009, p. 244.
  7. ↑ Ryle 2009, p. ix.
  8. ↑ Chadwick, Justin (27 May 2008). "Firepower debacle hits Matt Giteau, Western Force". The Sunday Times. UK. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  9. ↑ Magnay, Jaqueline; Ryle, Gerard (28 May 2008). "The game's almost up for Firepower". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax.
  10. ↑ "Greg Harris replaces Peter O'Meara as Western Force CEO". The Australian. News. 7 January 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015.

Sources