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 Federal Court of Australia,[6] leaving Giteau and a number of other sportsmen owed millions of dollars by Firepower.[9]

He was succeeded as CEO of the Force by Greg Harris, appointed in March 2008.[10] O'Meara was appointed as CEO of the Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust in Sydney in 2010.[5]In 2023, O'Meara received the Papal Honour of the Knight of St Gregory the Great.

References
  1. "RugbyWA Staff". RugbyWA. 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007.
  2. "Perth Super 14 team announces CEO". Australian Rugby. 2005. Archived from the original on 16 September 2006.
  3. Guinness, Rupert (8 January 2008). "CEO quits in new Force woe". Brisbane times. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015.
  4. "Force CEO Peter O'Meara resigns". The Australian. News. 7 January 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015.
  5. 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. Ryle 2009, p. 244.
  7. Ryle 2009, p. ix.
  8. Chadwick, Justin (27 May 2008). "Firepower debacle hits Matt Giteau, Western Force". PerthNow. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  9. Magnay, Jaqueline; Ryle, Gerard (28 May 2008). "The game's almost up for Firepower". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008.
  10. "Greg Harris replaces Peter O'Meara as Western Force CEO". The Australian. News. 7 January 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015.

Sources


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