New interim ACT Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson insists his appointment is not the start of an ARU takeover of the Canberra Super Rugby club as he begins a job to mend broken relationships in the capital's rugby community.
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The Brumbies board made a move on Wednesday night to give Thomson control of the organisation for the next three to six months while they search for a permanent replacement of former boss Michael Jones.
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham backed Thomson to fill the role as the pair start working together to finalise the club's roster for the 2017 and beyond.
But there is expected to be more developments in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday morning as Jones pursues legal action against the University of Canberra and other parties, alleging they pressured the club's board to stand him down.
Brumbies great Joe Roff has distanced himself for the case and said it was "laughable" that he would seek to hurt the club after being brought into Jones' case for damages.
Roff and former Brumbies general manager Michael Thomson are still considered options to be the Brumbies' long-term leader, but Phil Thomson has stepped into the temporary role to steady the ship.
Thomson is a former AFP detective and has put his ARU integrity unit manager job on hold to help the Brumbies.
There are fears in Canberra's rugby ranks that Thomson's arrival signals the start of the ARU taking control and a shift towards a centralised model for Australia's Super Rugby clubs.
But Thomson said: "That will be a perception from people, but I can guarantee the ARU has no intention of taking over the Brumbies.
"They want the Brumbies to be a sustainable organisation from 2017 and onwards. There's been a big review amongst all the Super Rugby franchises in relation to their financial stability and sustainability.
"Professional sport is tough right across the board and we need to work with the organisations to make sure they're sustainable and standing on their own two feet.
"With some good planning and smart business work, I think [the Brumbies] can be sustainable moving forward."
The announcement to employ Thomson means the Brumbies have had three chief executives in two weeks after Michael Jones agreed to a payout following an ugly fall-out and general manager of community rugby Craig Leseberg took on a brief interim role.
Larkham is adamant the Brumbies have been able to keep any drama out of the organisation and that the club was "humming" behind closed doors.
"Phil is passionate about Canberra rugby and about the Brumbies," Larkham told Fairfax Media.
"He worked at the Brumbies at the inaugural season in 2016 and he's always been a passionate Brumbies supporter. He's great with relationships and that's what he's in here to do."
When asked if he had any plans to apply for the Brumbies job on a full-time basis, Thomson said: "Not at this stage, no.
"I've got a role with the ARU at the moment that I'm happy with. As of today I'm a Brumbies employee, I'm the interim CEO of the Brumbies and I report to the Brumbies board. The role at the ARU is on hold, but the plan is to go back."
Thomson's appointment followed a Brumbies board meeting on Wednesday night, where directors starting putting plans in place to find a permanent successor to Jones.
The board also discussed collecting money owed to the Brumbies, the future of Canberra's National Rugby Championship team and Thomson's role.
Thomson will be in charge of the Brumbies' back-room office and report to the board.
"It's pretty obvious that there's a lot of tension out there [in Canberra's rugby community]. There are a lot of bridges that have to be rebuilt. It's been a tough time for the organisation off the field and no one likes to see the organisation dragged through this process," Thomson said.
"We need to look at getting back to the values of the organisation. I think we need to re-engage with people."
Thomson was involved in the initial stages of the Brumbies and ARU's decision to commission a KPMG report into transactions at the clubs via his integrity unit role. The report was the source of tension between Jones and stakeholders.
Thomson has previously served as the Brumbies and Wallabies team managers, was an AFP officer for 14 years and player for Canberra Royals from 1980 to 1990.
SUPER RUGBY ROUND 12
Friday: Melbourne Rebels v ACT Brumbies at AAMI Park, 7.45pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports 2.
Brumbies team: 15. Aidan Toua, 14. Lausii Taliauli, 13. Tevita Kuridrani, 12. James Dargaville, 11. Nigel Ah Wong, 10. Christian Lealiifano, 9. Tomas Cubelli, 8. Jarrad Butler, 7. David Pocock, 6. Scott Fardy, 5. Sam Carter, 4. Rory Arnold, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Scott Sio. Reserves: 16. Josh Mann-Rea, 17. Allan Alaalatoa, 18. Ruan Smith, 19. Tom Staniforth, 20. Blake Enever, 21. Jordan Smiler, 22. Joe Powell, 23. Jordan Jackson-Hope.
Rebels team: 15. Mike Harris, 14. Sefa Naivalu, 13. Tamati Ellison, 12. Reece Hodge, 11. Cam Crawford, 10. Jack Debreczeni, 9. Nic Stirzaker, 8. Adam Thomson, 7. Sean McMahon, 6. Colby Faingaa, 5. Lopeti Timani, 4. Luke Jones, 3. Jamie Hagan, 2. James Hanson, 1. Toby Smith. Reserves: 16. Pat Leafa, 17.Cruze Ah Nau, 18. Tim Metcher, 19. Sam Jeffries, 20. Jordy Reid, 21. Ben Meehan, 22. Tom English, 23. Kotaro Matsushima.
