Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver stands by the decision to overlook Jake White as the next Wallabies coach and says White's South African heritage did not influence the move to appoint Ewen McKenzie.
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White has quit the final two years of his contract with the ACT Brumbies. He did not return calls on Thursday.
The Brumbies say the ARU's preference for an Australian coach shattered White's hopes of one day becoming the Wallabies coach.
White and McKenzie were the two candidates to replace Robbie Deans in July.
They were both interviewed for the job and the ARU had been courting White since February.
The ARU has maintained its edict that it wanted a leader who could coach ''the Australian way''.
''Jake did such a great job with the Brumbies that he was in consideration for the Wallabies job … we know Jake is an outstanding, world-class coach,'' Pulver said.
''If [the ARU's decision to appoint McKenzie] had an effect on Jake, I'm very disappointed with that. If it had an impact on his desire to leave, I'm very sorry for that outcome. But I'm not sure what else I could do about it.''
White felt the ARU's ''Australian way'' comment was an insult.
''From my perspective [Jake being South African] had very little to do with the decision,'' Pulver said.
''I know there was a real feeling in Australian rugby that there was a desire to have an Australian coach. But my view was that Australia deserved the best coach and my view was that was Ewen McKenzie.''
