The former prime minister Scott Morrison has denied making a bid to join the Australian Rugby League Commission, describing the reports as “a bit of pub talk”.
The Nine Network reported on Thursday that Morrison had spoken to “powerbrokers” in rugby league and made it “quite clear to them that he would like to be a part” of the commission, which runs the code, despite there not being a vacancy.
The discussions were reported to have occurred in the “lead-up” to State of Origin I last month, which Morrison attended.
But Morrison told the Daily Telegraph the reports sound “to me like just a bit of pub talk”.
“Love the NRL and my Sharks. PVL [Peter V’landys, the ARL chair] and Andrew [Abdo, the NRL chief executive] have done a great job. Really enjoyed working with them as PM to get through Covid and to expand the Pacific program,” he said.
Morrison was at the Cronulla Sharks game later on Thursday. He has not responded to a request for comment from Guardian Australia.
Morrison is the latest in a long line of Australian politicians linked to prominent positions in sport. One of the possible upcoming vacancies on the ARL commission board is even filled by the former Queensland premier Peter Beattie.
Morrison’s former treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, was recently mooted as a possible replacement for the outgoing AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, a suggestion that he himself was later reported to have made.
Frydenberg did not respond to a request for comment. He is the joint number one ticket holder at AFL club Carlton.
The former New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally became the CEO and chair of Basketball Australia after losing the 2011 state election to Barry O’Farrell.
John Howard, another former Liberal prime minister, was also once touted for a role on the ARL commission as its inaugural chair.
But that 2009 appointment was reportedly scuttled by none other than the current prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who was said to have phoned the then NRL chief executive, David Gallop, as well as other league officials to tell them it was “a stupid idea”.
Howard was also overlooked for a senior sporting role the following year, when he missed out on the vice-president position at the International Cricket Council.
The former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has had two stints as president of the AFL club Hawthorn since losing the 1999 election.
