The NSW Rugby Union says money allegedly used to help pay the mortgage of former Wallaby Jim Williams did not come from an Indigenous education grant.
Fairfax Media reported that former NSWRU director Nick Farr-Jones used money from Indigenous education program, Learn Earn Legend, to help pay Williams’ mortgage.
Williams reportedly approached former NSWRU executive Bruce Worboys last August seeking financial assistance.
Farr Jones’s use of the funds, which he told Fairfax he believed were surplus funds from the Learn Earn Legend account.
"I didn't have the cash at the time, Bruce didn't have the cash at the time, Bruce said to me 'Nick there is this amount sitting in the LEL program, which is surplus, we could use that'," Farr-Jones said to Fairfax Media.
The NSWRU released a statement on Monday, saying that the money did not come from the Learn Earn Legend initiative, and all funds borrowed had since been repaid.
“NSW Rugby Union (NSWRU) can confirm that last year NSWRU funds were lent to a staff member of NSWRU,” it read.
“All funds lent have since been repaid to the NSWRU in full. Those that authorised this transaction are no longer involved in NSWRU or the NSW Waratahs.
“Over the last 9 months the Executive and Board of the NSWRU has changed substantially and all parties associated with the aforementioned loan have long since retired.
“The money used was from the NSWRU account. It was not linked to, or paid from, the Learn Earn Legend program.”
Worboys has since resigned as NSWRU executive director, while Williams’ contract was not renewed by the union this year.
