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.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference force-2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference aru-2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference bt-2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference aus-2008a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference wnbull-2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Ryle 2009, p. 244.
  7. ^ Ryle 2009, p. ix.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference pn-2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference smh-2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference aus-2008b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).