The Otago Daily Times has learned clubs are planning to vote en masse at the union's annual meeting on February 23 to elect their two preferred candidates, believed to be former Otago coach Wayne Graham and Dunedin club stalwart Paul Dwyer.
In a letter to ORFU chairman Ron Palenski, leaked to the newspaper yesterday, deep dissatisfaction in the board was revealed as the clubs expressed their "frustration" and "disappointment".
"The lack of communication between the board and all lower levels of administration within Otago; the lack of strategic direction for the union overall; and the lack of positive action [are] common areas of concern among clubs," the letter said.
It also demanded clubs be told who had been enlisted to work on a wide-ranging review of Otago rugby and how clubs would be consulted about the review.
Questions were also raised about the success rate and future of the Otago Rugby Academy, and the board was asked to provide a summary of the academy's achievements over the past three years.
Dunedin clubs had their first meeting to discuss concerns about the board before Christmas and have met twice subsequently.
The letter to Palenski was signed by 10 clubs. Harbour did not sign, but is believed to support the group, while Kaikorai has been outside the group from the start and will not be part of the consensus vote.
Palenski had not read the letter in full when contacted for comment yesterday but rejected the suggestion his board lacked direction.
"They need to be much more specific than that. That's a fairly nebulous, sweeping generalisation," Palenski said.
"I find it interesting that not one club chairman has phoned me in the last year asking what's going on. They are able to seek a meeting with the board any time they like, and none have done."
Asked if he believed the ORFU board had been doing a good job, Palenski said it could be judged when the union's annual report was released later this month.
The ORFU has been through a turbulent time, posting back-to-back million-dollar losses, but is expected to report a much healthier financial performance when it opens its books before the annual meeting.
Chief executive Richard Reid denied the union or its board had communicated poorly with the clubs.
"Communication is used often to imply criticism. But I think we communicate pretty well," Reid said. "I think it's improved. But whether it's perfect is for others to judge."
Reid said the ORFU's review of Otago rugby, by necessity, could not be completely transparent.
"The professional part of it is often to do with employees and working environments, and by definition we can't possibly talk about that in public before we're ready to. It's just a no-go area.
"For the amateur part, we're rolling out the terms of reference soon. We'll go through a consultation process about March-April, then create a working party which, clearly, will have people from every aspect of amateur rugby.
"There's not much point doing that while rugby clubs are in hibernation over the summer."
The letter to Palenski revealed clubs had discussed candidates for the board and planned to reach a consensus to elect those candidates.
Graham played eight games for the All Blacks and coached Otago to the national championship final in 2005.
Dwyer, the group advertising manager for Allied Press, which owns the Otago Daily Times, has been a key part of the group organising the clubs as they push for change.
If the metropolitan clubs do vote as one, they will comfortably get their candidates on to the board because they hold so many votes.
There is also a powerful country vote to consider. The letter to Palenski said country clubs had been consulted but had not been included in the letter because of time constraints.
Club delegates Adrian Read and Duncan Simpson retire by rotation from the board, and Simpson is not seeking re-election.
Independent board members Steve Thompson and John Walker also retire by rotation from the board.
Both Palenski and Reid said they had no problem with the clubs mobilising to get people elected to the board.
"At previous annual meetings I have made appeals to the clubs to put candidates up for office. Invariably, they haven't done that in big numbers," Palenski said. "If they do that this time, I'll welcome it."
