Rugby Australia's communication to and direction of grassroots rugby during the Covid-19 pandemic has been "completely abysmal", according to Narrabri Blue Boars president Mick Coffey.
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Coffey - a first-year president - made the scathing assessment in a Facebook post on the club's Facebook, in which he announced that the Central North rugby season had been cancelled due to the pandemic.
Central North Rugby Union president Tony Byrnes distanced the organisation from the rebuke, saying it was a personal opinion - and one that he did not agree with.
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In the post, Coffey said: "The communication and direction from Rugby AU to the grassroots level has been completely abysmal and have left us to try to navigate through all this ourselves, so my apologies for perhaps not delivering enough information to you - I simply don't have any most of the time."
Byrnes said it was always hard getting information during "uncertain events". "But I wouldn't describe it in these terms ['completely abysmal'] ... He made that comment, and that's his view. My views might be different.
"But it's difficult times. We can't make decisions outside the [Covid] guidelines ... nor can Rugby Australia."
The Blue Boars joined the eight other Central North clubs in voting on Sunday to abandon the 2020 season before a game was played.
The CNRU is still hopeful "non-competitive" rugby will be played this year - starting in August or September.
Coffey said: "Without any firm date for contact training, an actual starting date for a competition and also the crowd size limitations[,] it has been decided that it is unviable for clubs to prepare for something that[,] in all likelihood, wouldn't eventuate.
"It's disappointing indeed, but we remained positive the whole time. We worked hard to communicate well with all the clubs and the zone executive and invested a great deal of time into having a pile of different options to consider as dates came and went."
Coffey urged the club's players to remain fit.
The Leader contacted Rugby Australia for a comment, but it was not forthcoming by deadline on Monday not.
