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Austin Elite have responded to their winless season with a change to their management. Thierry Daupin has stepped down as General Manager with immediate effect. Taking charge with a new job title at Director of Rugby is Eagles all-time cap leader Todd Clever.
The change will not be a great surprise to those following the Elite. Criticism had been aimed at the team recently for their failure to forge a working relationship with the strong local club scene, the Austin Blacks and Austin Huns in particular seemingly at odds with the professional outfit.
Aside from the poor on-field results, the Elite had also struggled to engage with the Austin rugby fan base. Their average attendance was the lowest in Major League Rugby this season and Dell Diamond proved an impractical venue.
Clever is not new to Austin. Previously part of the Huns Management Group, he returned to the pitch last season and played five games with the Elite before hanging up his boots for good. The 36-year-old briefly flirted with a career in professional wrestling but is now back in the rugby fold full-time.
The official release from the Elite clarifies that he will head up all rugby operations, community relations, and development. Among Clever’s immediate tasks will be to decide what further changes need to be made to the staff and playing roster, with coach Alain Hyardet’s position surely up for review.
