Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle and Wallabies coach Michael Cheika got in a public spat at a function at the Australian embassy in Tokyo during the World Cup.
Former Wallaby Morgan Turinui intervened to stop an escalating argument between Cheika and Castle in front of guests at the cocktail function, according to a Fairfax report.
Turinui confirmed the incident to AAP but declined to comment further.
The clash was believed to stem from a disagreement over RA’s push to have Wallabies players at the function which was held on the Wednesday night before Australia’s crunch pool game against Wales.
Cheika was reportedly reluctant to send any players, with Castle going over the top of the coach to organise with director of rugby Scott Johnson that Wallabies would attend.
Fairfax said tensions boiled over towards the end of the function, which was attended by about 60 people, when Castle tried to thank Cheika for attending with four players.
The pair engaged in a verbal stoush before Turinui stepped in.
After resigning on Sunday, Cheika dropped a bombshell saying that he had almost “no relationship with the CEO and not much with the chairman (Cameron Clyne).”