Force Goooooooone
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Western Australia's revenge ...
Premier Mark McGowan will scrap $4 million payment to ARU
PREMIER Mark McGowan has exacted swift revenge on the Australian Rugby Union for its decision to axe the Western Force by scrapping a deal to bring forward a $4 million payment to stage the Bledisloe Cup at Perth Stadium. While the blockbuster match between the Wallabies and All Blacks will still go-ahead in Perth in 2019, the WA Government is no longer willing to agree to the cash-strapped ARU’s request to make early payments. Mr McGowan earlier this year agreed to the request on the proviso the Force’s future in the Super Rugby competition was guaranteed. On Friday, WA’s rugby union community was devastated when the ARU announced it would cut the Perth-based team from the 2018 season and keep the Melbourne Rebels instead. The WA Government is paying the ARU $5 million to stage Perth’s first Bledisloe Cup match. The former Barnett government late last year handed over the first $1 million, but the ARU will now have to wait another two years to get its hands on the remainder. (...) Mr McGowan also revealed the Government was re-visiting commitments made to WA several years ago by the ARU when the State agreed to pour millions into rugby in WA, including a $95 million upgrade to nib Stadium. “Over the years the State had invested a significant amount of money towards the Force,” Mr McGowan said. “What we’ll do is get to the bottom of any undertakings the ARU gave the State Government that underpinned the decisions to pour millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money into rugby.” (...) -
Western Australia's revenge ...
Premier Mark McGowan will scrap $4 million payment to ARU
PREMIER Mark McGowan has exacted swift revenge on the Australian Rugby Union for its decision to axe the Western Force by scrapping a deal to bring forward a $4 million payment to stage the Bledisloe Cup at Perth Stadium. While the blockbuster match between the Wallabies and All Blacks will still go-ahead in Perth in 2019, the WA Government is no longer willing to agree to the cash-strapped ARU’s request to make early payments. Mr McGowan earlier this year agreed to the request on the proviso the Force’s future in the Super Rugby competition was guaranteed. On Friday, WA’s rugby union community was devastated when the ARU announced it would cut the Perth-based team from the 2018 season and keep the Melbourne Rebels instead. The WA Government is paying the ARU $5 million to stage Perth’s first Bledisloe Cup match. The former Barnett government late last year handed over the first $1 million, but the ARU will now have to wait another two years to get its hands on the remainder. (...) Mr McGowan also revealed the Government was re-visiting commitments made to WA several years ago by the ARU when the State agreed to pour millions into rugby in WA, including a $95 million upgrade to nib Stadium. “Over the years the State had invested a significant amount of money towards the Force,” Mr McGowan said. “What we’ll do is get to the bottom of any undertakings the ARU gave the State Government that underpinned the decisions to pour millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money into rugby.” (...)@Stargazer pointless political opportunism by McGowan.
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They couldn't win - everyone agrees that a team needs to be cut, but can't agree on who it will be.
@Godder I don't think everyone agrees at all.
Based on what have read on G&G and theroar a lot of people feel that the ARU should maintain a national footprint and it is difficult to fault that opinion.
The real problem is that the SANZAR unions have put all their eggs in the soup basket. But at the same time soup rugby is not generating the money that SA and AUS rugby needs to fight off the northern clubs money which has in turn undermined the product to an extent where it is turning fans of the comp.
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This is a pretty good summary of the mood over here IMO
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Good writing by Cully. Sometimes I don't like what he has to say, but most of the time he's right e.g.
They look at Hodgson and see everything they like about Australian rugby – passion, commitment, loyalty. And they look at SANZAAR and see hubris, a lack of accountability and a lack of concern.
Hodgo is a fucking legend. If we had more of him and less of fuckwits like Bieber, the game here would be in much better health.
Super Rugby will go on, but will Australians care?
Nope. If the next two months goes badly for the Wallabies, we'll need life support for the code.
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@Godder I don't think everyone agrees at all.
Based on what have read on G&G and theroar a lot of people feel that the ARU should maintain a national footprint and it is difficult to fault that opinion.
The real problem is that the SANZAR unions have put all their eggs in the soup basket. But at the same time soup rugby is not generating the money that SA and AUS rugby needs to fight off the northern clubs money which has in turn undermined the product to an extent where it is turning fans of the comp.
@SidBarret said in Force Goooooooone:
@Godder I don't think everyone agrees at all.
Based on what have read on G&G and theroar a lot of people feel that the ARU should maintain a national footprint and it is difficult to fault that opinion.
The real problem is that the SANZAR unions have put all their eggs in the soup basket. But at the same time soup rugby is not generating the money that SA and AUS rugby needs to fight off the northern clubs money which has in turn undermined the product to an extent where it is turning fans of the comp.
By "everyone", I mean the franchises and states - the ARU had a Special General Meeting to discuss it, and the SGM agreed that a franchise should be cut.
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RugbyWA have gained an injunction order against the ARU's decision to axe the Western Force from the Super Rugby competition.
The Force have lodged an appeal of their axing to the NSW Supreme Court and the injunction order means the ARU can't sack or relocate players until the issue is sorted.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11903949
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is this a good or bad distraction for the Wallabies...
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@Billy-Tell said in Force Goooooooone:
What a shambles. Personally think getting rid of the brumbies would have been the way to go, despite their success.
Financially I'd have thought the brumbies were gone. But they are the most successful Aussie franchise, how would that look...
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Honestly, SANZAAR shouldn't be the ones running Super Rugby. You look at most other major pro comps around the world and they're run by organisations that exist solely to look after and grow their comps. Then you look at Super Rugby and there's three (now four but I'm not sure how much influence the Argies have) different unions with different interests constantly pulling the comp in different directions. That's why we got the fifth Aussie team, the fifth and sixth SA teams, the Japanese team, the god awful conference system, shit teams being handed token spots in the finals, the June test break right in the worst possible spot, the absolutely fucked schedule and now three teams being dropped (one of which was the second best team in the Aussie conference).
Most of those problems were obvious and pointed out long beforehand but SANZAAR never gave a shit how much they hurt the comp because each union was getting what they wanted and they all seemed to figure the comp could just work around their goals.
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I don't know why the Aussies are having a whinge about SANZAAR. Last time i checked the Aussies made up 1/3 of SANZAR when expansion started. The ARU are the ones that pushed for a new Aust team in the AFL fortress. They are the ones that fucked up by not including clauses in their franchise contracts allowing them to cut/change teams and they are the ones who have failed to provide enough high quality players for their teams by throwing money at league players and guys like Beiba while neglecting grass roots.
SANZAAR deserve criticism but the ARU are part of that.
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It's getting more and more "interesting".
The $20 million deal that punted the Western Force out of Super Rugby
@Stargazer said in Force Goooooooone:
It's getting more and more "interesting".
The $20 million deal that punted the Western Force out of Super Rugby
Massive stretch at the end of the article re team names and where they're from
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I heard a rumor they are in talks with the sun rebels now about a merger.
MY source is reddit so I will take it with a pinch of salt but its an interesting idea.
@mooshld said in Force Goooooooone:
I heard a rumor they are in talks with the sun rebels now about a merger.
MY source is reddit so I will take it with a pinch of salt but its an interesting idea.
The same sauce that named the AB side before it was announced on sacred Thursday....
