Future of Super Rugby

Because if you promise to fund legal action to get something to court and bail when the bill comes you look like a campaigner

Oh I think its pretty obvious ( and it has been from day ) in this whole sordid affair , who the campaigners have been.

If they had a strong case they would have won the case simple. While I by no means support the decision of the ARU (you can look back at my posts in this thread if you want) but legal action for the sake of legal action wasn't smart

No I am sure that you would have been much happier if the good folk in WA just accepted the devastating decision and quietly just moved on.

As far as bringing up what was or wasn't smart goes, well that sensibility check went out the window months ago, when ARU decided to abdicate its role and involvement in developing the game across the ENTIRE nation.
 
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It will hurt Rugby WA. Now the Force hardly ever turned a profit so to think they will year one in Twiggys comp and everything will be okay is naive

Why not? Anything is possible in the fantasy land the ARU live in.

While it has historically consumed the second highest amount of additional support funding from the ARU among Super Rugby clubs behind the Melbourne Rebels ($7.7m v$19.3m, 2013-17), it was assumed that both teams would be self-sufficient from the 2018 season onwards and historical funding was not used as a key determinant in the ARU’s decision.

http://www.rugbyaustralia.com.au/portals/1/SUPPORTING-DOCUMENTATION-THE-FUTURE-OF-SUPER-RUGBY.pdf
 

Great8

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That's why the ACT and Vic should have merged. The amount of Vics coming through is going to see that percentage grow soon as the pathway becomes more established. Melbourne and Perth are two markets that they had to keep a team in
Having a lot of family in the ACT area and surrounding area and being a long time Brumbies member and season ticket holder I would safely say that most of us would rather the Brumbies fold altogether or merge with the Tahs. They wouldn’t have a bar of being part of a Victorian merger and most supporters of the Brumbies absolutely despise the Rebels. Many people in the Gundagai, Tumut region and around actually support the Brumbies as does a lot of Southern NSW
 

Seedsfan

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Having a lot of family in the ACT area and surrounding area and being a long time Brumbies member and season ticket holder I would safely say that most of us would rather the Brumbies fold altogether or merge with the Tahs. They wouldn’t have a bar of being part of a Victorian merger and most supporters of the Brumbies absolutely despise the Rebels. Many people in the Gundagai, Tumut region and around actually support the Brumbies as does a lot of Southern NSW
Fans always drop off during a merge that's hardy a surprise, but not every fan would. When we first got involved with Super Rugby the plan should have been to have a presence in Melbourne and Perth. As that is what would of been what was best for the game as a whole
 

Great8

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Fans always drop off during a merge that's hardy a surprise, but not every fan would. When we first got involved with Super Rugby the plan should have been to have a presence in Melbourne and Perth. As that is what would of been what was best for the game as a whole
Myself and most supporters I know would follow the Tahs. No way would the ones I know ever support the Rebels. The Brumbies actually represent Southern NSW aswell as the ACT and covers a large area and the ACT has a long history of Rugby Union. When SANZAR first floated the idea of Super Rugby in the early 90’s there was no interest from Melbourne or Perth and there was initially planned to only be 2 teams from Australia. The ACT Kookaburras had more than held their own at the National championships and had flogged the Tahs a year or so earlier and it was agreed that a third Australian team would enter the comp and it was announced as a joint venture between Southern NSW and the ACT. Was really only in the early 2000’s that expansions into traditional non Rugby areas was mooted
 

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Myself and most supporters I know would follow the Tahs. No way would the ones I know ever support the Rebels. The Brumbies actually represent Southern NSW aswell as the ACT and covers a large area and the ACT has a long history of Rugby Union. When SANZAR first floated the idea of Super Rugby in the early 90’s there was no interest from Melbourne or Perth and there was initially planned to only be 2 teams from Australia. The ACT Kookaburras had more than held their own at the National championships and had flogged the Tahs a year or so earlier and it was agreed that a third Australian team would enter the comp and it was announced as a joint venture between Southern NSW and the ACT. Was really only in the early 2000’s that expansions into traditional non Rugby areas was mooted
Just like when we took AFL to Sydney there was no interest and by the late 90s Melbourne was looking at making a bid to join Super Rugby and they made numerous failed attempts. The sides should have been in Perth and Melbourne as it provides growth for the game I respect what the Brumbies have done but you said it yourself you would of gone for the Tahs so the support base would not have been lost to the game. Furthermore if the came in as the Southern Rebels or Brumbies from the onset and played games in Melbourne and the ACT who would you have gone for?
 

Great8

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Just like when we took AFL to Sydney there was no interest and by the late 90s Melbourne was looking at making a bid to join Super Rugby and they made numerous failed attempts. The sides should have been in Perth and Melbourne as it provides growth for the game I respect what the Brumbies have done but you said it yourself you would of gone for the Tahs so the support base would not have been lost to the game. Furthermore if the came in as the Southern Rebels or Brumbies from the onset and played games in Melbourne and the ACT who would you have gone for?
Personally I would of gone for the Tahs as would my family and most that I know. Most don’t want a bar of anything Victorian. Was the same in the AFL, plenty of my family never went to Manuka to watch North or any of the other sides but have now joined up as GWS members and go to every home game in Canberra
 
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I posted that on Sunday. Unfortunately the leak needed to come before the decision to axe the Force was handed down.

From the Senate inquiry:

3. That the Western Australian Government: review evidence to the committee in relation to the process used to eliminate Western Force from the national Super Rugby competition and seek further legal advice on what assurances were provided to them by Australian Rugby Union and in particular the Australian Rugby Union negotiations with both the Victorian and Western Australian Governments which informed the good faith investment decisions by the Western Australian Government on behalf of Western Australian taxpayers.

4. That the Australian Securities and Investments Commission review the evidence received by the committee regarding transactions involving the Melbourne Rebels.

5. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission review the financial circumstances reported in the Australian Rugby Union's annual reports against the evidence presented to the committee.

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2017/11/15/senate-inquiry-report-handed-down

This whole saga is far from over. Yes the Force won't be competing in Super Rugby in 2018, but that's not the end of it.

The w***ers at the ARU/RA have a born to rule private school elite mentality and think they are the top of the tree, which in reality they are not. They act like a bunch of old money toffs despite being reliant on govt funding for their sport to survive.

I don't know what powers ASIC or anyone else have in this jurisdiction but if Pulver/Clyne were company directors they would be sweating bullets. The WA govt should investigate all legal avenues. ASIC should investigate the conduct of the ARU directors. These clowns just don't get it. Maybe they have crossed every T and dotted every I but if the ARU goes under and/or these guys face jail time it's on them.
 

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Something I think would help and surprises me that it still isn't allowed is letting players play for any Super Rugby team while still being eligible for their national team. New Zealand players are locked into those 5 teams if they want to play for the All Blacks and Australian players are locked into those 4 teams if they want to play for the Wallabies. Let it be open, play for whichever Super Rugby team you want. This would also make it easier for Super Rugby teams to improve.
 
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Something I think would help and surprises me that it still isn't allowed is letting players play for any Super Rugby team while still being eligible for their national team. New Zealand players are locked into those 5 teams if they want to play for the All Blacks and Australian players are locked into those 4 teams if they want to play for the Wallabies. Let it be open, play for whichever Super Rugby team you want. This would also make it easier for Super Rugby teams to improve.

I’ve always thought that was a strange rule. Long term open movement is better - sometimes a fringe player needs more opportunity

If you look at world football, the best players tend to stick to playing in the best domestic competitions - even if it’s their own nation by default. And funnily enough the last three European World Cup winners (Germany, Spain and Italy) all had most of their best XI coming from their own domestic leagues.
 
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