I would take anything coming out of SA with a pinch of salt. The newspapers there specialise in "Alternative facts"
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I would take anything coming out of SA with a pinch of salt. The newspapers there specialise in "Alternative facts"
If the ARU are now bowing and scraping to South Africas politicians it's time we quit SANZAAR!
Good to see Dane coming out and fighting for 5 teams.
DHP backs five Australian teams
Dane Haylett-Petty has used his own rugby journey as proof five Australian Super Rugby teams are needed to grow the game.
The Force fullback is the poster boy for the Western Australian pathway to Wallaby gold.
Born in South African before moving to Perth as a 10-year-old, Haylett-Petty cemented himself as a regular in the Wallabies' best XV in 2016.
But if it wasn't for the Force, the 27-year-old may never have been handed an opportunity in Australia after four years abroad in France and Japan.
"I know from my point of view, when we did have a four team model I didn’t have enough opportunity here so I went over to France and developed over there," he said.
"When the Force came in it was about growing Wallabies and the Force have definitely done that through the years.
"As well as that on the weekend we had about 10 Western Australians in the team so we are heading towards a team where a lot of the guys have been developed here.
"I think having four teams definitely blocks out that pathway for a lot of young guys coming through.
"That pathway is working so it would be an absolute shame to get rid of it now."
As the Australian Super Rugby CEOs go to ground over the matter, Haylett-Petty said he would like to see a decision made sooner rather than later.
"At the moment it’s just all rumours," he said.
"We’ve heard chatter of the Brumbies and Rebels merging or one of those teams going but it’s just rumours.
"No one knows what’s going on so I think it’s just best we sort it out as soon as possible."
The Force have the bye this weekend before launching into a Crusaders-Blues road trip which will shape their season.
The Western Australians have shown flashes of brilliant football in their first three matches but are yet to put together an 80 minute performance.
"It’s definitely going to take some time," Haylett-Petty said.
"Any time you try and play a different style of rugby it takes some time and I think with each game we are taking a step towards the style we want to but it’s not quite there yet.
"It has been frustrating that we have let a couple slip so far but we have a few more opportunities yet."
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2017/03...cks-five-teams
The sad thing is where are the administration out fighting in the public arena.
They have come up with the buy the force idea but have only touch on current members no advertising across the board no TV or radio adverts no bill boards nothing of any substance to create an atmosphere of desperation and the right of survival. There mushroom attitude towards there prospectus release and the lack of detail showing it more as a thought bubble than a plan to be realised.
They are a real roll over and rub my belly lot and looking to position themselves in the admin of. The ARU with a soft and easy liquidation of the force.
We sit back and wait as high profile ex wallabies say bone the force , eastern states journolists bag the force and the setup and where lies our response. Let's sit back die a slow death and we will be looked after on the eastern seaboard.
Perth glory moving to rugby HQ also gives this sneaky bunch a sitting tenant as they exit the state without causing to much mayhem.
This lot a forming more of an exit strategy than one of fight to the end and leave nothing behind.
Stand up and fight you spineless bunch stir the blue army up show that people power can influence decisions before it's to late
sevenmile what would be the point of getting all of the money from the own the force move if the Force was still the team chosen to be given the boot?
The expression of interest and the sponsorship deal with the Road Safety Commission is the testimony that WA is behind the Force. It is a sign that the Force would be financially stable for years to come and that is something very positive and which will affect the decision of the ARU of which Australian franchise to cut if it ends up being required.
Consultant warns Super Rugby killing the code in Australia.
An 18-team Super Rugby should never have gone ahead and needs to be blown up and rebuilt – on Australia's terms.
That's the view of the veteran sports consultant who designed the Super Netball concept and twice warned the Australian Rugby Union it was jeopardising its very existence by going down the expansion path with South Africa and New Zealand.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...16-guzcop.html
I don't think that he is a hero for what he did in the Netball competition structure. Quite a bit easier when you are working with the number 1 female sport in the country. Rugby has a much more complex dilemma to deal with.
What would people say if the ARU did something drastic and end up failing, would we say good on you for trying something drastically different or attack them and say what were you thinking?
Fact is he was right about the 18 team 4 conference clusterf@ck. But you didn't need to be Einstein to have that figured out before a ball was kicked. It's been a disaster from the start.
I'm starting to favour cutting ZA adrift if a sensible outcome can't be reached. They own a large slice of the blame for the mess. ATM we seem to be at the mercy of ZA because of their subscription numbers, despite the exchange rate of the Rand. BUT I wonder how much of the interest in Europe for on-sold rights is because of the NZ teams, and to a lesser extent our teams. Could a Tasman/Pacific tournament generate enough cash from the NH to help make it viable. If I was a gambler - and I am - I'd bet on it. The hard job would be convincing NZ.
I agree Shasta as long a you can attract enough broadcasting money and sponsorship. Can't see too much Europe money for on-sold rights of a trans tasman competition. Live games would be too early for them and they already have a lot of rugby on offer (It being arguably of a slightly lower standard).
On top of that they need to get to the end of the current broadcast deal first anyways, so Australia would still have to drop a team according to most sources.
Little oversight but you never know as they might still be interested due to the level and quality of rugby played.
Just noticed SMH running a poll on who should be cut. closing on 19,000 votes and The Rabble are topping the charts. The accompanying article seems a masterpiece gobbledygook. I think the author was trying, and failing, to be funny.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/su...16-gv05la.html
The headline is straight from the pages of TWF too.
I always vote for Waratahs on these polls :approve: