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Now THIS will be interesting.
Finally, we might get the (whole!)truth about the alleged document to cut us, who told the Rebels they were safe - but I think we already know that - why the Brumbies were deemed safe and how serious whether the ARU is on buying the Rebels and hopefully much more.
Nick Taylor
The Australian Rugby Union may be forced to reveal sensitive information on its plan to cull a Super Rugby club after agreeing to hold a special general meeting over the saga.
There is also a suggestion a motion could be tabled to sack members of the ARU board.
More here
https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...-ng-b88479511z
www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/aru-chairman-clyne-insists-culling-process-hasnt-been-botched/news-story/49b9d3325cf7715a182f4aa681661e34+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=cl nk&gl=au]
ARU chairman Clyne insists culling process hasn’t been botched
"Australian Rugby Union chairman Cameron Clyne insists the national body is not floundering in the task of reducing Australia’s Super Rugby presence from five teams to four, despite a special general meeting being called to debate its procedures.
The Rugby Union Players Association, effectively the players’ trade union, yesterday voted unanimously in support of a Victorian Rugby Union request to convene a meeting of ARU voting members to examine the ARU’s processes and also to collectively determine the best course for the future of rugby in Australia.
Although the Corporations Act requires 21 days’ notice for such a special general meeting, the ARU board has waived the technicalities and will aim to hold the meeting within the next seven days.
One of the six items to be voted on will be a full disclosure of how the ARU went about its strategic review, which suggests the VRU or RUPA believes information has been withheld from members. Although there is no motion of no-confidence in Clyne, his board or CEO Bill Pulver, it could well be that if the meeting completely disavows what the ARU has set out to do, resignations could follow.
But Clyne took issue with the question from The Australian that the process had been botched and the ARU seemed to be floundering.
“Nothing could be more incorrect,” Clyne said. “We haven’t botched the process ... we have been very clear about how the process is being run but a lot of that has got lost. There is no floundering. We are responding to people who are desperate to stay in the competition.”
The RUPA vote was taken by the 13-member board that included, significantly, five members of Australia’s 2015 World Cup final team: Wallabies captain Stephen Moore, RUPA president Dean Mumm, James Slipper, Scott Sio and Bernard Foley. So this revolt is player driven.
But perhaps the bravest stand of all was taken by Western Force captain Matt Hodgson. If the meeting succeeds in taking the pressure off the Melbourne Rebels, it could swing back onto the other club nominated by the ARU as potentially to be axed, the Force. By voting for the proposal, however, Hodgson has signalled his belief Australian rugby has had enough of the uncertainty.
It might also bring about what Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has been alluding to this week, the possible survival of all five Australian teams. Clyne insisted the ARU did not have a fallback plan of telling SANZAAR it was all too hard. “We are just focusing on working towards our stated position of having four teams.”
The ARU does not intend going into caretaker mode until after this meeting, which presumably means it will continue to negotiate with Rebels owner Andrew Cox to buy the Melbourne *licence and close down the team. That would be in line with the commitment it gave to SANZAAR to cull one franchise.
But it would be the death-knell of rugby in Victoria if that was to happen, and the Victorian Government, which has committed $14 million to the code — money which it is privately threatening to direct to rugby league if the ARU closes the Rebels — will meet with Cox today to spell that out.
According to RUPA chief executive Ross Xenos, the Rebels could potentially be bought by the ARU for $6m-$10m, a sum that caused him to question the appropriateness of the deal.
“The most consistent narrative we hear from the ARU is about the financial challenges the game faces and how tough times are,” Xenos said. “Axing an Australian team and disenfranchising a rugby community was justified five weeks ago by the ARU on financial savings. Now, $6m-$10m promised to be invested into the game, including at grassroots level, could be burned so that the ARU can cull a team and save face around the SANZAAR table.”
It also raises the question of why, if it will take three years to pay off all the costs of closing the Melbourne franchise, the ARU is not prepared to see out the current broadcast deal — which goes through until 2020 — with five teams and then see what the lie of the land might be.
The ARU, however, would answer that the other real purpose of the exercise was to cut Australia’s Super Rugby involvement to a more competitive four teams.
“There is a very simple premise here, very, very simple: Do you believe Australian rugby is better served with four teams?” asked Clyne. “If that is your fundamental belief, it is always going to be ugly. No team wants to go.”
He denied buying the Rebels would be so costly it would eat up the $6m savings that culling a team would bring. “No, it’s not. We are still very confident in what we are doing. We are doing this to save money and we will save money.”"
"12 Years aSupporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue
Cameron Clyne is full of shit.
What's the bet that we will get no answers out of this meeting, just more questions.
"Negotiations are ongoing", "We're not able to comment on that while the process is underway", "We'll be doing what is right for Australian Rugby" etc
coz Stone Cold says so
Based upon what standard of measure? There is nothing, not a single thing in this entire debacle that could be used to empirically support that statement. Clone is a freaking disaster!
As usual, Hodgo steps up and makes the solid call. I think any suggestion that the Force are more likely to face the axe than the rebels at this point is pure hype-mongering, but I can deal with that. I strongly suspect the outcome of this meeting will be one of 2 things
1 (my majority opinion) Absolutely nothing will be resolved and this whole sorry saga will continue until the cancer that is the current ARU board have destroyed the code to the point where they can have their way
2 We go back to the 5 team model and eat whatever shit the other nations in SANZAaR throw at us
Unlikely, but Puller and Clone's puppet is mouthing the party line pretty nicely, maybe they're setting up a strategy to survive the exit from this disaster and keep their jobs even though they have massively failed in them.
Of course they aren't going to go into caretaker mode. Why the hell should they start following standard practices of business ethics now, They've ignored the 21 day notice requirement (IN LAW, it's not a suggestion people) for whatever addled reason they might come up with (possibly hoping that RugbyWA and VRU aren't organised enough to send a delegation in 7 days)
It would be the death-knell of rugby in any state that loses a franchise. Aussies aren't stupid, if the ARU shits all over your backyard, you aren't going to thank them!
Actually, very few people in Australia believe that. Fox wanted 5, RUPA want 5, VRU and RugbyWA want 5, most of the rugby public want 5, who wants 4? Puller, Clone and anybody in Shite Sheild who are to arrogant and stupid to realise that the players who miss out on SR contracts will be going overseas and not to their shitty fourth-tier competition!
OK, two possibilities here, he either thinks that Cox will sell the Rebels for the actual value of the organisation (I think that would mean Cox needs to give money to the ARU) Or
He's fully aware of what the Rebels actually cost the ARU and knows that anything below 10 million will generate a saving in the second year.
Clone is a wanker and deserves everything he gets!
C'mon the![]()
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They have agreed to meet earlier, but will that Meeting be an "official" EGM, I think not which is why they are doing it. It's just going to be a "meeting".
Hope I'm wrong.
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Cameron Clyne must go.
How much bullshit is this bloke going to continue to dribble about.
"The ARU have been very clear about how the process is being run, but a lot of that has got lost."
Very clear about what process??
People have been asking for them to explain their process since the original announcement but their has been nothing but silence from the ARU. Only reason it has been lost is because do not believe they had a proper process in place to begin with.
Clyne do what you did at the NAB resign now, coz this is getting too hard for you too handle just like the mess you made at the NAB then ran.
A leopard never changes it's stripes how true this is about you.
Pity the outcomes at your next job if they follow your current track records.
......."But perhaps the bravest stand of all was taken by Western Force captain Matt Hodgson. If the meeting succeeds in taking the pressure off the Melbourne Rebels, it could swing back onto the other club nominated by the ARU as potentially to be axed, the Force. By voting for the proposal, however, Hodgson has signalled his belief Australian rugby has had enough of the uncertainty."
This bit concerns me with this meeting, however - we don't want the finger to start pointing back at the Force as the Rebels now seem to have the upper hand of support for themselves now that the penny's finally dropped. I'm hoping RugbyWA is going in well prepared. In fact, if Alison, you have those figures ready, it would be good ammunition to use as proof of ARU's misinformation on the true status of finances. Public awareness of their shenanigans needs get out there- make it so transparent Clyne will disappear?
Thanks Val
"12 Years aSupporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue