Western Force launch legal action in fight over Super Rugby future

[Jeansyjive]

Anywhere I can watch this interview?

No doubt it will make me furious. Clyne was hugely arrogant in the Monday press conference

[chibi]

I was also surprised that Weeks is the only foundation player left at the rebels. It just seems like a different culture, hodgo, Pek, mccalman, Sharpe etc have bled for this club and you hear stories of players like pelaseasa, pusey etc who still live here and this culture will continue to grow. If the force are successful on the field then there is potential for the support and crowds to grow significantly whereas I don't think this is the case with the rebels. You look at the Melbourne Storm, they have won premierships and still most people in Melbourne couldn't give a toss

That's true, I still believe with a modicum of success, along with some sort of highlights/replay package on Perth only free-to-air, the Force can re-grow back to it's old levels. Melbourne? Not so much.

[sandgroperrugby]

If I remember correctly before WA Rugby and the ARU signed the alliance agreement the rumour in the media was all about the Force moving to Western Sydney. Was this the instigation for the "guarantee" that the Force remains in the comp until the new broadcast deal. You can start to see the strategic thinking then from WA Rugby that they and the team must improve between now and then both on and off the pitch. Now the rug has been pulled out from underneath them after they have started making a good crack at some of the issues and the on field performances have improved.

[Hansie]

My new mate Alan has just had a chat with Cameron Clyne: http://www.2gb.com/podcast/future-of-super-rugby/

He absolutely massacred him.

BTW, Fulvio, you still owe me a beer, but I am not walking across the Swan to Pally to get it.

[FingerTips]

Was this the instigation for the "guarantee" that the Force remains in the comp until the new broadcast deal.

We don't know what the ESRU's short- and long-term game plans are - perhaps the Rugby WA board has an idea.

There's all manner of ways that Super Rugby in Australia could go from here.

One possible game plan is (I know this is an extreme conspiracy theory):

• 2018: Western Force removed from SR competition and closed down.
• 2019: Rebels SR licence repurchased by ESRU.
• 2021: New SR broadcast agreement: either
  1. Australia drops the fourth SR team and reverts to the 2005 position of 3 SR teams, or
  2. the Rebels are moved from Melbourne to Western Sydney.

That would contract the Australian rugby union community back to the "heartland" of ACT, NSW and QLD by 2021, and cover the "growth" area of Western Sydney, which may be what the vocal North Shore and Eastern Suburbs based lobby has been after.

[FingerTips]

Clyne just seemed arrogant to me and I honestly don't think they were expecting such a backlash, I also think the decision to cut the Force was made a long time ago and now they are trying to make it look like they are still deciding.

Just the way he talked about 'other sports cut teams all the time' and 'don't forget South Africa are losing 2 teams' or words to that effect gives me the impression he thinks we should get over it and he doesn't understand the impact of this

Clyne is a banker - even though he was a relatively young CEO of a bank, he has been in the banking scene for >10 years and before that he was a financial services consultant (with PwC).

You know that banks and bankers hold Joe public in contempt - Clyne is behaving exactly as you should expect a banker to.

[sandgroperrugby]

My new mate Alan has just had a chat with Cameron Clyne: http://www.2gb.com/podcast/future-of-super-rugby/

He absolutely massacred him.

BTW, Fulvio, you still owe me a beer, but I am not walking across the Swan to Pally to get it.

Really think that all should listen to this and I am glad that a influential Rugby figure from Sydney is holding the ARU to task. No one from Western Australia would be able to get these guys in the room to get lambasted like that.

Most important points are the

1. meeting in March and did the ARU talk to the Force or rebels. That was a resounding no.
2. Do the ARU RugbyWA have an alliance agreement that sees them through until the new broadcast deal. A dodge and then when asked again answer yes.
3. It sounded like the ARU think that RugbyWA are the ones that are dragging Rugby through the courts. Jones shot this down with a well what do expect them to do if you signed an agreement.

[Herbasimplex]

#2. Im not so sure about.

think he meant ARC.

[SNOB]

My new mate Alan has just had a chat with Cameron Clyne: http://www.2gb.com/podcast/future-of-super-rugby/

He absolutely massacred him.

BTW, Fulvio, you still owe me a beer, but I am not walking across the Swan to Pally to get it.

He keeps harping on about the $28 million I wish someone would ask him on air "how much went to whom" he keeps saying it as though its at least an equal split between Rebs and Force!

[GIGS20]

My new mate Alan has just had a chat with Cameron Clyne: http://www.2gb.com/podcast/future-of-super-rugby/ He absolutely massacred him.

The "money back to grass roots" line was big in that interview. Basically what they're saying is, if we give money to NSW rugby will you ignore our part in knifing an Aussie franchise in the back? Interestingly, sections of the NSW media aren't taking the deal. No mention yet from clyne, pulver or their cronies on what the breakdown of the 28 million unbudgeted funds is

[fulvio sammut]

BTW, Fulvio, you still owe me a beer, but I am not walking across the Swan to Pally to get it.

OK .... Do you want me to part the waters for you then?

[jono]

OK .... Do you want me to part the waters for you then?

neutral ground? The ferry to Rottnest has a bar doesnt it?

[chibi]

...or

• 
  
  1. the Rebels are moved from Melbourne to Western Sydney.

That would contract the Australian rugby union community back to the "heartland" of ACT, NSW and QLD by 2021, and cover the "growth" area of Western Sydney, which may be what the vocal North Shore and Eastern Suburbs based lobby has been after...

Makes you wonder about those buggers doesn't it? The western Sydney issue always sticks in my craw. They pay so much lip-service to this western Sydney development idea, yet they've been part of the NSWRU for over a hundred years. Likewise, western Sydney has had a professional team in Super Rugby since 1996, the NSW Waratahs. During this period, the NSWRU, SRU or ARU have done nothing to exponentially develop the area. As a point of fact, I would argue that RugbyWA, the VRU/Rebels have done more for development in their areas; and the Brumbies have done more for talent identification and talent nurturing than either NSW or Queensland. Giving western Sydney a new team, while still under the auspices of the NSWRU would be a bloody great mistake, if the ARU want someone who will get the job in that area, then cut western Sydney out of the NSWRU, re-draw the provincial lines and bring them into the Brumbies Rugby Union.

...You can start to see the strategic thinking then from WA Rugby that they and the team must improve between now and then both on and off the pitch. Now the rug has been pulled out from underneath them after they have started making a good crack at some of the issues and the on field performances have improved...

But unfortunately that then raises the other question, "Why the hell didn't they do this anyway for the last 11 years?"

[sandgroperrugby]

After the writ what happens timeline wise.

[sandgroperrugby]

But unfortunately that then raises the other question, "Why the hell didn't they do this anyway for the last 11 years?"

In business this is called continuous improvement and hindsight always brings out the why didn't we do this earlier.