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Thread: Rugby Australia reaches deal over Western Force and Wallabies selection

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    Rugby Australia reaches deal over Western Force and Wallabies selection


    As far as Rugby Australia is concerned, the “Wallabies eligibility” crisis with Andrew Forrest’s Indo Pacific Rugby Championship is over. Any player who turns out for the Western Force this season or in future can be considered for Australian Test selection.

    RA deputy chairman Brett Robinson, the man who is heading the negotiations with Forrest over his proposed tournament which grew out of the Force being culled as a Super Rugby franchise last year, confirmed that, from RA’s perspective, the main stumbling block had been dealt with.
    “We are comfortable with any of the footballers playing with the Force being considered for the Wallabies,” Robinson told The Australian yesterday. “Where we have drawn the line in the sand is stipulating that Australians playing for any of his (five) overseas teams will not be considered — unless, of course, they meet the 60-cap threshold.”
    That potentially could be a deal breaker with Forrest, who on Wednesday announced that his tournament would be going ahead whether or not RA gave its approval. Yet it would have been a case of RA being wildly inconsistent with itself had it taken any other approach, given that it effectively bans itself from selecting overseas-based Australians who have played fewer than 60 Tests.
    “We need to have the Wallaby jersey as an incentive to remain in Australia,” said Robinson. “Having Wallabies stars playing at home is important for the young kids growing up, because heroes need to be visible. Once you give that up, there will be little to stop northern hemisphere countries raiding Australia.”
    If, for example, Forrest was able to entice Matt Toomua or Scott Fardy to return home to play for the Force, then they would be well and truly visible on Michael Cheika’s selection radar. But if they chose to go to one of Forrest’s Asia-based teams, then they would not be available for Australia because they have played only 33 and 39 Tests respectively.
    There are now around 180 Australians playing professionally abroad and the flow is ever-increasing. As players are grabbing the opportunity to set themselves up financially, the lure of representing their country is diminishing.
    Even the All Blacks jersey is losing its allure, with Charlie Faumuina, Aaron Cruden, Steven Luatua, Brad Shields, Lima Sopoaga, Charlie Ngatai and Seta Tamanivalu all opting to accept lucrative contracts offshore over the past year or so.
    A spokesperson for Forrest’s Minderoo group working on the IPRC insisted that Wallabies eligibility remained on the top of their agenda for their next meeting with RA on February 19. “We look forward to a continued dialogue with RA with the goal of securing certainty for any future elite Western Australian players.”
    Before Forrest’s organisation launches the IPRC next February, the plan is to ramp up the Force’s strength ahead of the National Rugby Championship by playing a number of high-quality exhibition matches.
    RA already is paying out the contracts of Pek Cowan, Heath Tessman and a couple of others ex-Force Super Rugby players who either chose not to head to the eastern states or overseas following the closure of the club, and the plan would be to build the NRC team — and ultimately the IPRC squad — around them.
    Similarly, if Forrest’s organisation intends to incorporate the Pacific Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, into its set-up, as seems likely, Robinson’s intention is to help by trying to dovetail the IPRC plans with those of World Rugby.

    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...452c76932baca8

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    Gee that sounds more positive.

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    Veteran beige's Avatar
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    That's all I was hoping for - if Wallabies eligibility for players in the other 5 franchises is still an issue for Forrest I think he should let it go.

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    It's a good start. It means the other 5 sides might attract fewer Australian players, but they have the Pacific Island players to help build their sides into competitive teams.

    If Super Rugby does die in 2020 and the sides want to 'merge' (ie, join) the IPRC, then the head of the IPRC (Mr Forrest, or possibly Mr M Hodgson) can start producing their own long list of requirements.

    (Actually, I'd be tempted to put Mrs J Hodgson in the negotiating team, and televise it, just for the shits and giggles!)

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    Immortal Contributor The InnFORCEr's Avatar
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    They had to do it for the sake of Australian Rugby (not RugbyAu).

    That Raelene goes alright hey.....now where is that pie I've been baking

    Best news for a while and I bet there will be more of the same tomorrow

    We're Back.....

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    Quote Originally Posted by beige View Post
    That's all I was hoping for - if Wallabies eligibility for players in the other 5 franchises is still an issue for Forrest I think he should let it go.
    I agree.

    Given Rugby Australia already block themseleves from selecting from players based overseas unless they’ve played 60 Tests it would be a touch hypocritical of them to allow Forrest to have Wallabies eligibility attached to the foreign sides in his competition.

    Best Rugby news I’ve heard in some time.

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    Champion Tonkar's Avatar
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    Best News this yr .. We are seeing progress now and i reckon the tide will turn IPRC is a winner and so is WA Rugby Thank you Team twiggy

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    Don't know where that leaves them with the list of other issues, but grab that. Start with the possible, go for perfect later. So WA players play for WA, that is the point after all. Players from other states...well, open slather and they can go overseas...

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    It's a start. When SR disappears due to decreasing broadcast revenues and escalating costs, Rat's Arse will have to eat some of that humble pie TIF's been .baking and extend eligibility.

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    Halla FEKKIN luia!

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Speaking of IPRC, anyone know how long Blood signed up for with the Rabble?

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    That's one of the best spins of a backflip I've seen in a while.

    A week ago, Wallaby Eligibility was only for Super Rugby players, today it's They've always considered players in the Western Force would be eligible it's only the overseas based players they wanted to exclude.

    Finally a single sensible press release from RA. I hope to God Raelene was at the centre of it. That will mean that my (albeit skeptical) acceptance of Hansie and Alison's opinions was founded well.

    I think Twiggy should take that, stop fighting about the overseas players and work on the other bullshit clauses (for instance the 2 year limited license) Get it running, have control and pressure sensible out of them by force.

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    C'mon the

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    My mail is that the new force squad will arrive and start training in march.

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    I am really a Palmyra troll.

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    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkness View Post
    My mail is that the new force squad will arrive and start training in march.
    Do you have any details on how many "arrivals" there will be?

    ie what percentage of locally produced talent)

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    C'mon the

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    So there will be an exhibition match at Eden Park this year, is therw any talk about a match in Perth? Preferably in the new Optus Stadium.

    Don't mind the IPRC being held at NIB when it kicks off tho. Would be nice to go to the new stadium this year and see how it rates as a rugby stadium. Always loved watching rugby at Etihad stadium, amazing viewing despite the oval shape, got a feeling Optus stadium would be even better (especially in the rectangular configuration)

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