Own the Force

[Tazzmania]

Rehashed article posted on Foxsports website two hours ago:

Community support could save the Force’s Super Rugby existence

ARU chief executive Bill Pulver says he’s been impressed by the Western Force’s community support, saying it could prove to be the deciding factor that saves the Super Rugby franchise....

Lets all remain postive

[MI5_Dog]

Am I reading too much into it, or was the last email far more pessimistic about the Own the Force program actually having an impact with the ARU, and SANZAR...??

The missive paves the way for legal issues to be used as an excuse for this not to go ahead.

It sounded as though SANZAR may already have made its decision about us behind closed doors.

The last email, to my mind, was a reminder that with the decision being 'put on hold' that we should not now be complacent about things and should instead ramp up our efforts to Own The Force.
I suspect that SANZAR are in no mood to reduce Super Rugby in any way. After going to the effort of expanding, I think they will continue as things are until the next TV deal and at that point they might look at reduction but I doubt it.

The last thing Australia needs to do is reduce the number of Super Rugby teams. The idea of there not being enough talent in Australia is laughable with 100+ Aussies playing Rugby offshore. The idea of another team in NSW is laughable as the Waratahs should be mining the rugby gold they perceive to be in Western Sydney. The idea of taking a rugby team away from the third largest rugby player base in Aus is laughable.

However, let's not sit back and retire on these laughable suggestions.
We need now to push this more and take ownership of our club and put ourselves in to more of a position where these laughable ideas just won't take hold.

[yungfen]

I have re read the update and cant see why some here are getting so pessimist about the Force!
So I will be staying positive until a decision is made and I will do my best to try and keep the Force in Super Rugby and based in Perth.

[shasta]

I don't think it's pessimistic to think that, if the share issue doesn't get up, we might be in strife. IF. Seems more like fact.

[yungfen]

Yes I agree that if the Share/Own the Force fails to come to life we most probably will be gone, but I don't see any indication of that in the update email received on Friday!

[shasta]

Yes I agree that if the Share/Own the Force fails to come to life we most probably will be gone, but I don't see any indication of that in the update email received on Friday!

Agreed. But it makes mention of " a number of moving parts in our campaign AND THE ARU's POSITION...........The nature of the current situation is that we have to demonstrate financial independence and a sustainable model into the future."
I'm unaware that any other OZ franchise has to do this at the moment.

[The InnFORCEr]

That is because their Financial Independence is the ARU

[yungfen]

For me this part at the end is a very positive one with a clear mention of 'long term'

Whilst ARU management were in Perth, we had the opportunity to further discuss the Own The Force campaign. Key discussion points were the potential relationship between the two organisations, recognising the importance of strategic alignment in the key areas of high performance, as well as a number of other commercially sensible functions. Again the ARU has been nothing but supportive in the long term aim to have any team in WA competitive on the pitch and playing a brand of Rugby we can be proud of.

[shasta]

Maybe I'm paranoid. Or maybe it just burns me up that a bunch of self-interested Sydney-centeric wankers can apparently coerce the ruling body to hold a gun at RugbyWA's head -despite more damning evidence elsewhere - at the first mention of a SANZAR revamp. I'll leave my tinfoil hat on for a while yet.

[FingerTips]

Agreed. But it makes mention of " a number of moving parts in our campaign AND THE ARU's POSITION...........The nature of the current situation is that we have to demonstrate financial independence and a sustainable model into the future."
I'm unaware that any other OZ franchise has to do this at the moment.

Referring to the rehashed article on Foxsports website:
When are those cretinous journalists on the east coast who keep referring to the "financially-troubled Western Force" going to wake up to the fact that all five Super Rugby franchises in Australia are, or have been in the recent past, financially troubled and required bailouts of one form or another?

[James]

That won't happen Fingertips. Either the money goes to the continuation of the Force or it is refunded.

[FingerTips]

That won't happen Fingertips. Either the money goes to the continuation of the Force or it is refunded.

And that will be spelt out clearly and unambiguously in the fine print of the prospectus for Western Force Owners P/L?

[.X.]

Referring to the rehashed article on Foxsports website:
When are those cretinous journalists on the east coast who keep referring to the "financially-troubled Western Force" going to wake up to the fact that all five Super Rugby franchises in Australia are, or have been in the recent past, financially troubled and required bailouts of one form or another?

Its easy to be arrogant or holier than thou, when your own province is "safe as houses"

[The InnFORCEr]

OWN THE FORCE TARGET WITHIN REACH


If you haven't seen or heard in the past few weeks, RugbyWA announced a unique initiative that will give Western Australian rugby fans the opportunity to own a part of the Western Force.

The innovative new ownership model will be the first in Super Rugby's history and aims to keep the Western Force financially stable and cement its position in the Australian Conference. The ownership model will be based on the sale of 5,000 ownership certificates at a value of $1,000 each, payable over a period of twelve months.

The initial registration push generated an enormous amount of support, with over 4,600 Western Force fans putting their support behind the initiative and behind the club, less than 400 registrations short of our initial target. You can still register your interest here.

We've also had tremendous support from high profile Australian athletes and personalities, who have themselves backed the initiative and want to see the Western Force stay for good.

The Western Force needs the support of the WA community, if we want to keep professional rugby in this state we need to get behind this initiative and Own the Force.

[agrugger]

Has anyone heard anything lately? I thought we were supposed to send our money before the end of the year. Is the General still around to give an update? Given the uniqueness of this campaign, I 'm sure all the legal stuff has been a challenge.