Arbitration hearing - Western Force v ARU - 31.07.2017

[.X.]

Neddies Facebook page are reporting that arbitration is over expect a decision next week

I can confirm Arbitration is over.

[Leo86]

hmmm an ARU week? coz 48-72hrs is still going

[Alison]

Don't worry, SCROTE-face will have his snitches onto it before the day is out.

[GIGS20]

Lol, Al are you shouting, or just keeping the scrotum nazis in line?

[blueandblack]

I can confirm Arbitration is over.

Did you sit in on it?

[Kalahard]

https://thewest.com.au/sport/arbitra...-ng-b88555433z


Arbitration hearing over as Western Force await Super Rugby future
Nick Taylor
Tuesday, 1 August 2017 5:36PM

The hearing was held behind closed doors in Sydney but a decision is not expected to be handed down until next week.
The hearing was the next stage in the legal battle launched by RugbyWA after the Australian Rugby Union announced it was trying to axe either the Force or Melbourne Rebels.
RugbyWA believes it has a watertight clause in the alliance agreement signed by both bodies that guarantees the ARU must keep a side in Perth for the next three years under the current broadcast deal.
The ARU argued a new agreement that has already seen two South African sides, the Cheetahs and Southern Kings cut, allows them to remove an Australian club.
RugbyWA, with the financial clout of mining magnate Andrew Forrest and other influential Perth business people behind them, has already signalled it will appeal to the Supreme Court if they lose the case and is investigating other avenues for action.
The cash-strapped ARU will not want a lengthy legal battle.
RugbyWA will claim damages of about $650,000 if they win.
One of the criteria for a team not to be cut was the need for a firm financial standing.
With Forrest's personal backing, his latest announcement that he will underwrite shares in the Own The Force campaign and the major sponsorship deal with the Road Safety Commission, RugbyWA is in a sound financial position.
The Victorian Rugby Union has been negotiating with a business consortium in a bid to get them to buy the Rebels license from owner Andrew Cox and hand it to them to run the franchise.
If the ARU lose arbitration they are likely to have to re-enter talks with Cox about buying back the license.
RugbyWA could not comment on the proceedings because of confidentiality agreements.

[.X.]

Did you sit in on it?

No mate.

I did make an inquiry about getting in on it on Friday.

I did not expect for it to end so quickly.

[Alison]

Lol, Al are you shouting, or just keeping the scrotum nazis in line?

Just making sure you guys noted that I'd got it right this time! :-)

[valzc]

Just making sure you guys noted that I'd got it right this time! :-)

Scrote check, make sure you get it right!

[Transiting]

Clone and Pulveriser together make a Scrotal mass

[sandgroperrugby]

Loving canno on kick chase

And love colemans self introduction

[shasta]

Former ACT Brumbies president Geoff Larkham slams Melbourne Rebels merger talk

....unloads big time on the ARU and backs The Force to win arbitration.


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugb...31-gxm90t.html


The ACT Brumbies will be the only Australian Super Rugby club to announce a profit this season but it hasn't stopped Perth billionaire Andrew Forrest from dragging them back into merger talks.

The vocal Western Force backer has declared he'll do everything in his power to stop the Australian Rugby Union from axing the Force as the two parties began arbitration on Monday.

The Brumbies were declared safe from the Super Rugby chopping block on April 10 when the ARU promised to axe the Force or Melbourne Rebels within 72 hours.


Andrew Forrest will match the money raised for "Own the Force" campaign.
Billionaire mining magnate to pour millions into Force
That timeline was quickly scrapped and with no resolution after almost four months, Forrest is pushing for a Brumbies and Rebels merger to save the Force.

The Brumbies are Australia's most successful franchise and have made the finals for the past five years in a row, while the Rebels won just won game this season.

Former Brumbies president Geoff Larkham has slammed the ARU board for allowing the saga to drag on and said he wouldn't be surprised if they backflipped on their promise to the Brumbies.

"The way they've performed I could see them doing that and that would be an absolute disaster if they did, they would need a complete sacking of the board if that happened," Larkham said.

"The debacle that has happened at ARU management level and board level is unprecedented and it's unbelievable an organisation such as this can keep carrying on the way it is.

"There's obviously pressures there that I'm not aware of and legal threats, but it's a situation where the hierarchy cannot make a decision and if they can't make decisions then they shouldn't be there.

"It astounds me the state of Australian rugby these days and I feel for the fans, players, staff and coaches."

Supporters of a Brumbies merger have pointed to Canberra's small population but Larkham said the numbers speak for themselves and it would make no sense to boot Australia's strongest club.

"This conversation should never be happening, we're the best performing club on and off the field and we should be the last team kicked out," Larkham said.

"In the history of the Brumbies we've only had to borrow money from ARU once and it was completely returned, whereas all the other franchises have borrowed or been gifted money and the majority has never been returned.

"The small population argument doesn't hold weight, we've always fought above our weight as a small state and if you look at the playing numbers we're 10-fold better than NSW and Queensland against their populations.

"I'm sure the Waratahs would love to see us go. They'd take over the ACT and I don't know what they'd expect to find in the way of supporters, but they'd love to rule the roost of over southern NSW and the ACT.

"The ACT schoolboys did remarkable well winning the national championships against all the odds this year, and did it quite convincingly, but only two kids made the Australian side which just typifies what happens here."

Larkham has tipped the Force to win their arbitration battle and that all five Australian teams will remain next season.

"I don't think a team will be cut and that we'll have 16-team competition next year. The ARU will have to go to SANZAAR and say 'sorry it can't happen' but we might all get kicked out then," Larkham said.

"Ultimately South Africa may go with the northern hemisphere and we may be left with competition between us, New Zealand and Asia which I wouldn't mind, but who know, it's a bloody mess."

[shasta]

An interesting line in the excellent rant above about the majority of loans to the "heartlands" never having been repaid. No wonder Alison couldn't turn up much about those shenanigans.

[SinBin]

An interesting line in the excellent rant above about the majority of loans to the "heartlands" never having been repaid. No wonder Alison couldn't turn up much about those shenanigans.

Yeah, there's so many damning nuggets being dug out which prove how corrupt the ARU's financials are. If just one investigative journalist could get the support of their newspaper to tell the full story - without pushing agendas. The full story is just waiting to be told. Alison's great summary on gifted loans etc, Leo's nuggets re ARU's grass roots and corporate spend comparison with NZRU and Goeff Larkham pointing out the unjust funding of the heartland. There are many more egs.

Isn't the ABC independent - who's their Wayne Smith equivalent?

[jono]

"This conversation should never be happening, we're the best performing club on and off the field and we should be the last team kicked out," Larkham said.

Uuuuummmmmmmmmmm ok Geoff
The ASIC investigation and the CEO issues from last year indicate that off the field you don't have the best performing club.

But sure - if you don't want to open up your catchment area and base for juniors that'll only help in the long run right?