How Twiggy will run his rebel rugby comp

[travelling_gerry]

From S a B S a

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2...per-rugby-comp

[Cecilia]

Is it a bit sad that I'm sitting here crying??? I feel like a little knot in my stomach I didn't know was there has loosened a bit

[Bakkies]

So Wallabies cant play in the IPRC but will players in the IPRC become eligible to play the Wallabies? Sounds like a Confusian riddle!

Test selection hasn't been ruled out

[BLR]

Test selection hasn't been ruled out

It sounds to me more like you are eligible for test selection if you play in Super Rugby but on very rare cases they will decide to bring a player over when it suits them.

Essentially making it dumb as hell to play in the IPRC if you want higher honours, as you in reality have little chance.

[Cecilia]

It sounds to me more like you are eligible for test selection if you play in Super Rugby but on very rare cases they will decide to bring a player over when it suits them.

Essentially making it dumb as hell to play in the IPRC if you want higher honours, as you in reality have little chance.

Even more reason to sack the lot of them and bring in a board who are actually interested in doing what is best for rugby in Australia

[UAUdiver1959]

Don’t care as long as we are an autonomous body free of the ARU and zero revenue goes their way.

[beige]

Test selection hasn't been ruled out

I assume it will depend on the quality of players we can retain/recruit/develop here so the ARU has no choice but to consider them (and that would need to extend across the teams from a competition standpoint). To this end I am also happy with the March-June window as it's the only chance to have Wallabies playing for the team. I understand them not wanting us to raid the Super Rugby teams but I would at least hope WA products DHP and RHP can return home when their contracts are done.

A lot needs to happen (locking in Wallabies eligibility, getting the Western Force brand back) but at least things are moving in the right direction.

[AndyS]

Well, that's made things a lot harder.

Playing March-June means all teams (not just WA) will have to find players who either haven't got anything better, or who therefore won't have an opportunity to do anything else. So the comp will have to find 6 squads full of players that either aren't SR level or who will need to be paid European money.

I'm sure the ARU knew that. They apparently chose it, even though the NRC window would have made much more sense for player retention...players could play SR for only SR money, then the IPRC for (say) half SR money = as much or more than Europe. And the Asian teams wouldn't have only been looking at just Australian players - the Asian teams could have been looking at SA and NZ players too. Now they will have what - realistically no test players, no SR players, so...?

[BLR]

I'm sure the ARU knew that. They apparently chose it, even though the NRC window would have made much more sense for player retention...players could play SR for only SR money, then the IPRC for (say) half SR money = as much or more than Europe. And the Asian teams wouldn't have only been looking at just Australian players - the Asian teams could have been looking at SA and NZ players too. Now they will have what - realistically no test players, no SR players, so...?

So a holding pattern until 2020 until the ARU get their preferred Trans Tasman comp off the ground. I would assume sans Force.

At the moment they are crippled and he really need to stop them from limping across that line until they get what they want.

I will support the Rebels next season, to spend big and bankrupt the ARU!

[Bakkies]

There is around 147 pro Aussie players abroad. NZ and SA would have close to 300 each. Fiji is around 200 as there is a lot of them playing in lower leagues in France. SA and NZ players are playing Super Rugby and in Japan rather than playing Currie Cup or NPC.

It is too early to say what the contracts are on offer. Fijian players can play IPRC and for the Drua in the same year.

As far as I know Twiggy is looking at sponsoring and underwriting the NRC so weather is not just a factor when it comes to the window.

[Alison]

Test selection hasn't been ruled out

Yeah but surely none of us thinks the ARU will make any decision that is in any way favourable to us though?? They will do the exact opposite.

Sorry, but this doesn’t do it for me. It’ll be a second rate comp because the FURU and Fox and the rest of the cabal will make sure it is.

[chibi]

So are the Perth Spirit axed from the NRC for sure now?

I was contemplating the idea that WA could field a team in both the IPRC and NRC, using the same franchise name and jerseys, so as to carry the brand through and give us a "full season" of home fixtures. Could probably even package the memberships for both competitions as one membership for the season.

Unfortunately, through Firepower, Quokkagate, etc, etc, I think the Force brand and colours are tarnished in the mainstream, so I'm not too fussed about the Force IP; plus, a new re-brand using our geographical moniker would be appropriate for use in an international-based competition, in which I hope the other teams would also use geographical monikers. I think that was a fundamental thing that was missing from Super Rugby which would have had mainstream appeal in this State.

[Alison]

I’m sure the ARU will chop the Spirit. They’ve already said they can’t see how it would work without a SR team here. And without any sponsor now Buildcorp and BMW have jumped ship, how easy for them to use the “we can’t afford you” excuse again?

Nah, the FURU would sell their own children if it meant preventing any rugby success in WA. And now there is the IPRC they’d throw in their wives and mistresses too!!

[BLR]

Unfortunately, through Firepower, Quokkagate, etc, etc, I think the Force brand and colours are tarnished in the mainstream, so I'm not too fussed about the Force IP; plus, a new re-brand using our geographical moniker would be appropriate for use in an international-based competition, in which I hope the other teams would also use geographical monikers. I think that was a fundamental thing that was missing from Super Rugby which would have had mainstream appeal in this State.

Black Swans, how can we be anything but the Black Swans?

[Bakkies]

It is too early to say but we to take Twiggy's word about the EoIs from 250 plus players who want to play in the comp.

I have raised the issue of the Spirit in my email to RUPA along with the Rebels players who have been cut while on contract there to make way for Force players. They are now in the same boat as the Force players who are still looking for clubs.

There are key dates coming up:
- CBA deadline
- Senate report
- SANZAAR deal re-negotiation
- SARU looking at creating two more franchises
- IRB meeting

Given that and the 2019 start there might be room for more than six IPRC sides