The future of WA rugby

[chibi]

All right, if there's really no IPRC, then how about we take Twiggy's money to the Top League? At least see if the option is there should the IPRC fall through

Though I readily admit, I'm seriously looking forward to the IPRC

[Leo86]

Though I readily admit, I'm seriously looking forward to the IPRC

Hell yeah, i had planned on going to Japan in 2019 for some event i really dont care for at the moment but the prospective locations of away games for the Force could be a nice little tour/getaway

[SPaRTAN]

I really hope the IPRC goes ahead. Ill back it 100%

[chibi]

Yeah, I agree. I love the idea of being involved with places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, Japan, China et al. If it's backed properly, the competition is even and stands by itself without comparison to Super Rugby, it will be great fun

[GIGS20]

Don't panic good people, according to this article from the mouthpiece of rats arse, we have had our license returned along with the IP.

I guess that means they've finally cut the overfunded and underperforming team


The tahs of course

https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/f...a797135d8518a4

[Bakkies]

Don't panic good people, according to this article from the mouthpiece of rats arse, we have had our license returned along with the IP.

I guess that means they've finally cut the overfunded and underperforming team


The tahs of course

https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/f...a797135d8518a4

Cut and paste job from Perth based Justin Chadwick.

He's not the only journo to mention that the licence is back.

[Bakkies]

https://soundcloud.com/abc_grandstan...dstand-year-in

Tim Gable and Karen Tighe - Year in review - yours truly around the 9:50mark.

Cheers, got a retweet from the good Senator

[mothy]

Well spoken Hansie!

Mark McGowen was on Oliver Peterson’s show. He seems to still want his pound of flesh from the ARU when they touched on the topic among other things a politician discusses.

[Jules]

Well spoken Hansie!

Mark McGowen was on Oliver Peterson’s show. He seems to still want his pound of flesh from the ARU when they touched on the topic among other things a politician discusses.

That's good to hear!! I think the ARU or whatever should know they screwed over the wrong state!!

[chrisk]

I'm kind of confused why the ARU are still refusing to endorse the IPRC. Instead of asking exhorbitant licencing fees they would be better off partnering with the IPRC, maybe profit sharing or something like that instead of licencing fees? There's a huge potential cash flow here, a small investment on their part could bring in huge future rewards. And there's the potential for a whole new wave of potential wallabies born overseas (there's only so many Pacific Islanders that can be shared around).

I do hope the ARU/RA see sense soon....

[Bakkies]

That's good to hear!! I think the ARU or whatever should know they screwed over the wrong state!!

Yeah it is particularly on a rare slow news day in regards to this fiasco. The other thing it is another card to play against the RA if they continue to stall the IPRC. The WA Government have put in a two year holiday in regards to the NIB Stadium loan and understandably so. They aren't going to get that back after the two years is over without the season ticket and competition revenue to meet those payments. The NRC isn't going to cut it and it is even played at NIB Stadium.

[wallabydarnd]

From Wayne Smith tonight——
Rugby Australia is understood to have broken new ground by offering its chief executive position to Raelene Castle, who is set to *become the first female to run a major football code in this country.

And in other rugby news, Rugby Australia deputy chairman Brett Robinson is heading into negotiations today with Andrew Forrest’s Indo Pacific Rugby Championship confident the two parties can reach a settlement that will allow the IPRC to coexist with Super Rugby from 2019.

Officially Rugby Australia still has not found a replacement for its CEO, Bill Pulver, who will remain in the position until his successor is able to start but The Australian understands that Castle, who was always one of the favourites for the position, has been offered the job, with an announcement expected tomorrow.

She is believed to have beaten a high-quality field, including former Australia captain and Fox Sports rugby commentator Phil Kearns, and curiously enough she is regarded as being a “safe” appointment. As the CEO of the Canterbury-Bulldogs for four years and before that as chief executive for Netball New Zealand for six years, Castle has considerable experience as a sports administrator running a code.
Pulver will depart carrying much of the credit/blame for reducing Australia’s Super Rugby footprint from five teams to four. While it may take years to repair the relationship with RugbyWA, there are indications RA is prepared to work with Forrest.

The IPRC had expressed concern that RA was reluctant to give a long-term commitment to the competition but Robinson yesterday indicated RA was looking at whether Forrest’s competition might be worked into the post-2020 landscape.

“The issue around the term (of the agreement) we’re certainly open to discuss but really what we’re seeking to achieve is a trigger for a conversation around alignment going into the next broadcast deal,” Robinson said.

What that means is Australia is looking to a time when South Africa might decide its future lies in Europe, at which point RA would be looking at how Super Rugby evolves. The proposal is that New Zealand and Australia each would field five teams, which presumably would mean the Western Force would be revived, and that the trans-Tasman partners would join Forrest’s five Asia teams to form a 15-team time-zone friendly competition.

By the time of the next broadcast deal, the IPRC would have been running for two seasons. It makes sense that the IPRC is going head to head with Super Rugby in the February-July timeslot rather than taking on the *National Rugby Championship.

If RA combines with the IPRC, the two competitions could gel in terms of playing schedules.

It’s unlikely that RA will agree to Forrest’s request that it make all Australians playing in the IPRC — those spread throughout Asia and the Pacific — eligible for the Wallabies. And even in the case of those Australians who join the Perth club in the IPRC, Wallabies eligibility will be judged on a case-by-case basis.

That means that a Scott Fardy, for instance, could be considered for the Wallabies but any player who tries to negotiate a better contract by playing off Super Rugby against the IPRC might find the selection door shut.

Then there is the issue of access to club players. NSW are understood to have slammed the door on IPRC interest in the Shute Shield, while Melbourne have not formulated an opinion either way. Queensland and the ACT are looking to see what sister-city relationships can be built with Forrest’s Asian clubs that would give their players access to a higher standard of football. For that to work, the IPRC needed to be staged from August onwards.

Robinson says all the states will have the opportunity to negotiate with the IPRC themselves. There will be no centrally monitored RA policy on player access.

“This process has been a good one. We’re into the detail of working through what the issues are, we have a term sheet that we are looking to discuss tomorrow and we don’t believe there is anything in that that we shouldn’t be able to resolve,” Robinson said.

[Bakkies]

I'm kind of confused why the ARU are still refusing to endorse the IPRC. Instead of asking exhorbitant licencing fees they would be better off partnering with the IPRC, maybe profit sharing or something like that instead of licencing fees? There's a huge potential cash flow here, a small investment on their part could bring in huge future rewards. And there's the potential for a whole new wave of potential wallabies born overseas (there's only so many Pacific Islanders that can be shared around).

I do hope the ARU/RA see sense soon....

The RA don't see sense. They see dollars even if it doesn't last long.

There are a few things here:

- de Clyne the biggest roadblock has convinced the board not to trust Twiggy
- Twiggy has stated that he is happy to work with the RA and even better if it is sans the Chairman. It is a Twiggy v de Clyne sideshow
- Geoff Stooke still hasn't been replaced on the board and I can see why with the future of WA Rugby still in the air, the RA will get called out on the Rebels dealings and de Clyne will get called out for what he is
- The RA are going to have a big forecasted shortfall in 2019 due to the truncated 4 Nations and no June tests. This is due to the RWC and the IRB's compensation doesn't cover the shortfall. The Sydney stadium refurbishment and the real possibility of the Perth test being undersold due to the RA's behaviour (the RA will be hoping that 60,000 kiwis) attend
- Europe will be under new tv contracts which are increasing in England and France. The EPCR deal is a complete mystery as has been the case since the English sabotaged the Heineken Cup
- They have committed themselves to keeping two financial basketcases in the floundering Super Rugby comp

On the Pacific Islanders numbers there around 200 Fijians playing in France if you start going in to the lower leagues so Hodgson and Twiggy are correct about the amount of players out there. There are at least close to 300 South Africans playing abroad, 147 Australians with Super Rugby experience and around 200 Kiwis. That completely shuts out the nonsensical argument put forward by the NSWRU and QRU in regards to their closed shop club comps.

[JPR]

The ARU/RA in my opinion are again playing games with WA. Only through pressure from the senate did they agree to pass the IP back to Rugby WA. The reason given was so The Western Force in name can play in the NRC instead of Perth Spirit (Please note this IP still with ARU/AR). This does not please me and I am sure Twiggy wants to have the premier name in the IPRC. Hopefully this meeting coming will allow the Western Force play at the highest level possible outside Super Rugby. Players will be able to have the same pathway from WA to play for the Wallabies, including any current foreign players who decide to join a team under IPRC.

[terrycobner]

The ARU/RA in my opinion are again playing games with WA. Only through pressure from the senate did they agree to pass the IP back to Rugby WA. The reason given was so The Western Force in name can play in the NRC instead of Perth Spirit (Please note this IP still with ARU/AR). This does not please me and I am sure Twiggy wants to have the premier name in the IPRC. Hopefully this meeting coming will allow the Western Force play at the highest level possible outside Super Rugby. Players will be able to have the same pathway from WA to play for the Wallabies, including any current foreign players who decide to join a team under IPRC.

Surely in Australia there is employment lawthat would prevent discrimination against professionals solely on where they live (Perth).