IPRC TEAM & COACH

[volvo]

Tim Sampson poached by Andrew Forrest to become Western Force coach

Tim Sampson, the man in charge at the Canberra Vikings, is set to be named coach of the Western Force as the folded club prepares to play at least half a dozen matches against the likes of the Crusaders and Melbourne Rebels later this year.
After being cut from Super Rugby last year in acrimonious circumstances, the Force will remain a team for the time being thanks to mining billionaire Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest who has pledged to include the West Australian franchise in his Indo Pacific Rugby Championship.

While the IPRC is not set to get underway until March, and does not have a final tick of approval yet from Rugby Australia, Forrest and his Minderoo Group are in the process of organising matches before then.
But Forrest needs someone to replace former head coach Dave Wessels, who has moved on to the Rebels, and it is understood that man is Sampson.
Sampson is based in Canberra and replaced Wayne Southwell as the Vikings’ head coach at the start of last year’s National Rugby Championship.

The Vikings won six of eight games during the campaign but fell at the final hurdle against Queensland Country, going down 42-28 in Canberra.
Sampson does not have a direct role with the Brumbies but is highly regarded in the nation’s capital.
Clearly Sampson's coaching style has caught the eye of Forrest, who has decided he will take the reins of the Force for the coming year and no doubt beyond that.
When contacted by Fairfax Media, Sampson said he had been approached to take the position but that nothing had been finalised.
A spokesperson for Forrest did not wish to comment on the appointment.
The specifics of when Sampson would start are unclear but what is assured is that he will look after the team roughly for six to eight matches this year.
There have been talks for the Force to play the Crusaders and Rebels as well as Pacific Island teams like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
The games will be held in Perth and there is likely to be a membership package on offer that incorporates NRC matches.
Rebels chief executive Baden Stephenson said there had been discussions about games against a franchise that was also drawn through the mud last year as a result of the Australian Rugby Union’s drawn out saga that was cutting a Super Rugby side.
“Dave [Wessels] and I have been flat stick and haven’t really had a chance to even discuss that but there is a conversation happening about the possibility of a game,” Stephenson said.
Matches the Force play against Super Rugby franchises would take place in the June international window.
During this block the Wallabies have three Tests against Ireland, while the All Blacks face France in three matches.
Forrest’s determination to keep the Force afloat is a clear message to Rugby Australia he means business.
Rugby Australia want to help the IPRC and are adamant they won’t act as a roadblock.
It would not be in their interest either, given the amount of money Forrest is prepared to invest in rugby, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/spo...21-p4z163.html

[AndyS]

Not remotely interested in Force v Rebels.

Assuming the Asia-Pacific Dragons were in line to play in Singapore, as was originally bid for SR18, I'd be curious to see that and generate a bit of interest around what the IPRC might actually look like.

[JSJ]

Some back round on Tim.

Tim Sampson wants to bring Canberra Vikings that "pumped him" 10 years first NRC title
Eamonn Tiernan
Published: November 3 2017 - 4:34PM

The Australian Rugby Championship survived just one season but from its ashes came a player-turned coach who is looking to bring Canberra its maiden National Rugby Championship title.

Canberra Vikings' coach Tim Sampson spent the final year of his decorated 14-year playing career as the Ballymore Tornadoes' flyhalf in the ARC.

Queensland-capped Sampson played at the Tornadoes alongside a litter of future Wallabies, including Will Genia and James Horwill who would become Australian captains.

Sampson played one game in the capital against the Vikings when he "got pumped" against a teenage Christian Lealiifano and 20-year-old Fainga'a twins Anthony and Saia.

A decade later and in his first year of NRC coaching Sampson sits primed to deliver the Vikings their their first title.

Canberra finished minor premiers and will host the Perth Spirit in the first semi-final at Viking Park on Saturday.

"It will be great for Canberra and the ACT region if we can win a national competition for the first time, but especially for the clubs and playing squad and staff," Sampson said.

"Everyone has worked very hard for this and it really has been an enjoyable few months, if we can get the reward it will be really special."

The defunct ARC returned reincarnated in 2014 as the NRC and Sampson said the players running around 10 years ago prove how important the high-tempo competition is for Australian rugby.

"When you look back at the names floating around in that 2007 tournament with Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Will Genia, Berrick Barnes and James Horwill - you see it's a genuine pathway," Sampson said.

"I remember playing against guys like Andrew Walker and Chris Latham who were genuine international stars, they were outstanding and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who learnt a lot from playing against guys like that."

Sampson represented Queensland in games against Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and an England side which included bright-eyed teenager named Jonny Wilkinson.

"That was pretty cool playing against Jonny, he was superb, but at that stage he wasn't that well known because he was 18 and it was his first tour," Sampson said.

"I was with Sunnybank in Brisbane for 23 years won the clubs first ever premiership and then a second one in my final season, so I was very satisfied there.

"In terms of the next level and playing Super rugby I was very patient and knocked back a few opportunities to play overseas to try and pull on the Reds jersey and thankfully I did."

Sampson spent two years at Irish semi-professional club Wanderers and said he was satisfied with his playing career but hopes to rise further as a coach.

Following his playing days Sampson moved straight into coaching and after guiding Brisbane powerhouse Easts to the 2015 grand final, he left for Canberra to join the Tuggeranong Vikings.

The 41-year-old saw immediate success in the capital, winning the John I Dent Cup last year and the victories have continued at the Vikings this season.

Sampson said win, lose or draw against Perth on Saturday and he will be staying put in the Canberra, but admits he harbours ambitions to test himself overseas one day.

"It's about enjoying what you do and the family is very settled here and I'm really enjoying where I'm at with my coaching," Sampson said.

"I do it because it's a passion and I love the sport, I started playing rugby when I was four and haven't had a year off, it's just in my blood.

"I have aspirations to go as high as I can with my coaching and I think I've been patient with it, my ambition is to coach at Super level before I look to move overseas and I still have that drive in me."

[JSJ]

Found some more on Tim
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/spo...18-gz31c5.html

The Canberra Vikings are steering towards an historic National Rugby Championship title under the tutelage of first-year coach Tim Sampson.
They sit top of the NRC ladder and enjoy the bye this weekend but have already sewn up a finals berth with two rounds remaining.
Canberra Vikings head coach Tim Sampson resembled an army drill sergeant inside the coaches' box.
Canberra Vikings head coach Tim Sampson resembled an army drill sergeant inside the coaches' box.

Photo: Rohan Thomson
The Vikings have the best attack and second-best defence in the competition as they lead the way with 48 tries and 972 tackles to be $3.75 title-favourites after seven games.
Fairfax Media was invited inside the Vikings' coaches' box for their 71-14 thumping of the Sydney Rays at Vikings Park last Sunday.
The following is a behind the scenes look at the cogs responsible for running this well-oiled machine of a rugby team.
Advertisement

Sampson is joined in the booth by forwards coach Ruaidhrí Murphy and scrum doctor Dan Palmer, with the trio barking non-stop radio messages to staff running the water.
As soon as the opening whistle blew the usually cool, calm and collected Sampson turned into an army drill sergeant who demanded perfection in everything.
The Vikings were on the back foot early and Sampson was not impressed with some poor decision-making as he averaged well above one profanity per minute.
The booth sits on top of the grandstand which provides a birdseye view of the field and as soon as Sampson spotted a weak link in the defence, he was on the radio straight away.
There were four Wallabies playing for the Vikings last weekend but a representative resume didn't spare them the wrath of the boss upstairs.
Sampson lamented the defence but after 15 minutes defending their line without conceding any points, the Vikings marched down field and scored the opener.
There were hugs galore as the players got around each other but no celebration from Sampson.
The passion from all three coaches is incredible, to an outsider it feels like they've all got their house riding on the result.
Three minutes later the Vikings were in again but still nothing from the head coach, instead thinking about the next move and barking more orders into the radio.
Canberra piled on two more tries to lead 26-0 after 25 minutes and Sampson finally cracked his first smile.
There were minimal scrums in the first half and at one point Palmer, who is being pursued for a Wallabies role, joked he was bored with the lack of action.
When the scrums and lineouts did arrive there were code names for everything - joker, flash, bozo, dazzler - and every set-piece move seemed to work to perfection.
The Fox Sports commentary team of Sean Moloney and Drew Mitchell were only a few metres away and guilty several times of regurgitating the coaches' comments into the broadcast.
More often than not their calls of "numbers" and "holding" were words that had just come out of Sampson's mouth a few moments earlier.
Vikings' flyhalf Wharenui Hawera was having a blinder and after showing some silky smooth skills, he pushed one pass too many, which prompted Sampson to groan "Faats you're killing me" as if he was Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans.
Palmer would get ridiculously excited at scrum time and smashed the referee at every collapse, crying out for a penalty.
With the lead pushed out passed 30 points the jokes began between the coaches.
Murphy: "Half-time doesn't need to come."
Sampson: "Nah Tommy Cusack needs to re-apply his sunscreen."
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In the second half the domination continued but the demands of perfection didn't waiver as Sampson exclaimed "jesus christ why do you do this to us boys" following a quick tap instead of a lineout when they were up 45-7 with 20 minutes remaining.
I'd hate to sit through a loss!

[Bakkies]

Interesting signing. How much time he gets with the Force is a question to ask as we don't know whether he is tied to the Vikings for the NRC.

[The InnFORCEr]

Western Force appoint Tim Sampson as coach for 2018 National Rugby Championship season

Nick Taylor | PerthNow
February 21, 2018 4:02PM

CANBERRA Vikings’ National Rugby Championship coach Tim Sampson is set to take charge of the new Western Force NRC and Indo Pacific Rugby Championship sides.

Sampson will also coach the Force in as many as eight pre-NRC games against Pacific Island teams Fiji, Samoa and Tonga and Super Rugby clubs like the Crusaders and Brumbies.

Some games will be held in the June Test window with NRC kicking off in September.

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s IPRC is scheduled to start in March next year, with Forrest having warned Rugby Australia it will go ahead with or without their tick of approval.

Sampson’s deal is expected to be signed off shortly and he did not want to comment until it was finalised.

In Sampson’s first season in charge he took the Canberra Vikings to last year’s minor premiership, winning six of eight games, only lose the grand final to Queensland Country.

As well as Canberra Vikings coach Sampson is currently the coaching director at Tuggeranong Vikings where he had success winning the John I Dent Cup in his first year in charge.

He has also guided Brisbane Easts to the 2015 grand final, was an assistant coach with Queensland Reds and Queensland Country, was assistant at Brisbane Easts and Sunnybank and was a backs coach at Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan.

During his playing career as an inside back Sampson represented Queensland and played against Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and England.

He also played with the Ballymore Tornadoes in the ill-fated Australian Rugby Championship, won two premierships with the Sunnybank club in Brisbane and spent two years at Irish club Wanderers.

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/we...-ng-b88752804z

[volvo]

More info about Tim from Nick

Tim Sampson set to coach revamped Western Force
Nick Taylor | Exclusive | The West Australian
Thursday, 22 February 2018 7:20AM

Meet Tim Sampson, the man charged with resurrecting the Western Force brand as coach for their second incarnation.

Sampson did not want to comment when contacted by The West Australian yesterday but his appointment is expected to be announced shortly.
Those who know Sampson say he will not be afraid to stamp his own mark on the side.

Last year’s Canberra Vikings’ National Rugby Championship coach, he is set to take charge of the Force NRC and Indo Pacific Rugby Championship sides.

One long-time Vikings member said: “Tim is a very good coach who likes open, fast rugby and he won’t hesitate to tell players exactly where they stand if needs be. He will make his mark, he seeks perfection from everyone but he gets results and that speaks for itself.

“He runs a lot of back work and does plenty of work himself. He’ll make sure there is plenty of excitement in a game.”

Sampson will also coach the Force in as many as eight pre-NRC games against Pacific Island teams Fiji, Samoa and Tonga and Super Rugby clubs such as the Crusaders and Brumbies.

There are also talks about playing Melbourne Rebels, the side that survived the Super Rugby cut ahead of the Force.

Some games will be held in the June Test window with the NRC kicking off in September.

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s IPRC is scheduled to start in March next year, with Forrest having warned Rugby Australia it will go ahead with or without its tick of approval.

The deal is expected to be signed off shortly and Sampson did not want to comment until it was finalised.

In Sampson’s first season in charge he took the Canberra Vikings to the minor premiership, winning six of eight games, only to lose the grand final to Queensland Country.

As well as being Canberra Vikings coach, Sampson is currently the coaching director at Tuggeranong Vikings, where he had success winning the John I Dent Cup in his first year in charge.

He has also guided Brisbane Easts to the 2015 grand final, was an assistant coach with Queensland Reds A and Queensland Country and was a backs coach at Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan.

In his playing days as an inside back Sampson represented Queensland and played against Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and England.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/western...-ng-b88752420z

[volvo]

Matt Hodgson, Andrew Forrest and keeping rugby relevant in WA

Bitterness. Betrayal. Disgust.

They're emotions you wouldn't dare begrudge Western Force great Matt Hodgson after he and the rest of the now defunct Super Rugby franchise were taken to hell and back in 2017.

After governing body SANZAAR announced the competition would be stripped back to 15 teams, Rugby Australia, then known as the Australian Rugby Union, revealed it would cut either the Force or Melbourne Rebels to meet their requirements for the revised format.

Hodgson quickly became the face of the Force's fight for survival, the veteran flanker delivering countless emotional pleas to the ARU to not only keep the WA franchise but also keep Australian rugby at its full Super Rugby complement.

The battle eventually went to the courts before a senate hearing also laid bare what had transpired behind closed doors at Rugby Australia HQ. In the end, the Rebels were given the green light to keep their place in Super Rugby while the Force, and more than 35 contracted players, were banished to professional obscurity.

The decision was particularly brutal for Hodgson, given he was the only remaining foundation player from the Force, one of the few who'd headed over from the east coast, and had begun to raise a family as he committed his life to Western Australia. He had every reason to walk away from rugby, after the game had hurt him so badly.

It is not the case.

Does he feel a lighter load now 2017 is behind him?

"No, I don't, it's probably a bigger load," Hodgson tells ESPN when asked whether he's a different man, his two boys playing nearby in a Perth park. "There's so much expectation of trying to deliver something for the people of WA. I think as we come closer to the start of the Super Rugby season we're going to feel a big void, and it's going to be a bit of an empty space.

"So it's sort of my job and a team of us together to try and get something up and running to be able to watch rugby and watch rugby in WA. I know the 'Sea of Blue' [the Force supporters] are starting to get a bit itchy now as we come closer to the beginning of what would have been another season for the Force, and when that first game comes it's going to be an empty feeling."

Hodgson hung up the boots when the Force signed off their final Super Rugby season with a crushing 41-10 over NSW Waratahs, a win that saw them finish second in the Australian conference, but his work was really only just beginning. For the man who at that same game had described the Force as the "best thing Western Australia had going", mining magnate Andrew Forrest, was already working to ensure Australia's fourth Super Rugby franchise would not be wiped from the map completely.

With the Force removed from Super Rugby, Forrest has set about creating his own Indo-Pacific Rugby competition with Hodgson quickly becoming his right-hand man. Gone are the boots and mouthguard, on are the suit and tie as the 11-Test Wallabies back-rower rides shotgun to Forrest and the goal of ensuring rugby's survival in the west.

"It's great, it's definitely different," Hodgson says of life on the road with Forrest. "I thought when I retired from football I'd stop the travelling because it does take it out of you and it is hard on your family. Now having two kids to be away for so long; the special thing now is you're actually delivering for them and giving them an opportunity of doing what I did. I was lucky enough to [have] 17 years in professional sport and playing rugby, the joy, the places I got [to travel] and the people I got to meet were pretty special.

"So going away now and seeing it from the other side is definitely different; meeting different people and talking about different things. But the more people I see around sport and rugby, a lot of people have the same goal and they just want rugby to be successful again; it's not only WA that's hurting, it's the whole of Australia hurting, that's the story I'm hearing."

Hodgson says he and Forrest are closing in on some major announcements for their Indo-Pacific competition as they strive to deliver some rugby content for West Australians.

There are those who question the billionaire's planning, pointing to a lack of space in the rugby calendar and asking who exactly will contest the competition and how it will generate interest in an already saturated Australian sports market.

But Hodgson is adamant the competition can and will be a success, such is the drive and commitment of Forrest -- the same man who offered the ARU $Aus50 million to retain the Force's Super Rugby licence.

"Nearly every second email I get from Andrew has M.I.H. at the bottom of it, and I kept asking what it meant and then, after a while, he actually told me it just says 'make it happen'," Hodgson tells ESPN. "So everything he says, he wants it to happen; he puts some pretty hefty goals on us and, as you see, it's been a tough battle.

"But I think we're actually making progress now and moving forward. Anything I ask or I dreamed of as a kid, he says 'let's make it happen'. The best thing about Andrew is he's hands-on and he really wants this to happen but he gives you enough rope to actually [shape] the way you think rugby should look in Western Australia."

Hodgson also likes what he sees in new Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle, whom he met in Perth recently.

"I see positive things for Australian rugby under her leadership, which is quite exciting," he says. "She brings something different that Australian rugby hasn't seen for a while, and that's pretty exciting.

"She's going to take a few weeks or a month or so to actually just absorb everything of what's on, not only in Western Australia but in rugby in general, and then I think she'll start making some decisions for the betterment of the game."

While Hodgson has moved on from the challenges of 2017, it's evident there is a spot deep within him that still can't completely reconcile the fashion in which his club was dismissed.

And what of Super Rugby? Can he bring himself to watch the action when the Australian conference gets underway on Friday -- sans Force?

"I probably won't be as excited by it," Hodgson says. "I'm saying if it's on I'll probably watch it, but I won't have that same excitement or that same feeling of watching as I would have [if it] had been the Western Force playing in it; that's probably what's going to hurt the most.

"It would have been a time now I could have sat back and reflected on it, actually sat in the ground or watched it on TV and saying that I was part of that. That's a big void that's going to be hard to fulfil."

And it's that "void" he will continue to look to fill in the coming months -- not just for the people of WA or an Australian rugby community he says is hurting across the country, but particularly for those two boys still running riot around the park.

"It was pretty funny, they [Hodgson's boys] started asking what I do for a job now that I'm not going to training," he says. "I think my wife, Jo, summed it up, she said: 'Daddy used to play for the Force, now he's trying to save the Force'. So just listening to that and going down to training for Under-6s at our local club, seeing how much enjoyment there is for the game there, and I reckon that's emulated in every club in WA, is the reason why I do it.

"So personally and probably selfishly, it's for my two young boys. But in saying that, every step or path I will listen to what people want and probably try to make it so I can see my kids, or someone of their age, in 10-20 years actually pulling on the Western Force jersey in a professional outfit and playing professional rugby. And if that is taking over soccer, taking over other sports and becoming the No.1 sport in WA, that's exciting."

http://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/_...tern-australia

[sandgroperrugby]

The 11¢ per share fully franked dividend will deliver a $110 million payout to our philanthropist and he surely won’t need to spend that much on his hare-brained rugby union competition.


http://www.watoday.com.au/business/t...20-p4z12c.html

[shasta]

The 11¢ per share fully franked dividend will deliver a $110 million payout to our philanthropist and he surely won’t need to spend that much on his hare-brained rugby union competition.


http://www.watoday.com.au/business/t...20-p4z12c.html

Somebody else doesn't like his style either.

http://www.australiasworstjournalist...kruger-fairfax

[valzc]

That article in the West annoyed the shit out of me!

[JSJ]

saw this on Facebook this morning.

Extract from The Australian (23/02) by Wayne Smith.

SANZAAR and Rugby Australia are about to begin formal work on what guise Super Rugby will take in the future, whether it will remain in its present 15-team form or enter a new expansion phase or whether a trans-Tasman competition will replace it.

A SANZAAR draft proposal was approved by the Rugby Australia board last week, as it was recently by the directors of New Zealand Rugby, and it is expected that all four partners — South Africa and Argentina being the other two — will have signed off on it within the next 10 days.

It is understood the SANZAAR proposal prioritised making the existing 15-team model work, which is understandable given all the angst Australia — and to a lesser degree South Africa — were put through last year to scale Super Rugby back from its 18-team iteration. For the first time since 2005, Super Rugby will kick off in Australia tomorrow without the Western Force.

But other options also will be up for discussion, including moving to a more stable Anzac-based competition based on Australia and NZ or, conversely, expanding Super Rugby further to include the potentially lucrative North American market.

Certainly SANZAAR and its members would need a lot of convincing to go back down the expansion path again. It was always intended that the 18-team competition was merely a stepping stone to making Super Rugby into an almost-global competition — with only Britain and Europe excluded — but it was done in such a rush that no one considered how unwieldy it all was.

In the end, the Force in Australia and the Cheetahs and Southern Kings paid the price for SANZAAR’s rashness, although the two South African teams succeeded in relocating to the European Pro14 competition where they achieved mixed results — the Cheetahs coming third in conference A, the Kings seventh and last in conference B.

Only the Force remain out of the loop, although it is planned they will play a series of exhibition matches later this year, followed by the National Rugby Championship. It is understood Canberra Vikings coach Tim Sampson has signed a letter of intent to coach the Force through their warm-up matches and into the NRC.

RA chief executive Raelene Castle noted yesterday that she was uncertain whether the Force would again become part of Super Rugby. “I don’t know,” Castle told The Australian. “And I don’t know because we are at one end of a process and I don’t know what will fly out the other end of the process.

“I’ve spoken with John Edwards (the RugbyWA chairman) that it if it looks like there will be an option for Super Rugby to change its structure, that we would have a conversation with the Force about bidding to be a part of that changed structure. That’s the commitment that RA has made to the Force.”

Meanwhile, Castle and SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos will meet with the four remaining Australian Super Rugby CEOs to outline the SANZAAR plan as a starting point for discussion and debate.

“We’re 36 months away from a new broadcast deal,” Castle said. “This is the time we should be having conversations about the future as well.”

Waratahs boss Andrew Hore welcomed that initiative but said NSW had already started down the track of exploring the future of rugby in Australia.

“We felt it was important we play a prominent role in this,” said Hore. “We’re defining our position but we’re still at the preliminary stage. We’ll be discussing this at our board meeting next week.”

Castle pointed out that, independently of SANZAAR, Australian rugby needed to work out what was important to it and to its partners, sponsors and Fox Sports.

Last year, the then Australian Rugby Union sent its delegates off to the London meeting at which the decision to cull the Force was taken armed only with “flexible” advice. The design was well-*intentioned, to give the delegates the ability to be agile, but it surely left the ARU looking like it did not know what its core beliefs were.

Castle’s announcement should ensure that never again does Australia go to a SANZAAR meeting without a fixed idea of what is non-negotiable.

[volvo]

Tim Sampson confirmed on 2 year deal

TIM SAMPSON NAMED WESTERN FORCE HEAD COACH
The coach with the most successful win-loss record in last year’s National Rugby Championship, Tim Sampson, will lead the return of the Western Force.

Sampson will move to Perth by April to start a two-year contract as the Head Coach of a reinvigorated Force team.

The experienced player-turned-coach said he was excited to move to Perth to continue with the solid foundations that have been set up throughout Western Australian junior rugby and pathway systems.

“I am looking forward to working alongside people who are genuinely passionate about rugby, and just as importantly meeting the extremely loyal supporters of the Western Force” Sampson said.

“I believe those new to the club, including myself, must not underestimate the positive impact that the past players and staff have had on rugby in the West.

“I am extremely motivated to continue to build on what has already been established and I am looking forward to contributing to a successful and exciting period in Western Australian rugby.”

Sampson was the head coach of NRC side the Canberra Vikings last season, guiding the team to secure the minor premiership before going down in the grand final to Queensland Country. The Vikings’ 2017 NRC campaign led to Sampson’s appointment as an assistant for the Australian U20s late last year.

He is also the coaching director at Tuggeranong Vikings, which won the John I Dent Cup during his first year in charge. Sampson led the Brisbane Easts to the 2015 grand final, previously held senior coaching roles with Queensland Reds A and Queensland Country and was a backs coach at Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan.

During his playing career, Sampson represented Queensland, the Ballymore Tornadoes, Brisbane’s Sunnybank and Irish club Wanderers.

Rugby Australia General Manager High Performance, Ben Whitaker said: “Tim is quality young Coach who has followed a classic developmental path through the Australian coaching system starting with Sunnybank and Easts in Brisbane before joining the Tuggeranong Vikings and Canberra Vikings NRC program.

“He had a tremendous season with the Canberra Vikings as Head Coach last year, taking them all the way to the NRC Grand Final and then came on as an assistant in the Australian Under 20s program in December.

“We are delighted for Tim to have the opportunity to lead the Western Force and we look forward to continuing our involvement with him as he builds for 2018 and the NRC. Tim will do an outstanding job in WA and will continue to be an important part of the Australian Rugby coaching set-up.”

https://www.rugbywa.asn.au/news/west...h-tim-sampson/

[valzc]

2 Years???

[Bakkies]

Probably all they could offer him at this stage.

Nice use of language by Nick Taylor in this article

https://thewest.com.au/sport/western...-ng-b88755065z