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Twiggy's main focus appears to be to maintain a professional team in WA.
Without a professional team there is no real pathway for our players into the big time.
The EARU appear to have little interest in supporting a professional players who are WA based.
Nick Fordham used to be Hodgo's manager. They are both Avoca boys. You reckon that they're not talking?
Stuart Taggart, who is working in the same team as Hodgo was one of the key organisers for the RWC in Sydney in 2003.
I reckon the IPRC is giving a glimpse of the professional game in our region after Super Rugby falls apart in 2020 (if not before).
On a time-zone and distance basis it is unlikely to include South Africa.
There is no time, or apparent desire, to go head-to-head against Super Rugby.
The 2018 IPRC may not be perfect but it will develop.
It will be easier/better for the IPRC to develop with the sanction or World Rugby/IRB and the EARU. (referees, Wallabies selection etc).
The WA professional team (The Force??) will be representing Australia in an international competition with the aim of growing rugby in our region.
Wouldn't it be fantastic if the IPRC team plays in the same colours as the Spirit (hopefully with a bit of blue - just for that bit of history).
I've been very happy to part of the Sea of Blue but would be very happy to part of the new Golden Wave.
I see no problem with the IPRC going head-to-head with timing of the NRC.
Players from the broader training group of the IPRC team (Force?) can still be part of the make-up of the Perth Spirit team.
I expect that there will still be something similar to the Force Foundation for developing players into professional rugby.
The IPRC team will be training in WA for most of our club rugby season.
Players should be still be available to play club rugby - and maybe even more so in order to get game time during the build-up to the IPRC.
Wouldn't it be good to have an NRC game one week and IPRC game the next?
The possibility of Free to Air viewing even provides more attraction.
Combine that with Club Rugby then it's going to be very easy to get my rugby fix during this extended rugby season.
This combinations for me means that I will have little interest in Super Rugby.
I have absolutely no interest in games of the Reds, Tahs, Brums or Rebels unless they are playing the Force.
I MAY develop an interest in the Wallabies again - but only if the EARU genuinely becomes the ARU after a huge shake-up!
Does that make be tribal? parochial? Too bloody right it does!
ps. I hope the outcome of the Senate Inquiry is that the entire sordid workings of the EARU are exposed and the full Board get rolled. Only then can Rugby in Australia start to move forward.
While Twiggy builds the new professional team, Rugby WA (with Twiggy's financial backing) and the State can continue to go for the EARU's guts and seek compensation (depending on what is exposed in the Inquiry). I'd be very happy of there are some interesting Civil or Criminal proceedings to provide some non-rugby game day entertainment.