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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.
Last edited by andrewg; 15-09-17 at 23:18.
We just have to accept that we won't know the details of what is going on for some time yet. We just have to believe that people like Hodgo, Stooke and Forrest will have the best interest of rugby in WA at heart. I am still to see or hear anything that makes me think they don't. Hang in there folks, we could be on the cusp of WA being the centre of Australian rugby. For that I am prepared to wait.
You had me up until that point.
I'm not sure the Wallabies will ever hold an interest for me apart from me being able to use them as an example of the ARU's ineptitude.
It would take some world class backflipping for me to even set time aside to watch them on TV (I would be delighted to watch a Force-stacked Baa Baas go toe to toe)
C'mon the![]()
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Don't read too much into my "MAY" Gigs.
It will have to be post Cheika and his fixation with Waratah's selection into the national team.
As we now can include Simmons as a Waratah, the XXIII for the Pumas game now includes 10 Waratahs players.
Isn't that the team that our very Own Western Force rolled 40-11 in our last game?
Not surprisingly the Wallabies show many of the lack-of-any-real-ticker attributes of the Waratahs as they are obviously contageous.
Really looking forward to Allan Jones' WF Barbarians team against the Wallabies on 28 Oct.
May be even worth a trip to Sydney to wear my blue again.
Last edited by andrewg; 15-09-17 at 23:42.
So your "maybe in the future" has a condition that effectively makes it never? I can understand that, maybe I'm being a bit harsh saying never then. I will change to not until the ARU fix their pro Sydney-anti rugby Policies and select a genuinely form based team. That means never as well, thanks for correcting my bias
C'mon the![]()
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Smoke and mirrors, the FUARU will never change.
an anagram of Hodgo is O God H
anything he is into i will support !
A very encouraging article by Wayne Smith in The Australian last Friday, 15 Sep 2017.
The last two paras provide some insights into Twiggy's motivation and background to the IPRC concept.
Last edited by andrewg; 18-09-17 at 09:08.
Not sure I agree with the last bit of the last statement and Omar's talking about money so much (although I get that the IPRC will cost lots).
"12 Years aSupporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue
Had to cancel the force!!! Seriously there is having to get into bed with them for the comp - then there is that just sucking up to them.. Twiggy they just shoved us over no had to about it.. 😡
C'mon the![]()
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Interesting article Andrew G.
Wayne Smith 15th Sept 2017.
Extract: As the global boss of the players trade union, Omar Hassanein said he could advise the IPRC on such things as contracts and how international regulations could impact the competition.
"The big consideration is Reg 9 (Regulation 9)" and the release window (for Test players) and when Twiggy plans to have his particular tournament because there may be some investment in it and then players have to pull out for Test duty. So all that has to be considered.
I just want to raise the point about the calendar timing of the IPRC.
Twiggy really needs to argue with the ARU that his IPRC is not in conflict with Super Rugby, seeing that the Western Force are no longer involved with Super Rugby. The ARU need to finally start keeping its promises by supporting the IPRC by allowing the start date to be the same time as super rugby, allowing WA ex-players, ex-staff and officials to earn a wage in WA. With no restriction of trade being imposed on them trying to earn a crust for their families.
The last but not least point is we the supporters need to being watching games at the same time as Super Rugby and not waiting until August/September.
The article above about Test players availability, would therefore not be a problem as the IPRC & Super Rugby season would be over.
Last edited by JPR; 18-09-17 at 10:14.
One Team - One Dream - Go The Western Force
I have been away for a few weeks. Ducking N-K nukes in Japan.
I am surprised by the amount of negativity in these posts. If there is one thing that can be said about Mr Forrest it is that he is a brilliant strategist businessman who takes a long term focused view and keeps his eye on the goal.
Fortescue looked dead and buried a few times, but now it is scoring tries.
I won't say he does "whatever it takes" to achieve his goals. I think he has much more integrity than that. But sometimes you have to swallow some pride in the short term (ie kiss and makeup with Clyne) in order to get what you want long term.
The IPRC is the ONLY opportunity WA rugby has and will likely have for many years.
SANZAR will be dead in 2020.
Getting into bed with the ARU in the short term is necessary to give Force players the opportunity to be Wallabies. That is key.
Once the IPRC is up and running with ARU blessing the Force will be the no.1 destination for Australian players, SANZAR has finished and the IPRC will be making squillions from the HUGELY lucrative Asia Pacific economic region. The Force will be the dominant club in the most lucrative rugby competition in the world.
OK maybe I am overstating a bit.....but why wouldn't you get on board?
Wessells will coach both the Rebels and the Force.
Force players will play for the Rebels and the Force unless they are selected for Wallaby duties.
The Spirit will still be strong and a provide a pathway for WA players to get to the Force and then the Wallabies.