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Dear valued Emirates Western Force members,
Firstly, I’d like to thank each of you for your loyal and outstanding support of the Emirates Western Force.
Having spent my entire life on the east coast and being a newcomer to this beautiful state in the west, the first thing I noticed after commencing as CEO of RugbyWA was how proud and passionate the Emirates Western Force members are.
‘The sea of blue’ is renowned across the competition as being the most vocal and enthusiastic crowd in the Investec Super 14 and we are honoured to boast the largest membership base of any rugby team in the country.
With three enthralling years in our history books, we look forward to season 2009 with huge anticipation.
I wanted to take this opportunity as we begin our preparations for the new season to update you on a number of matters currently being addressed at RugbyWA.
You will be aware that there have been speculative reports in the news about player unrest at our club.
The organisation has recently completed an annual review on all areas of our business, including professional rugby.
As part of this process we have received some feedback both constructive and positive from our players on aspects of the rugby program, including our coaching structure and strategies.
I can assure you that the entire organisation is committed to strengthening our rugby program and most importantly helping the Emirates Western Force to perform at the highest level, and we are confident that we are putting the right steps in place to ensure that is possible.
You would also be aware of reports recently about one of our major sponsors, Firepower, failing to honour sponsorship commitments with RugbyWA and third party arrangements with a handful of Emirates Western Force players.
RugbyWA is doing everything possible to assist players who were affected by the Firepower fallout to secure alternative arrangements with respect to third party sponsorships.
While Firepower is lost to us as a sponsor, we have already announced a replacement sleeve sponsor in Volvo Car Australia.
We are delighted to have Volvo on board as a platinum sponsor for the next three seasons and we are also pleased to announce ET Mining Hire & Sales as a jersey sponsor for 2009.
ET Mining Hire & Sales have been outstanding supporters of rugby in WA for a number of years and this will be enhanced in 2009 when the company logo is splashed across the back of the Emirates Western Force jersey.
With our loyal naming rights sponsor Emirates renewing until the end of 2011, the club is in a strong position ‘off the field’ as we continue our push for a maiden finals appearance on the field.
Much of our off-season has been spent solidifying our roster for the 2009 season, with a focus on retaining the young talent we have at the club.
Two of our brightest young talents, David Pocock and James O’Connor, extended their contracts with the Emirates Western Force this year and later this month will make their first tour as Wallabies on the Spring Tour of Europe.
The debut of Richard Brown in the Tri Nations decider, followed by the introduction of these two youngsters, has only enhanced the reputation of the Emirates Western Force as a breeding ground for future Wallabies.
Coupled with the retention of key senior players over the past 12 months, including Scott Staniforth, Nathan Sharpe, Ryan Cross and Cameron Shepherd, the future certainly is bright.
We have also bolstered our playing list for 2009 with the addition of four-Test scrumhalf Josh Valentine, who we believe will compliment our style of play and become an influential member of the team.
As well as strengthening our playing personnel, we are exploring other means of improving our rugby program.
We have recently engaged Leading Teams, a company that specialises in building and improving team culture, to assist us with developing leadership and unity in the organisation.
Leading Teams has worked successfully with AFL Grand Finalists Hawthorn and Geelong and we are looking forward to having them work with our organisation from November.
Additionally we are set to announce in the next month the appointment of a sports psychologist who will work with the team throughout the season.
We are also focused on assisting our players outside of the rugby program with their education and welfare.
We have agreed in principal with RUPA to establish a full-time careers and education position at RugbyWA, which is a high priority for the organisation given the large number of players who relocate to WA from the east coast and whom are often leaving their families for the first time.
Another major event on the horizon for RugbyWA is the relocation of our team and administration from our current facilities at Perry Lakes.
Following 12 months of planning for a move to a site in Mount Claremont, we learned recently that an issue with soil contamination will prevent the state government from building a purpose-built facility at the proposed site.
Despite this setback, we have had some extremely positive discussions with the government and we are confident of securing a new site to build new facilities and complete our relocation by mid to late 2010.
Still in the forefront of our minds is that a crucial element in the successful long-term viability of the Emirates Western Force is securing a rectangular Stadium to host our home games.
We are continuing to lobby the government on this issue and the RugbyWA Board has confirmed its support for an upgrade to Members Equity Stadium to increase its seating capacity to 25,000 with 2,000 seats for corporate supporters.
We have approached the Minister for Sport, Terry Waldron, following this commitment by the board and have been provided with an opportunity to meet with him to discuss the proposal further.
As is plainly evident, the organisation is facing a number of significant challenges, however we strongly believe that we will come out of this tough period all the stronger and with our future intact.
The support of our key stakeholders, members and sponsors is vital for us to overcome these challenges. Equally important is that we maintain that support through our 2009 campaign at Subiaco Oval.
The 2009 season presents the Emirates Western Force with a wonderful opportunity to stake our claim as the best team in the country and to break through for our first finals appearance with the introduction of the six-team finals series.
Once again we thank your for support and for taking the time to read this letter.
Regards
Greg Harris
CEO
RugbyWA
Members Email, 16-10-2008