Mr Bill Pulver
CEO Australian Rugby Union.
Mr Pulver,
My name is Simon Powell. I am a committee member of the Hawkesbury Agricultural College Rugby Union Football Club that participates in Division 3 of Sydney Suburban Rugby Competition.
I am also a Perth born Sydney based fan of the Western Force.
Over the past months I have become increasingly concerned regarding rumoured changes to the Super Rugby Competition with respect to participating teams - in particular that the Western Force is to be cut from the competition.
It is rumoured that the 2017 season will be the Western Force's last.
As a Western Force fan since inception, these 'publicly announced' rumours have been difficult to accept and I felt the need to do something to demonstrate to yourself, the ARU, and SANZAAR Board that Western Force fans will not accept lightly any moves to shut down our team.
In the of just over 3 weeks I have collected over 2000 signatures via an online petition I launched on
www.change.org - a remarkable effort considering there has been little to no coverage of the petition apart from the assistance of
www.twf.com.au (a Western Force fan owned and run website).
The petition can be found here:
https://www.change.org/p/bill-pulver...tern-australia
For your convenience, the petition states:
"There is an opinion that there are currently too many teams in the Super Rugby Competition and that it is not sustainable in its current format. For some the quick and easy solution is to disband the Western Force based in Perth, Western Australia.
This solution is not acceptable to us. The Western Force has had to fight for everything that it has and has cost the Australian Rugby Union virtually nothing to get to where it is, whilst growing the sport of Rugby union on the West Coast of Australia.
After 10 years, pathways for local players are maturing and Australian Rugby is seeing the fruit of the investment in The Force in the inclusion of WA players in the Wallabies.
The Perth Spirit have won the 2016 National Rugby Championship with a mix of Force players and local club players. They have made the finals every other year.
The Force have also opened up opportunities or players from other states who may have never had the chance to prove themselves and go onto higher honours such as the Wallabies.
Western Force employees, players, supporters and local community volunteers put a lot of hard work into growing WA community rugby, to the benefit of Australian rugby, with the long term goal of watching and enjoying the game of Rugby Union anywhere in Australia.
We do not believe that any team in Super Rugby should be removed as a quick and short sighted fix to poor Expansion planning in the move to 18 teams.
We seek your support in allowing The Western Force to continue its journey in growing Rugby for the benefit of all Australians."
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There is no doubt that the last couple of years have been financially difficult for Australian Rugby, however we are starting to see the benefits of the wider developing community. The Western Force continues to develop local talent - in 2006 John Wellbourne was the only WA born player in the Western Force starting 15... in 2016 that number is 6, demonstrating that the local player development has been significant and successful.
Players like Dane Haylett-Petty and Adam Coleman breaking in to the Wallabies starting 15 are an example of this. Without the Western Force these players would still be running around in club rugby and likely to never get a run with the Established Super Rugby team in the Rugby Heartland.
Mr. Pulver I believe that Australian Rugby needs to continue to develop a National footprint. Rugby needs to represent all of Australia not just the traditional heartlands of New South Wales and Queensland. Continued support of Rugby outside of New South Wales and Queensland is vital to the development of our Game. Support of the Western Force in the short term can only benefit the long term future of Rugby in Australia. It is your responsibility to ensure that we leave our game in a better position than we found it.
Should you wish to discuss this with me, I would be happy to talk to you at any time.
Yours In Rugby
Simon Powell
Originally Posted by shasta
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