Force set to be axed

[WFDom]

McGowan to confirm that the State will sue the ARU when he's interviewed by Geoff Hutchison on 720 this morning

What time is it on?

[SinBin]

Listen from 8.30 - should be on in first hour

[SinBin]

Key message from McGowan. ARU has two options, 1. reinstate the Force or, 2. We'll sue/bankrupt you

It still sounds premature though as they're still exploring the legal issues..

[chibi]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...-any-hope-left

New Zealand also wanted Australia to reduce to four teams, but for a different reason. The Kiwis had become deeply concerned about the decline in the standard of Super Rugby in Australia and to a lesser degree South Africa and actively pushed for the axing of teams.

Garbage. The Kiwis wanted Australia AND South Africa to go back to four because they want less pathways for players in those countries to make it the top level; plus, losing Perth makes their travel schedule easier, but in turn, more difficult for the remaining four South African teams to tour. It's the same reasons they vetoed it in 2001; now they have their preferred scenario once again: less teams in South Africa with no convenient stop-over for them in Perth, and all Australian opposition within short flying distances to them on the eastern seaboard.

[DazloT]

For example, the ARU’s recent decision to cull the Western Force from Super Rugby was primarily a financial one. Australian rugby could not afford to maintain five Super Rugby teams. The Force were cut not because they were in financial difficulty, but because the three traditional teams – the Brumbies, NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds – were all struggling to varying degrees.

Getting rid of the Force was like throwing ballast off a sinking ship. Ironically, the Perth-based side was potentially the most financially secure of the lot with the support of mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, but someone had to go and they were the easiest to chop because of their “alliance” with the ARU.

So finally we have the real reason out there plain as day in simple language. This statement needs to be shouted out far and wide.

[GIGS20]

[URL]Getting rid of the Force was like throwing ballast off a sinking ship. Ironically, the Perth-based side was potentially the most financially secure of the lot with the support of mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest, but someone had to go and they were the easiest to chop because of their “alliance” with the ARU.

You all know I'm no lawyer, but that little morsel right there sounds a little bit like they haven't acted "in good faith" towards their business partner in this deal.

Can anybody with actual legal credentials confirm my thinking?

[jono]

You all know I'm no lawyer, but that little morsel right there sounds a little bit like they haven't acted "in good faith" towards their business partner in this deal.

Can anybody with actual legal credentials confirm my thinking?

That and "alliance" is generally indicative of a mutually beneficial arrangement.

[sittingbison]

It was a mutaully beneficial arrangement between the owners of the Western Force and the FUBARU

[Usebeo]

Great effort Senator Reynolds. You can feel the pressure growing....

QUOTE=Hansie;437405]care for some more:

HANSARD PINK
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Senator REYNOLDS (Western Australia) (18:45): Woe betide anyone who tries to mess with Western Australia. Tonight I rise to address an outrage perpetrated on Western Australia's large and vibrant sporting community—one we are all taking very, very personally—and that is the Australian Rugby Union's disgraceful decision to cut the Western Force from the national competition. I stand 100 per cent with the Western Australian sporting community, with my WA Liberal colleague senators and members, with the state government, with the state opposition and with Rugby WA on this issue. I don't think the ARU has the foggiest idea of what they have unleashed on themselves. Talk about an own goal! If the ARU thought WA would just cower and lie back in the face of this outrage and would not fight back, the ARU is sadly mistaken.
The Western Force is one of Australia's most popular Rugby Union teams, and they have been extraordinarily successful in growing Rugby and developing local players in WA since their foundation in 2005. In the current season, the team were the second-best team in Australia in the Super Rugby competition. Currently they have the third-largest playing base in Australia, and they have no less than six players in the 2017 Bledisloe Cup Wallabies squad—a testament to the strength of the club and the sporting capability and pride resident in Western Australia.
Transparency in public life is just as important in publicly-funded sporting organisations as it is here in this chamber. After very carefully reviewing the case made by Rugby WA and the Western Force, I am at a complete loss to understand the ARU's decision. And I completely understand why tens of thousands of supporters are absolutely gutted by this inexplicable decision.
Therefore, I call on the ARU to do two things. Firstly, I call on the ARU to publicly release the information the board have used to justify the decision to cut the Western Force—particularly what they called the 'big spreadsheet' that they claimed demonstrates the decision was in the best interests of Australian rugby. A big, secret, spreadsheet—it reminds me a lot of Ros Kelly's great big thumping whiteboard, for those of you in this chamber and elsewhere old enough to remember her whiteboard. Secondly, I also call on the ARU to enter into an open dialogue with Rugby WA and all other interested parties who can propose alternative solutions to the crisis that apparently has resulted in this secret decision.
Today I've also written to the federal Minister for Sport, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, requesting Commonwealth support to encourage the ARU to publicly release the information on this decision and have the courtesy to open a dialogue with Rugby WA. I've also requested Commonwealth support in making public the basis for this decision by the ARU and ensuring the Western Force have the opportunity to address any issues which have led to this decision. I say this to the ARU: if you have nothing to hide, release the documents, make it public, work with Rugby WA, and support Western Australian sporting fans. If you've got nothing to hide, release the documents, and do not hide behind your lawyers.[/QUOTE]

[Alison]

The Senator was at the rally yesterday and is 110% behind us and willing to do whatever she can to save the Force. Lovely woman :-)

[jargan83]

McGowan's threat to sue the ARU has made the SMH, in fact it was the top story when I saw it.

It is just rehash of the same article on WA today.

[Macattack]

It's all good pressure and we must not let it off.

The turnout at this weekend's rally will have caught the attention of numerous pollies.

MAINTAIN THE RAGE

[Usebeo]

Interesting debate happening on linkedin started by Diane Smith-Gander who has been strongly championing the Force (great work DSG). Pip Marlow has commented. Worth a gander if you can excuse the pun

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...7044228526081/

[hertryk]

Haha, that's definitely between a rock & a hard place!

Or between Alison, Val and me on the end to stop any escape..I'm Bigger than Val

[Darren]

Interesting debate happening on linkedin started by Diane Smith-Gander who has been strongly championing the Force (great work DSG). Pip Marlow has commented. Worth a gander if you can excuse the pun

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update...7044228526081/

For those who don;t have or want access to linkedin:

It remains very disappointed that Australian Rugby Union Ltd. Continues to reference support of the women's game in defemce of their current strategies. The time to support the women's game was surely long ago? Withdrawing from support of the game nationally cannot be justified by alluding to support the women's game. If Super Rugby is dead and not part of the future it might be better to say so.

Diane I want to start by acknowledging my deep respect of you as an incredible leader and human. One of the many things I respect about you is how you challenge of the system and how you have talked to the need to consciously invest in diversity. We want Rugby Union to be a game for all, today I hear from people who want us to invest more in grass roots and more in others parts of the code including women’s rugby. I am proud of our Wallaroos and Women’s 7’s. But I believe we need to do more for them. We don’t have unlimited dollars and have spent millions bailing out Super teams. I know these decisions are tough and fueled with passion for the part of the code that people feel most attached to, I understand and respect that. We will continue to do all we can to support all parts of rugby and as seen here that is not always easy.