The Western Force IP and brand,, Time to leave it behind and move forward..

[andrewg]

Mineroo registered the names Perth Force and RugbyRoos a few weeks ago. Western Force and Perth Spirit are still registered to the ARU.

So let's get some public pressure on RA to give Perth Spirit to RugbyWA!!

C'mon Raelene do your stuff!!

[Bakkies]

Won't be surprised to see the 2 metre tall piece of monkey crap in the Chairman's seat preventing her from doing that.

[sittingbison]

Why the hell would WA want to "bid" for a place in Super Rugby 2021? Jeebus, after last year? You have got to be kidding. All the same issues you have been bleating about incessantly....no free to air, the "homeland" unions ruling the roost, RatsArse only caring about Wallabies, corrupt deals still in play with Rabble, a complete disparity in grassroots funding dispersement, competition owned by the RatsArse etc etc

The ONLY professional comp we should get involved in is IPRC. Ever.

Time to play hardball with RatsArse....don't return the IP free and clear for $1, no Aus team will be invited to play IPRC, and disassociate RugbyWA so the ARU will not be a national body. WR will not take kindly to that.

[JPR]

HOW ANDREW FORREST’S INDO PACIFIC RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP WILL WORK
Extracts from Twiggy Forrest’s past press conference Sept 13th 2017.
The player pathway to the IPRC and the Wallabies will be bolstered with more energy and resources into the National Rugby Championship (NRC) through a significant naming rights partnership.
Mr Forrest said: “This is for all Australians who love our diversity of sport and the game of rugby.
“For all who may have thought that Australian rugby was either dying or would not include them.
“This competition, and our offer of IPRC — ARU collaboration with Super Rugby and the Wallabies, is for them.”
Suggestion to a solution to get the RA to approve the IPRC.
Twiggy donates $800,000 to Rugby WA for them to have complete ownership & control of the Western Force & Perth Spirit IP’s with no further involvement by RA. This generous donation is also the inclusive amount to be used to sponsor the National Rugby Championship (NRC) through a significant naming rights partnership as mentioned above.
If the RA endorses the competition, players who sign for the IPRC or are NRC contracted, will remain eligible to play for the Wallabies. If a player is chosen for Wallabies duties, the IPRC or NRC team will release that player for however long is needed.
Its only my point of view but should be worth considering ????

[AndyS]

I wonder what conversations they might be having with WR. Personally I would be taking a much more positive line and observe that, unless RA are paying for the IPRC, they should not be in any position to decide what form it takes and whether other nations can play in a professional rugby competition. If RA has the power of veto over the IPRC, they should then logically have the same over the Top 14, Aviva Premiership and any other competition that might make offers to Australian players.

RA should not have a say over anything but WA's involvement which, turning Tonkar's discussion with WR around, is then an entirely domestic matter to be resolved within Australia alone. The competition itself should be approved by WR regardless, or they should explain to the other potential participants why their interests are all collectively meaningless relative to the possibility of mild inconvenience to Australia.

[fulvio sammut]

A lot of people are very generous with other people's money...

If the IPRC gets off the ground it will be owned, controlled and operated by Mr Forrest's company for his own corporate profit, benefit, status and pride.

He will acquire only that which he needs from RugbyWA, which is precious little, and will pay the minimum required of him for it.

Very few, if any, people connected with RugbyWA or it's associated clubs will be involved.

Professional administrators and players will be engaged by him, and will be based where ever in the world it meets and suits his financial and business criteria.

Our involvement with the Phoenix that Forrest will create, will be to provide a source of income as "the punters", and an initial supporter base whose association with the new team will be a chimera, created by a vague desire by us to belong to a team, which in the end will not even be vaguely associated with WA rugby.

To believe otherwise will lead to disappointment and tears.

Far better to move on, restructure the rugbyWA constitution, and rationalize the local competition (yes, it's not too late to do so, even for this season).

Recriminations and name calling are unnecessary and destructive indulgences, and in the end demean us all.

We should grow our own game again to the maximum of our ability, in a spirit of equality for all, fairness and objectivity.

By and large, with some exceptions, we had most of this before the Force was born, and we can develop it again, by going back to basics.

I have no criticism of Forrest. He is a powerful man, doing what powerful men do. Unlike the ARU, he has never lied to us or deceived us.

I have nothing but contempt and disgust for the ARU for their shameful behaviour. We should never forget it, no matter how much we will be obliged to cooperate and abide by their dictates going forward, as an insignificant and unwanted appendage to their east coast-centric operations.

I fully expect to be berated for these thoughts and comments. So be it. The herd can go where the herd pleases.

I say it as I see it. I may be a lot of unpleasant things. but deluded I am not.

[Kiap]

If the IPRC gets off the ground it will be owned, controlled and operated by Mr Forrest's company for his own corporate profit, benefit, status and pride.

I'd suggest any IPRC profits might take some, ah, ... shall we say ... considerable time to materialise, Fulvio. The other aims I'll grant you, but you might not be as un-deluded as you hope.

Professional administrators and players will be engaged by him, and will be based where ever in the world it meets and suits his financial and business criteria.

Our involvement with the Phoenix that Forrest will create, will be to provide a source of income as "the punters", and an initial supporter base whose association with the new team will be a chimera, created by a vague desire by us to belong to a team, which in the end will not even be vaguely associated with WA rugby.

To believe otherwise will lead to disappointment and tears.

Should this comp eventuate, it's going to be privately funded, Everyone knows that. Even on your assessment quoted here, I don't see too much of a problem.

The bit about "not even vaguely associated" with WA rugby (lower case 'r') is very low hurdle to get over. "Vaguely" is achievable ... "associated" can be aspirational. But the point is that we, the "punters", can make our own choices about whether or not to get on board.

I fully expect to be berated for these thoughts and comments. So be it. The herd can go where the herd pleases.

I dunno. Over-egged an adverb or two, but otherwise it's a fair enough opinion.

[fulvio sammut]

"Over egged"?

Moi?!

[GIGS20]

My one dispute with your characterisation of the IPRC fulvio is the status of the WA team.

I think the entire idea has a motivation to provide a competition for a Perth based professional team.

I would expect that license to be granted to RugbyWA (perhaps with conditions) and therefore the team, being an entity licensed and, to some extent, operated by, RugbyWA will be at least as representative of our union as the force (moreso depending on the composition of the initial squad)

[Bakkies]

My one dispute with your characterisation of the IPRC fulvio is the status of the WA team.

I think the entire idea has a motivation to provide a competition for a Perth based professional team.

I would expect that license to be granted to RugbyWA (perhaps with conditions) and therefore the team, being an entity licensed and, to some extent, operated by, RugbyWA will be at least as representative of our union as the force (moreso depending on the composition of the initial squad)

Yes I believe that has already been stated and Minderoo's Rugby operations are run out of Rugby WA's HQ. That not only benefits Rugby WA as the Glory use the building and would have been stuck with increased rent if Rugby relocated.

Twiggy has made more common sense decisions surrounding the administration of the game in several months than the RA has made since their birth in the late 1940s. These days you need private investment in sport as you can't always rely on government to foot the shortfall. The much vaunted Cricket and Aussie Rules programs are backed by private sponsors. As far as I recall Walla Rugby and Mod Rugby has never had private sponsorship to provide more capital to roll out to clubs and schools by understaffed game development sections of state unions. I got in to Rugby through the local club who had to do it themselves on a shoe string. Neither did Try Rugby which I was briefly involved in (the state union roped in colts players to assist development officers on their school visits) and its successor Game On. For the first time such a program will have sponsorship thanks to Twiggy.

Twiggy made sense when he said he wanted investors that put in and contribute rather than stumping up the money than showing no accountability. No doubt a sly dig at Andrew Cox.

We all know the alternative be governed in Sydney for the benefit of Sydney by failed bankers, lawyers, friends of Sydney Uni and professional board hoppers with no professional side for future generations to support and aspire to in a state that is out of sight and mind.

[Hansie]

Fulvio from where you sit and what you know, I have to agree with you.

It is therefore incumbent on us to instigate Constitutional change and to work in parallel with Plan's B and C so as to be prepared for any uncertainty.

Over and above all of that is to make our community competition vibrant, strong, enjoyable and self sustaining. I believe that with all of the goodwill in club land we can do just that. In NSW the only comp. that matters to the rugby folk is Shute Shield, the TAHS have little support. I think we can show the world we can accommodate both, a superb Community Comp. and huge support for our boys playing in the Force.

2018 will be a tough year for community, a new competition, lots of teething problems but with the vast majority keen to make it work, it has to succeed.

[AndyS]

My one dispute with your characterisation of the IPRC fulvio is the status of the WA team.

I think the entire idea has a motivation to provide a competition for a Perth based professional team.

I would expect that license to be granted to RugbyWA (perhaps with conditions) and therefore the team, being an entity licensed and, to some extent, operated by, RugbyWA will be at least as representative of our union as the force (moreso depending on the composition of the initial squad)

But I would hope that, if we have learned anything from this, it is that the business of a professional team should be completely insulated from the operation of the community/amateur game. Frankly, if WA is going to somehow sit with a foot in both camps, I would have said it is almost a must anyway when the NRC is a RA competition. They can interact, but there has to be a strict line of separation so that the community game is never again hostage to a business outcome.

[SteveWA]

"Over egged"?

Moi?!

You two owe me a new keyboard

[jombi]

Western Wallabies

[antiussentiment]

RugbyWA is a Member of Rugby Australia. That is a fact. There is no way around that.

Why can't rugby WA leave the Rugby Australia fold and apply to the the international rugby body to be it's own entity?

I've pretty much lost all interest in the Wallies. But I'd totally support a local international team.