Mickey Arthur sets sights on rugby glory

Lets all shout "I want it to fail" at the same time and then perhaps it will. It's an ambitious plan in its infancy with good intentions at a time rugby in Australia is hurting. The Force should be applauded and I suspect other franchises will be copying this formula in years to come.

They only have 3 players in the system at the moment. They don't have the funding yet for anyone else. At $30,000 each, and only 30% success rate, I think they are better to find local kids and train them up.

Here's a better idea - cast adrift all the negative, moping, East Coast club rugby types. Rugby is now growing faster in Western Australia and Victoria than NSW. That's the future of rugby as the NRC is demonstrating, we don't need the 'old boys' club anymore.

Just stop wasting resources on the west. Rugby is east coast , don't give them a dime until the home of rugby Sydney and Brisbane is sorted.

@ AndyS : it has some relevance in that the RIO games were seen as a way for some ex internationals with dual or multiple heritage to represent another country . it is relevant becoz some countries are taking in players withthe hope of making them represent their country at some point in time. it is relevnt to OZ coz Steve Mafi openly stated hs desire to play for Wallabies thru the 7S :)

Well, you'd have to think that sorts that! Not sure what it has to do with the article, but interesting nonetheless.

He is one of the ring leaders behind the BT contract that destroyed the old Heineken Cup. Just a few weeks to go before it starts we still don't know. - If the Challenge Cup will be on tv. - The play off spots for the last two challenge cup matches haven't been played yet clubs are trying to sell tickets. - We only know the fixture dates for two weekend dates. - No marketing. Their social media exists of just posting injury news. - Website is poor and no app. Whenever there is a post on the website it's a pot shot at the old ERC qualifying. - The French and Italian broadcasters haven't been announced let alone if it's going to be on the box in Australia, NZ and SA. - No sponsors have been announced. Rumour is that Heineken is one of them. - I don't think we even know who is chairman of the board. He was willing to isolate his own clubs from the rest of Europe to set up all that just for the sake of moving the HQ to Switzerland, shifting money and qualifying. Not even John O'Neill is that deluded.

Ruling of the IRB Regulations Committee on certain questions concerning Olympic Eligibility A series of queries have emerged since the introduction of the Olympic Eligibility Rules by Council in May 2014. Conscious that the Sevens World Series (SWS) is commencing on 4 October and that it is an Olympic Qualification Event, the IRB CEO pursuant to Regulation 2.2.1 sought to clarify the queries raised with the Regulations Committee via a Ruling in order to ensure a unity and consistency of implementation and interpretation of the new Olympic Regulations. A Regulations Committee was convened on 2 September. The Rulings of the Regulations Committee are set out and remain in full force and effect until such time as they are endorsed or amended by Council. Question Regulations Committee Ruling 1. Olympic Eligibility – Where England are the lead team (for Team GB Olympic Qualification purposes e.g. SWS 2014/15 / Europe Grand Prix) can Players from Wales and Scotland avail of Regulation 9 release? For the purposes of Olympic qualification, England has been selected by the Great Britain Unions (RFU, SRU & WRU) as the lead team. Therefore the teams of Wales and Scotland are not capable of qualifying themselves (or Team GB) for the Olympics. That being the case, neither Wales nor Scotland can avail of Regulation 9 for SWS release purposes and they equally do not need to comply with the Olympic Eligibility criteria in Regulation 8.6. for the SWS event. 2. SWS 2014/15 – Can Invitational Teams1 to the SWS capture Players for eligibility purposes? Invitational Teams to the SWS are not capable of qualifying themselves for the Olympics via that competition. That being the case they do not need to comply with the Olympic Eligibility criteria in Regulation 8.6. for this event. Consequently the SWS is not an Olympic Qualification Event for the Invitational Teams and they cannot capture Players for Olympic eligibility purposes in this competition. 3. SWS 2014/15 – Can Invitational Teams avail of Regulation 9 for the SWS? Based upon the same rationale in the response to Qu.2 above, the ruling is that Invitational Teams to the SWS cannot avail of Regulation 9 release. 4. SWS 2014/15 – Do Invitational Teams in the SWS and Scotland and Wales (in both the SWS and European series tournaments which are Olympic Events) have to comply with the Olympic eligibility requirements i.e. hold a passport? As neither the Invitational Teams or Wales or Scotland can qualify their teams (or Team GB respectively) for the Olympic Games and cannot avail of Regulation 9 for Player release, neither should they be required to comply with the Olympic Eligibility rules (Reg.8.6 to 8.16) 1 Namely, 16 teams participate in each leg of the SWS tournament. 15 teams known as the “core teams” participate in each tournament competing for the SWS title. The 16th team in each tournament is an invitational team which is invited on a Regional basis using Regional rankings or for strategic development purposes. Ordinarily an invitational team would not compete in more than 2 tournaments during the course of the SWS Series (and thereby does not have the capacity to gain Olympic qualification directly) 140915 SA REG8 Olympic Eligibity - Regulations Committee Rulings - 2 Sept 2014 Page 2 of 3 and the normal IRB Eligibility rules shall apply to them in the SWS. 5. Is there a distinction in eligibility terms between a one-off Olympic Qualification Event e.g. Regional Olympic Qualifier and one which is comprised of a number of events which form a series? (a) If so, at which point in a series of events does a Player become captured? (b) If the Player fails to reach that level of exposure (threshold) then can s/he revert to their prior eligibility position for their former Union? Only where a Player is changing Unions utilising the Olympic Sevens regulations. Where the Player is approved by a Regulations Committee as eligible to change Unions for Olympic purposes, the Player once s/he participates in an Olympic Event (including any part of the SWS) then automatically obtains Olympic eligibility for the new Union and thereafter is tied to that Union for the remainder of his/her playing career (see Reg. 8.12). Should the Player wish to play for the new Union in any other form of the Game, in addition to the stand-down periods set out in Reg.8.7.2 s/he shall also have to achieve the following threshold of participation to demonstrate a genuine, close, credible and established national link with the country of the Union for which they have been selected:  In the case of the SWS, the threshold participation criteria shall be: participation as a member of a Participating Team in no less than 4 tournaments in the Series in the season designated as an Olympic Qualification season.  In the case of the FIRA-AER (Rugby Europe) /other Olympic qualification series, criteria shall be: participation as a member of a Participating Team in no less than 50% of the tournaments in that Olympic Qualification series in one season;  In the case of Designated Regional Olympic Qualification Tournaments the criteria shall be: participation as a member of a Participating Team in no less than 50% of the matches in that tournament; or  Participation in the Olympic Games. Where a Player fails to reach threshold participation criteria for other forms of the Game (excluding Olympic Sevens) then the Player is deemed to have been captured for the team for which s/he has participated in the Olympic Event (SWS 2014/15 / FIRA (Rugby Europe) series or Olympic Qualification Events) 140915 SA REG8 Olympic Eligibity - Regulations Committee Rulings - 2 Sept 2014 Page 3 of 3 and shall remain eligible for that new Union only and not the Union for which s/he was originally captured, until such time as the threshold participation criteria are achieved. In a particular case where exceptional circumstances may arise, the new Union of the Player may apply for a Regulations Committee ruling 6.Will each application for eligibilityqualification be determined on a caseby case basis. Does the Regulations Committee envisage that it could grant/confirm eligibility subject to the Player competing in a certain amount of SWS matches/tournaments? Yes. In relation to Olympic Sevens – no. For all forms of the Game excluding Olympic Sevens - see further response to Qu.5 7.Rio Olympics 2016– Uniquely for the Rio Olympics the standdown period is 18 month. Ordinarilythe stand down period is 3 years.Notwithstanding the reduced period forRio in 2016 does the RegulationsCommittee understand the position tobe that the stand down period remainsthe same for all non-Olympicparticipation, consistent with Reg.8.2? The stand down period for the Rio Olympic Games is at least 18 months (Reg. 8.7.2(a)). The stand down period of at least 3 years (Reg.8.7.2) applies to all other forms of the Game. The amendments to Regulation 8 to introduce the Olympic eligibility provisions, compatible with the Olympic Charter are specific to the Olympic Events. Notwithstanding that a Player may comply with Regulation 8.6 and change representative Union for Olympic purposes, s/he will be unable to represent that Olympic Event qualified Union in any other form of the Game until after the 3 year stand down period (minimum) has been observed. For completeness, no Player who is captured for a new Union under the Olympic eligibility provisions is permitted to play for their former Union in any form of the Game pending compliance with all the relevant stand-down periods contained in Regulation 8. 8.Rio Olympics 2016 – The 18 month stand-down periodapplies to all Players competing in boththe Olympic Games and OlympicGames Qualifying Tournaments and willneed to be established by objectivemeans. The Regulations Committee will require evidence of compliance with the stand down periods – 18 months for Rio and 3 years thereafter (and for all other forms of the Game). 2 September 2014

Can we just focus on tight 5. Pillage the argies too. I like the idea. Nothing wrong with finding talented kids, investing in them and getting payback later on. Sport is a business and this makes great business sense.

How so? From what I could (quickly) gather, all are playing in the Spirit team, are locally based and played all their schoolboys/age rugby in WA. My reading of the announcement is that it is essentially a rugby scholarship-type arrangement, simply giving them the opportunity to train full-time rather than remaining semi-pro. I doubt they would be making any money from it, not even being an EPS contract. I imagine it is the step between the academy and that.

The team quotas will make recruiting to WA even easier.

where did the first 3 come from?

How is that developing you're own talent? All you're doing is poaching kiwis and Saffas as usual

Why is he a muppet?

How's the European Cup organising going for you McCafferty, you muppet.

The ARU have money to burn? You're funny.

He is saying that the numbers for Rugby don't include kids who went to a camp and got a cap and ball.

He is saying that the numbers for Rugby don't include kids who went to a camp and got a cap and ball.

@ atlas : they will have to work overtime, to compete with EU recruiters. "" Premiership Rugby has confirmed changes to the salary cap and home-grown player incentives in the Aviva Premiership from the 2015/16 season. Following a meeting of Premiership Rugby's Chairman/Shareholder Group, the changes were announced by Chief Executive Mark McCafferty. "We are delighted to confirm the number of England qualified players in Aviva Premiership Rugby has passed 70% for the first time and we want to drive the numbers even higher," he said. "The increase in the base level of the Salary Cap will help our clubs to retain English talent. Also the introduction of Home Grown Player Credits helps the enviable production line that has been established from our Academies to our Premiership squads and on to England. "England and their clubs are getting stronger because of our commitment to the development of world class England players in Aviva Premiership Rugby; the most competitive league in the world. It is an essential part of our league and the strength of our system. "Earlier in the summer we saw an England Under-20s team dominated by players from our Academies win their second IRB Junior World Cup in 12 months so the production line is getting stronger. "As we have already seen in the first two weeks of Aviva Premiership Rugby the league is compelling and dramatic, with a core of players desperate to play in next year's Rugby World Cup. It is performances for their clubs that win them places at the tournament. "Attendances are up this season and a record number of tries have been scored in the first two rounds. The standard of Aviva Premiership Rugby ensures England is in great shape not only for the 2015 Rugby World Cup but also for 2019 and beyond." From the 2015-16 season: * The Base Salary Cap level will be £5.1m plus £400,000 Home Grown Player Credits. * Each club will be also be able to nominate up to two 'Excluded Players'. Their salary is not included in the Salary Cap. Explaining the rationale behind the rise McCafferty added: "The level of the Salary Cap is linked to central revenues which have increased significantly in recent years, as a result of new broadcast partner in BT Sport, new European revenues and the recent contract signed with our title sponsor, Aviva. "This increase in central revenues has allowed us to increase the Salary Cap and further help our clubs compete in both the new European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup." The Premiership Rugby clubs have also voted to add a second player excluded from the Cap to their squads. "Currently the 'Excluded' player (from the Salary Cap) can be nominated from a club's current squad giving the clubs the ability to keep investing in English players to ensure they stay in Aviva Premiership Rugby," said McCafferty. "That will continue, but from the 2015-16 season clubs will be able to nominate a second 'Excluded' player. This will allow our clubs to attract the best players from other competitions who will add to our TV and commercial values. The second 'Excluded' player must be new to Aviva Premiership Rugby in the 2015-16 season and/or have not played in the competition for at least 12 months."

did they have a lucky draw for the Pacific Islands? WA get Tonga; last month Queensland RU sent Sam Cordingley to Fiji on a recruitment drive, selecting players from the Fiji club semifinals and finals. I suppose it's just a broader understanding of 'local talent' ie within the Pacific region.