There has been a stench coming out of ARU headquarters for a while, and like a jerk that farts in a freefalling elevator, they are going to blame it on either the Rebels or Force.
It was only April 14 last year when ARU journalist Beth Newman celebrated the ARU’s new strategic plan and released an article on the official website titled “ARU committed to Super Rugby expansion”.
Head honchos Bill Pulver and Cameron Clyne were quoted, talking about hilarious ideas like supporting all Super Rugby teams and increasing participation at grassroots level.
I am not sure if this was a lie, or whether in true ARU fashion they wanted it released on April Fools’ Day but couldn’t decide in time.
Exactly one year, one month and five days on (and just over 25 per cent of the way through the strategic plan timeframe), the ARU seems to have decided that that was a silly idea. From now on, SANZAAR happiness is the only reason for their existence.
The ARU set four key delivery areas in their 2016-2020 strategic plan:
• Make rugby a game for all
• Ignite Australia’s passion for the game
• Build sustainable elite success
• Create excellence in how the game is run
Credit where it is due, an Olympic gold medal in the Women’s Sevens was great. It will be interesting to see how the University Sevens competition fares. That has gone some way to make rugby a game for all.
As for the other three goals, well, they are failing dismally. In fact, if the decision to cut a team is followed through with (Michael Cheika has done the smart thing and said it might not happen, because we need more uncertainty), the strategic plan is a failure already. We will officially have no direction.
Igniting passion
The best outcome they can hope for is that either Perth or Melbourne still care by the time this whole drama is resolved (if ever). At least you can now see Super Rugby on free-to-air, at the prime time of 8am Sunday morning, right after home shopping. Which is difficult if you need to go to a pub to watch the games live and exclusive on Fox Sports.
Sustainable elite success
They are cutting teams that have recently provided the Wallabies with the likes of Adam Coleman, Reece Hodge, Sean McMahon, Lopeti Timani, and Dane Haylett-Petty.
The NRC was launched in 2014 to bridge the gap between club and Super Rugby. With eight NRC teams feeding into five Super Rugby teams, the sums seem about right for elite development.
If money is the issue, will this be cut as well? What will happen to the pathway from the Perth Spirit and Melbourne Rising? Does anyone notice that Perth won it last year and Melbourne have made all three finals series?
Create excellence in how the game is run
Erm… The Roar‘s own David Lord and Spiro Zavos have well and truly summed up, on multiple occasions, how well this is going. Even if these two esteemed experts are ever wrong, the ARU is completely incapable of managing bad press (or good press for that matter).
Further, the Victorian Rugby Union and Rugby Union Players Association have called for an emergency general meeting. The ARU responded with ‘Oh, that’s easy, let’s have a meeting next week! Not an EGM though’. What was stopping this happening earlier?
So we will have a game run by an organisation unable to achieves the goals it set only 13 months ago. Who is accountable?
A city of current and future rugby nuts is going to suffer. I live in Ballarat, Victoria, and have always followed the Rebels. I have watched my own club, the mighty Rattas, go from not having enough players to field teams for finals, to this year running our first junior program, and it’s a similar story across the state.
A large part of this has been possible due to the Rebels’ engagement (Sean McMahon introduced himself to me in Ballarat, and I swear I was so shocked I fainted a little bit, great lad!). I am sure the story in Perth is similar. Yet we are about to surrender an area with possibilities and evidence of proper growth.
If we can achieve the ARU’s strategic goals, at local and state level, why can’t the ARU?
Hannes
Guest
The case to drop the Force is weak. Cutting the team will not lead to better quality coaching, will not encourage Western Australian club players to play rugby in any other franchise and will impeded the development of rugby in WA. Financially the Force for their act together with a strong sponsorship and members providing funds to stabilise the franchise. The ARU painted themselves in a corner with the dumb decision and will pay the price. Do not expect WA to ever trust the ARU again - they are about as popular in WA as Bryce Lawrence is in South Africa.
Hannes
Guest
I was a diamond member since the Force started but the ARU took over the Force I smell a rat and resigned in protest. The ARU proved that I was correct that they are not to be trusted. Still attended every game as well as contributing to the Own the Force campaign. What have you done?.
Hannes
Guest
Also woman's rugby is on par with QLD.
Bakkies
Guest
What about the lunches and junkets?
puff
Guest
CH, I believe that is the general feeling, it is the same in Vic.
Joshua Butler
Guest
And increase representation for non-traditional states (especially also non-Super Rugby states, because they have been forgotten about even more so eg. South Australia: one PI Test & one NRC match since 2003 with no NRC representation) When is there going to be a Crawford Report (the report that led to the dissolution of Soccer Australia in favour of Football Federation Australia) for Rugby in this country Personally, if we do go back to 4 teams, make sure each team represents two states/NT/ACT & bring more matches in non-SR areas (not just the cut team, but bring the games to other states because how are you going to develop the game if there is nothing to encourage its growth?)
BeastieBoy
Guest
Terrific article..
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
Rugby WA and the Western Force are seperate. Community Rugby in WA doesn't want the incompetent ARU involved at all.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
The Rugby WA people nievely assumed that the ARU would foster and promote the Force. Instead they were hamstrung by recruitment and salary restrictions (that were not applied to the Rebels). Leading players were told they needed to transfer to the East Coast if they wanted to be Wallabies. Playing schedules imposed that didn't allow for local conditions. For example tonight's game kicks off at 5:40 not long after Premier Grade matches finish. The second time this has happened this season. Another was played at 6:00 pm on a week night. Now the ARU planned to betray WA altogether and dump the Force. Unfortunately for them they didn't do their homework. Those hicks from WA actually stood up to them. Even worse the Force's performance in 2018 is on a par with the other teams.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
Just the reigning Champions or the team that has featured in the finals every year of the competitions existence.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
There does seem to be major problems in NSW but Rugby WA is doing well despite or perhaps because of the ARU all but ignoring it. Why is the ARU so involved in just about everything in NSW? Even junior development! Has no one told them that their job is to run and grow the game across the whole country? That community rugby is primarily the job of the state unions? The time has come to move the ARU to the national capital and limit the number of board members that can come from any one state.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
Every one of the 10 WA Premier Grade clubs fields teams from under 6 right through to 1sts. Many of the other non-Premier Grade clubs do too. The problem in WA is not recruiting players. It's finding grounds to put them on.
Train Without A Station
Guest
The ARU actually has almost no direct role in any grassroots engagement. That is all done through the state bodies.
Train Without A Station
Guest
Matt you have to understand that the ARU are a formation of all these bodies below. They in fact must follow the desires of these bodies, rather than direct them with full authority. They actually have to get majority approval to make any major resolution. This cannot be down without NSW or QLD as they hold 6 of the 11 votes. The 4 teams wasn't about players though. It was about money.
puff
Guest
TWAS, sorry mate there is a degree of non-committal arrogance in your response which is the very model the ARU have adopted. As the guardian, the success of the five franchisers is aligned with the success of OZ rugby. This was the premier league, the jewel in the crown. But even before the addition of the Rebels or force the strong original SR clubs had numerous issues and some were financial. Therefore, if this was a private company, using knowledge obtained, they would have governance, procedures and a support infrastructure that would assist the clubs and keep them off the rocks. Your flippant words make starting a super franchiser sound like a walk in the park. Well in Vic or WA with all the issues an isolated state must endure, including a different time zone nothing was going to be simple. If it was simple my granny would have attempted it 30 years ago. The fact is we have a model that has been fractured for a considerable period and yes, mistakes have been made but your continued negativity and weasel word responds do not inject positive thinking or provide a way forward. Rugby supporter of average intelligence understand shrinking a states involvement in the best rugby comp on this planet effects more than just 80 minutes over the weekend. All 5 franchises have a responsibility but the ARU have soul responsibility for the health of the sport generally. They have received input and advice from people outside the sport, including recommendations from other unions about consolidating and growing the sport. The sad fact is that council was not the Oozy way and now we have a tarnish competition, continual poor publicity, uncertainty, the blame game and a lawyer’s paradise. Regardless of the cost, keeping 5 teams in play is the smart option; the trick is how that can be achieved with everyone saving face.
Matt Simpson
Roar Guru
Thanks for the feedback and conversation Roarers. I see the point made (particularly by TWAS and Geoff Parkes) that all the states are to blame, and on this I stand by my article. If the ARU had a strong, genuine commitment to their strategic goals, the state bodies would be compelled to follow. However, this lack of direction has led to states following their own separate paths, just like any team without a leader. I think the Force and Rebels have done the best they could with what they had, and laid some serious groundwork for the future. I think complaints about the performance of NSW and QLD unions relates to the ARU and not being an inspiring leader with a clear path as much as anything. I also now question whether the ARU fought for 5 teams in SANZAAR- surely they could have argued that with the NRC, the quantity and quality of Super Rugby Players is expected to increase over the next 5-10 years, and by chopping a team now you will actually be losing a good team in the future. Anyway, as an update, I'm glad the Melbourne Rebels and Victorian Government stuck their heels in overnight.
Train Without A Station
Guest
How so? It's exactly why? If all teams were more financially sound this issue would not exist. Having more fans would ensure they were more financially sound.
Train Without A Station
Guest
So one NRC team location is under threat? Not the entire NRC?
Train Without A Station
Guest
Rent, the other 100 odd employees, preparing national programs that all sports have, ensuring the maximise government grants, etc. Much like the IRFU, WRU, etc
Train Without A Station
Guest
Rebel I can't help but feel that it would have been a much more appealing option. We do have a lot of well off people in rugby. But that's the issue. These people didn't get wealthy by making bad investments and that's what sport generally is.