The ARU have made the decision to discontinue the Western Forces’ Super Rugby license, and Bill Pulver has announced he will step down as ARU CEO once a replacement is found.
ARU chairman Cameron Clyne said the decision to cut the Force, which came after “several weeks of consultation” with a number of rugby stakeholders, was a financial one.
» Reaction to the decision to cut the Force
“Our decision to exit the Western Force has been guided primarily by financial outcomes,” Clyne said.
“As we have reinforced throughout this process, there are commercial realities which are linked to declining on-field performance across our Super Rugby teams which has put Australian rugby in a position where it can no longer sustain five teams.
“Furthermore, the significant unbudgeted support funding that has been provided to Super Rugby teams over the past five years has greatly affected our capacity to invest in community rugby.”
However, the Force don’t seem likely to accept the decision, with a messy battle looming after Rugby WA said in a statement they remain “committed to pursuing every possible means to ensure the Western Force remains a Super Rugby team in Perth.”
“RugbyWA is considering all options including bringing urgent proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW, and legal action relating to the circumstances which led it to enter into the Alliance Agreement with the ARU,” the statement read.
“Whilst the board of RugbyWA is extremely disappointed with the ARU’s stated position, with the support of the Rugby community and numerous WA business identities including Mr Andrew Forrest AO we will continue the fight to retain the Force in Western Australia.”
The Melbourne Rebels and Force were identified as the two Australian teams facing the axe early in April after SANZAAR’s decision to change Super Rugby from an 18 to 15-team competition in 2018 back in April.
Clyne acknowledged the decision will not be a welcome one in Western Australia, but maintained rugby will not be abandoned in the state.
“This is a sad day for rugby, especially for Western Force fans. We accept that there will be anger and resentment over this decision and we sympathise with those fans. We sincerely hope that they are not lost to the game forever,” Clyne said.
“The decision to exit the Western Force from Super Rugby is not a decision to abandon the game in Western Australia.
“Western Australia will retain an important place in Australian rugby and the ARU will continue to support youth development programs and the community game in the west. There will be a clear pathway for young Western Australian rugby players to reach the highest level and represent the Wallabies.
“Our immediate concern is to support the individuals at the Western Force through these difficult circumstances and we will deploy various ARU management staff to Western Australia to provide assistance to all players and staff.”
A press conference has been called by the ARU for this afternoon at 5:30pm, when Clyne and Bill Pulver will speak about the decision.
Keep it locked on The Roar as we continue to cover this breaking story.
Scrumma
Guest
Coleman blew it starting with the first two words out of his mouth..... "I think", Is not what the wallabies fans want to hear.
matth
Guest
Is there any possibility he resigned because he actually disagrees with the decision?
Akari
Roar Rookie
A rather defeatist and bizarre post if you're an Australian, Realist.
Akari
Roar Rookie
If a cut had to be made and as a Brumbies supporter, I agree Buk that the Brumbies should either have merged with or taken over the Rebels franchise. Australian rugby is the loser in this rather appalling decision. To make it worse, a useless Japanese team is kept in super rugby. Stupid and dumb ARU.
Bakkies
Guest
and they couldn't even get the sound right. The broadcast was cut short due to the amount of BS and lies coming out of their mouths.
AndyS
Guest
Which I guess is what they are checking out...https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2017/08/McGowan-Government-to-stand-by-Western-Force.aspx
Train Without A Station
Guest
Gutless would have been making the easy call. Do nothing, cut nobody, then just hand the climax of the problem over to the next guy. Just like John O'Neil did.
Train Without A Station
Guest
Surely in that basis you would need to prove the ARU always intended to fold the Force. How could you do that when no agreement to maintain revenue despite less teams, the whole driver of the cut, occurred until around April this year?
Train Without A Station
Guest
How many additional contracts are going to be paid out? We don't even know if more than $22M (4 teams worth of the salary cap) has even been committed to start with. And even then very few players would be contracted last next year. So when you consider the reality it's likely only going to be a few extra contracts. Then of course what legal fees? Is a court going to grant an injunction based on an appeal? I'd be doubtful but would want to refer to an actual lawyer for confirmation. Then of course what says any legal claims have any more merit than the one that went to arbitration? How far will those matters actually go?
Train Without A Station
Guest
In which case the WA government would have a written agreement with the ARU. Which goes back to the original point.
AndyS
Guest
But you might if the management of those car manufacturers had given written undertakings to underpin their decision to invest in more petrol stations...
bamboo
Guest
Not a good argument. 90% per capita sounds great, but that could be 9 of only 10 people. Broadcasters understandably only care about actual numbers
republican
Guest
........per cap?
republican
Guest
......the womens WC is already decided, i.e. to say NZ will win in a canter..........
Kiwi in us
Guest
Ajg, I have no skin in this but I totally agree with your number four about playing like real Aussies. I'm almost 50 and I spent six months in North Queensland as a young bloke and then spent three years in the uk and played rugby with Aussies and drank a lot of beer with them. My overall impression was a never give up attitude of the Aussie men I encountered. I'm saying I identify with that as being the Aussie way.
Hannes
Guest
TWAS, I always suspected that the only reason they cut the Force is because they can. However the ARU made representations to the WA rugby community during the negotiation of the Aliiance/Support agreement that they will support the Force until the end of the broadcasting agreement and publicly by the end of 2016 that Own the Force and the 2017 season would matter in. None did, the decision was already made and when the ARU found a loophole to avoid their obligations under the agreement and the arbitrator confirmed it they executed! The cunning betrayal, the abuse of trust, the disrespect of the Force organisation, the fans, the players and the WA community leave me sick, sick of the ARU, sick of Clyne and anyone on the ARU Board, sick of Pulver and the executives that we paid so much to stab us in the back, sick of other rugby supporters that can watch their team play next year (and especially the undeserving Rebels that took our spot), sick of the Wallaby side that pretends represent Australia and in outraged at the injustice and rugby as a sport. If I see Pulver or Clyne's faces I want to smash them. I cannot even watch Currie Cup on TV without a feeling a deep sadness as if family died. When Pulver argued that my child that was sick but are now healthy HAS TO die so that we can donate his organs to other sick children, of course I am outraged! I must move on, I am done, I must turn the page and my back on rugby. It is a way forward.
rebel
Guest
"Gutless would have been announcing the cutting of a team, and then leaving other people to deal with the fall out, process and take the blame." That sounds exactly what he's done. Just a couple of months ago he said he wasn't going anywhere. He should be staying to see through his decision in to reality. I agree that others are just as culpable and I blame them just as much. I have always given Bill the benefit of the doubt due to the cost cutting he had to do after inheriting O'Neils mess. He has done that well despite not promoting the game enough. However I give him a fail in this instance. His reputation would do a lot better if he saw out his term if he really believes this to be the right decision. This looks like Rugby is headed for a reboot in this country. Twiggy needs to stand up and take on a Frank Lowey type role. As admirable as cost cutting and living within your means is, it was just shrinking the means further. I think it's time the ARC replaced super rugby which is broken. At the end of the day we all love rugby and want to see it grow, not contract.
soapit
Guest
no doubt there is at least some people high up in the aru that share your limited logic skills
soapit
Guest
chook i think its likely nothing more than last man sntanding. theyre never gonna cut nsw and qld whatever people think of that and the brumbies are next most entrenched and would think being so close to sydney would have a lot of ears in the right places (not to mention being arguably our most successful team) and the ARU couldnt ditch the rebels seemingly because of the recent goings on (which im not really across). could well just be typical aru agreeing to ditch a team before thinking of who it would be and whether they'll have the capacity to do it.
bamboo
Guest
Taking that angle will be about the same as having your fly down facing a gale force wind.