The first concrete details of Andrew Forrest’s much-hyped Indo Pacific Rugby Championship have emerged, with the billionaire going public with his offer of the new competition to the ARU.
Forrest first mooted the creation of the competition following the ARU’s decision to axe the Western Force, but prior to today’s announcement, details surrounding the tournament have been scant.
» SPIRO: Why Twiggy’s proposal is worth supporting
The offer, outlined by a statement released by Forrest and his Minderoo Group this morning, includes a six-team competition to run after the Super Rugby season, as well as major sponsorship of the NRC starting immediately.
Under the proposal, players who line up in the new competition would be contracted to the IPRC, taking away a significant financial burden from the ARU and other governing bodies involved in the tournament. Australian players in the IPRC would be eligible to play for the Wallabies, and the offer also mentions incorporating “exciting innovations related to men’s and women’s sevens rugby.”
The teams involved in the competition are yet to be revealed, however a wide range of countries were listed as possible markets for the IPRC, including Australia, Singapore, Samoa, Fiji, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia.
“We have made significant progress this week,” Forrest said.
“We are now consulting with sovereign governments, international broadcasters, media organisations and other global businesses, with great interest in the Indo Pacific, as well as Australia’s leading coaches and players, both here and overseas.”
The statement released by Minderoo claimed Forrest’s offer would help “reinstate Australia as the world rugby leader and enhance the country’s opportunity to win the Rugby World Cup in Japan 2019”, as well as providing pathways for all involved in the competitions – players, coaches, referees and administrators – to develop their skills.
The ARU responded to Forrest’s offer, saying they were in “collaborative discussions” with the billionaire, but not revealing the progress of those talks.
“We do not wish to comment on the specifics of any proposed new competitions while these discussions are at a preliminary stage,” ARU chairman Cameron Clyne said.
“ARU remains committed to maintaining a strong rugby presence in Western Australia and will explore all options in this regard.”
Despite that, preparations for the competition are supposedly well underway, with pre-season scheduling having already commenced.
“This is for all Australians who love our diversity of sport and the game of rugby,” said Forrest.
“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.”
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
And yet perusal of their historic attendances disproves that. The crowds have shown a preference for the Crusaders, Chiefs and Hurricanes. SA teams have drawn no better crowds than Aus teams.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
To charitable causes. Not professional sport.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
Perth crowds over the past 12 years have consistently shown a strong preference for matches involving visiting international teams, as opposed to East coast teams that don't have large followings in WA. Teams from traditional NZ and SA provinces that have strong local followings amongst the ex-pat communities here. The Chiefs, for example, have consistently drawn at least an extra 5,000 fans over and above the regulars. The same for the Crusaders. THe Highlanders and Blues not so many. I'm no expert on NZ rugby so don't know the reason for this but for some reason they don't have as many fans in WA. The level of interest varies from team to team. Traditionally highly competitive teams obviously draw more people wherever they play than lightweights. No one expected the artificially created Kings to be anything more than thank you for coming before they played their first away game in Perth.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
You'd better get a new line of attack because that one just doesn't hold water. Twiggy has so much money with his mining and pastoral companies providing him with a continual top up that he gives hundreds of millions of dollars away regularly.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Piru, you need to pay attention to what the comments are responding to. Perth crowds over the past 1w years have consistently shown a strong preference for matches involving visiting international teams That was a comment on why people would go to see them play teams in this proposed competition.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
This debacle will never be resolved and Australian rugby able to move forward whilst any of the current EARU Board remain in office, DeClyne most of all.
piru
Roar Rookie
A preference for high profile teams who play an exciting brand of rugby? Well blow me down!
bert
Guest
Whatever your view, Twiggy has shown more leadership and innovation in the past couple of months than Clyne and his board have shown in their entire tenure. If Clyne had resigned and taken his board with him, which would have been the honourable thing to do, this whole sorry debacle could have been avoided
robel
Roar Pro
TWAS, the ERU own the Spirit as it was part of the Force acquisition. Hence they are responsible for its running. To then go and sack the support staff for it demonstrates the ERUs total commitment to destroying rugby pathways in WA. In a nut shell: ERU own the Spirit via the same mechanism they own the Force. As a consequence they are responsible for the Spirit and it's support.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
I am sorry for AUS RUGBY because this is turning into a Soap Opera....
Ex Force fan
Guest
I agree 100% with you. The ARU lost their license to operate in WA. I would like to see WA play against national sides such as Fiji, Samoa and Hong Kong and build a future independent of the ARU and Wallabies. Our players should feel that they can play international quality rugby and develop their careers in WA without the need to play Superugby.
Ex Force fan
Guest
No it won't as the WA side will always suffer a huge disadvantage as we are the only side without a Superugby franchise. We need to look after ourselves first and need to develop a competition that is not controlled by the ARU and setup for NSW's benefit
Ex Force fan
Guest
In other words: "I ran out of ideas, painted myself into a corner, should never have offered to axe the Force and hope Twiggy has the answers to get me of this dilemma. However I am the Chairman and I will decide what happens even if I do not have a clue". I give Clyne 48-72 hours to stuff it all up again..
Ex Force fan
Guest
Not they didn't. Twiggy is making them look like amateurs.... He found sponsors when they could not, he grow the game in our region and is full of ideas. All the ARU can do is litigate and cut cost, you would think that all their management are accountants or bankers. Twiggy is rescuing rugby from the ARU incompetence!
Ex Force fan
Guest
I give the ARU 48-72 hours to stuff it all up! Twiggy is doing the ARU's job for them by developing a Plan B for 20% of their player base that they cut off from professional rugby, finding sponsor for rugby and facilitating the growth of rugby in our region. It is great to finally see leadership in the Australian rugby. There is still a lot of work to be done before this concept has sufficient definition and it will take a couple of years to mature. What is the ARU doing? Cutting itself into insignificance. It just illustrate again that the ARU Board is out of their depth and that Clyne is the weakest link...the tribe has spoken Cameron...are you deaf?
Train Without A Station
Guest
Why should the ARU have a plan? It's not their job to run and fund the Spirit. What's RugbyWA's plan?
Ex Force fan
Guest
Dumping the staff that is used for the Spirit just highlights that the ARU has no plan for the Spirit beyond 2017.
Scuba
Guest
You stop being one pretty quickly by doing that though - see Palmer, C. and Tinkler, N.
Jimmy
Guest
This competition is really holding on to the hope of sanzaar not renewing their contract. And if they do? Which is very possible between nz and sa especially, then what? Nzr may help the aru get back on track? Again..
EGC
Guest
I think the last few months have squeezed the life out of WA Rugby (not RugbyWA) for anything that is associated with the EARU or the Swamp Wallabies. It will take many months, if not years, before Rugby followers in WA will even begin to think they have enough faith to actually, possibly believe a fraction of anything that comes out of the mouth of the EARU. I also think that Forrest and his IPRC is a sideshow with limited merit. The EARU has ripped out any possibility of a path to "National" representation and for anyone worth their salt heading over east - they are fooling themselves (they will choose their own first as is often the case in this nation of parochialists). At least by preparing them for OS professional Rugby they can pursue a career that involves the sport they love. I would think the funding for Rugby in WA should go to preparing Western Australian players for overseas professional market - setting up a centre of excellence without EARU involvement would be a good first step.