A Western Force team could be back in action by as early as April after RugbyWA was handed back the franchise’s licence and intellectual property.
RugbyWA came out of voluntary administration on Friday after Rugby Australia waived a legal debt of more than $1 million.
RA spent about $1.7 million in legal costs after RugbyWA battled to save the Force through arbitration and then a Supreme Court appeal.
RugbyWA entered into voluntary administration last month, saying the axing of the Force meant it simply didn’t have the revenue stream to pay back RA’s legal costs.
But RA has now forgiven that debt after billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest promised to pump more than $2 million into grassroots and women’s rugby in WA.
Lavan Legal, who represented the Force during their battles with RA, has waived a debt of almost $800,000.
But RugbyWA still owes the WA government $1.14 million – a debt the government has agreed to put on hold for two years.
As part of RugbyWA’s relaunch, the Future Force Academy will be resurrected to help convert amateur athletes to professional players, and it will be open to women for the first time.
RugbyWA will fund three professional women players in 2018, with that number to expand in the future.
And importantly, RugbyWA has been handed back complete control of the Force and all its intellectual property.
RA bought the Force IP for $800,000 last year.
After the Force’s axing, Forrest unveiled an ambitious plan to launch the Indo Pacific Rugby Championship – featuring the Force and five other teams.
However, RA is yet to endorse the new competition – with Forrest’s team to meet RA officials in Sydney next Tuesday for further negotiations.
Forrest wants the IPRC to kick off in February 2019.
But the Force are set to be back in action next year against some invitational sides.
The Force will then compete in the National Rugby Championship in 2018, replacing the Perth Spirit.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Rebels will be next multi-car pile up. If they can't get the crowds they won't be able to afford their mercenaries and will implode. I wish them all the best, But I can't see it being sustainable with AFL dominance and NRL presence.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Care to quote where he said they couldn't? It is all in the senate transcript. Reynolds goaded him into making the comment when she was questioning whether or not the Rebels were ever under consideration for being axed. It was implied that there was a second put option. One for Imperium, one for the ARU.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Care to quote what he supposedly said?
Bakkies
Guest
The Brumbies have around 31 players on full contracts. The rest are either in the EPS or the Academy.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Oooh yes he did! He said that the ARU could remove the Rebels SR License and he did it in front of the Australian parliament. So it is either in the contract or he lied. You choose which. It collapses your "Ease of dismissal" argument that you have been peddling all these months.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Actually it's only 9 AFL teams. And I don't we compete too much with the A-League teams considering only finals really overlaps with the start of Super Rugby. Obviously it's a competitive market with 11 winter sporting teams.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It's 36. Their website has 45 players but a number are out of contract players, or unsigned players who featured in the NRC or the Japan tour.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
No they didn't and nothing suggests that. We have previously had this discussion and you're whole argument is based on Clyne's words implying something that was never said. There was a put option. Nowhere has Clyne said that there was an option in the ARU's favour that wasn't contingent on insolvency or something similar.
G Slacker
Guest
The Rebels list for 2018 is 43 players. Down from 49 in 2017. The Force had 41 players on their list in 2017
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Well if you believe what has been revealed as Clyne's perjured testimony to the senate, the ARU had the ability to roll up the Rebels. And even if they didn't they could also reduce funding if they refused. It is a BS counter argument. They have relocated 10 player to the opposite side of the country, effectively merging anyway. The smart solution was to merge, even if it was a difficult one to execute..
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
There Rebels aren't approaching 50 players. As I have already pointed out, 9 of the 45 players on their website are not contracted for 2018.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Look at the rosters. Rebels are approaching 50 players now. Brumbies a handfull over. There have been minimal savings in player costs for the 2018 season. So if has become clear that the financial overheads that the WhoRU were looking to eliminate were franchise management.
piru
Roar Rookie
Melbourne has a booming population of who have ten afl teams, two soccer teams and a league team to choose from before they bother spending money on rugby.
Bakkies
Guest
That turd Anthony French's rationale and justification for moving to four years was an absolute farce. A fourth grader could have written up a better report.
Train Without A Station
Guest
So your final answer is the best option was something that: 1. Meant merging teams at least 800km apart; and 2. The ARU could not force in any way?
Train Without A Station
Guest
No
Train Without A Station
Guest
The IPRC won’t compete with any viewers. Interest in prime time Perth Super Rugby has shown that. The time zone doesn’t work for the East.
Train Without A Station
Guest
You’re talking about short term cycles against a long term decision. They can last only a couple of seasons. What good would keeping the Force based on 2017 results be, it ultimately they reverted to historical form? Prior to this season the Rebels had won more games than the Force since the Rebels were introduced.
Ex force fan
Guest
Thr precident is set. You do not have to be an independent country to be affiliated at World Rugby.
Train Without A Station
Guest
It’s also rare for teams to be terminated though. It’s not a common situation in any way.