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http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...cbb95eeb6902ad
Twiggy Forrest’s IPRC still struggling to make kick-off
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Former Western Force captain Matt Hodgson.
AAP12:00AM December 8, 2017
Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s hopes of launching the Indo *Pacific Rugby Championship in 2019 have hit a roadblock: Rugby Australia is still refusing to fully endorse the competition.
Forrest’s team, which includes former Western Force skipper Matt Hodgson, have been in *negotiations with the governing body for months.
The IPRC needs to be endorsed by RA before it can then be approved by World Rugby. The six-team competition hopes to *attract some of the world’s best players, including a host of Australians currently plying their trade overseas, but they would then be able to play for the Wallabies again only in the event of RA’s full endorsement.
However, given the IPRC will run at the same time as Super Rugby, RA has demanded more control over the new competition and is apparently willing to offer only temporary endorsement.
That’s a situation Forrest’s team simply can’t accept given the amount of money they are prepared to pump in.
A Rugby Community event in Perth was planned for this Sunday with certain announcements expected, but it has been postponed because of the breakdown in negotiations.
Forrest’s team will meet RA’s working party in Sydney next week hoping for some sort of agreement. “We were disappointed with the terms they presented to us,” Hodgson said. “It just wasn’t commercially viable.
“They definitely want a lot of control. There are some things that are big stumbling blocks for us, especially around the terms and the length of temporary endorsement.
“We’re looking to go back to them and talk through our thoughts and hopefully we can change this to a permanent *endorsement. That’s probably a non-negotiable for us.”
Earlier this week, Hodgson wrote a Facebook post criticising RA for its demands regarding the IPRC.
“It remains obvious to us after three months of continuous negotiations that Rugby Australia doesn’t have the best interest of the Western Australian rugby community at heart,” he said.
“Rugby Australia’s demands include money to support east coast-based programs rather than supporting the WA community, even as they are crippling our local rugby infrastructure.
“We will not be sending any more money over east. Our money will remain for our people and to grow our game in WA.
“The RA position is so uncommercial and unreasonable that it ensures the failure of the IPRC before it even starts.”
Meanwhile, NSW Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson has challenged his charges to make a fresh start after bidding farewell to a horror 2017 and welcoming the Super Rugby franchise’s bold move into suburban Sydney.
After almost 20 years at the Sydney Football Stadium, the Waratahs now call David Phillips Sports Complex home, a few kilometres away in Daceyville.
Gone are the state-of-the-art facilities, including gym, pool, tennis and squash courts, as well as their high-profile neighbours and Moore Park cafe dining partners, the Sydney Roosters, Sydney Swans and Sydney FC.
One of the attractions of moving base was being able to train any time they liked as the Waratahs will no longer have to fight for ground space with the Roosters and Swans.
"Probably not negotiable".
That's an interesting turn of phrase.
It should instill the fear of God in the ARU that it will be Twiggy's way or the highway when they consider the negotiability of Twiggy's position.
I don't think the prospect of 2019 without an IPRC would be a fear of God moment for the ARU. It appears to be their preferred option. They should be more concerned about pissing him off so much that he decides to put enough of his considerable fortune towards eradicating the organisation entirely. I would assume he has enough money and contacts to make a piss ant little tinpot dictatorship like rats Arse Disappear for all eternity.
Things are so bad even the Tarts can't stand the stench of the RA.
Alison, I have come across some documents on ASIC on this thread that may reveal who the unit trust/shareholders are.
http://twf.com.au/showthread.php?t=3...721#post448721
My fellow connoisseurs of Old in Chatswood and in Coogee believe that since early September, the management etc. of the ARU/RA has been copping more than a lot of flak from the Heartland Unions over "leaving" that 50 million on the table.
So one of the ARU/RAs' ambit positions is to get their hands on a goodly whack of Mr Forrest's proffered millions which the ARU/RA can then pass on, in a highly publicised act of munificence, to "grassroots" rugby in the Heartland.
The above is rumour, gossip and hearsay.
Problem being that by the time the Adelaide non-meeting came around, Rat's Arse were so for down the road of having facilitated the $1.00 fire sale to VRRU that they could not back the truck up. All manner of skeletons would come charging out of their closet. Much as they probably wanted to. I'll bet, and IIRC it was stipulated, the offer by Mr Forest in Adelaide was conditional on donating to grass roots via the Australian Rugby Foundation. That limited their options.
IMO the main motivator in forging ahead with axing a team was the the blowtorch put on by Papworth, Dwyer, Alan Jones & Co (quite rightly) re the lack of grass roots funding. It's just the blaming of the Rabble and Force for all Oz Rugby's woes that was off the mark. Now that all the dirty laundry is coming out the "heartlands' can see as well as anybody what really went on.
We worked that out days ago that RATS ARSE is copping heat for turnong down Twiggys millions and that the demands on the IPRC are all about giving RATS ARSE a way to prop up eastern states grassroots while not actually using the savings from cutting the Force for grassroots. It is as obvious as the nose on my face.
The whole of WA now knows to treat RATS ARSE with a large amount of skepticism. Also, NSWRU chair Roger Davis has made a public announcement about the lifting of the salary cap being economically irresponsible already indicating tension between the states and RATS ARSE.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that RA will play hardball on endorsement of the IPRC until negotiations have been drawn out long enough and frustrated everyone, at which point RA can then take a backward step, drop the majority of their demands and in good faith simply ask for a contribution of $XX million from Andrew "Twiggy Sugar Daddy" Forrest to go towards grassroots rugby, the funds administered by RA of course.
Regards
Cornelius J Blythe PhD
Rocket Scientist
Naďve as this question may be, but can the IPRC be an Asian-based competition run by Hong Kong or Singapore or Japan or Asia Rugby, without the need for RA? Can that Asian-based competition then invite teams from Oceania, like WA, without the need of RA "allowing" us to play in it?
it could but then RA will have the ability to say that no Force or IPRC player will be eligible for national honours and that there is a big stumbling block already as it is.