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"The Western Force are exploring options in Asia, with a former Wallabies captain holding talks with the Sunwolves about forming “a mutually beneficial arrangement”.
Details of the initiative are being kept sketchy, save for revelations that the Wallabies captain met with the Sunwolves chief executive last month. Force captain Matt Hodgson would say only that club officials were looking at Plan B and Plan C to keep the club alive and kicking until the next SANZAAR broadcast deal is negotiated at the end of 2020.
“Who knows if Super Rugby will change again in 2020?” Hodgson said. “That’s the really hard part about all this, we could be affected for three years and the whole competition could be restructured.”
Certainly the Australian Rugby Union is hoping it will be restructured, with a trans-Tasman competition the preferred option. And if such a competition does come about, it may well be that five Australian teams, not four — which is what the ARU is striving for at the moment — are required.
Given that the Sunwolves will play next year as part of the Australian conference under the SANZAAR plan, it’s possible that a merger of sorts — using the Japanese club’s licence — could be beneficial to both franchises. The Sunwolves are themselves under threat from SANZAAR, which recently gave them an “improve or else” ultimatum and certainly if the Force were able to stay intact, the Japanese side could benefit greatly from using some of their players. But discussions are so preliminary at this stage that neither club has any great expectations that they will lead to anything concrete.
It has raised further questions about the process that was put in place to reduce Super Rugby from 18 teams to 15. While the threatened axing of the Force has led Australian rugby to the brink of open revolt, the situation in South Africa — where the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs were culled — was vastly different. There was scarcely a peep from either franchise, even though they were widely identified as being in danger of being cut long before the deed was actually done. Why was that? Were the two sides advised right from the start that a soft landing had been planned for them in the Pro12 competition in Britain? And, if so, when were they advised? Certainly the suspicion is starting to form, at least in Western Australia, that this was the reason South Africa was so ready to cut two teams right from the start.
The Force, meanwhile, will maintain the rage at a public rally at the RugbyWA headquarters in Floreat at 9.30am Perth time on Sunday.
“It’s about getting our presence out there and showing who it’s affecting,” Hodgson said. “We’re all going through this together. It’s been amplified in the last couple of days when the actual decision has come out.
“When rugby was actually happening, we had something to focus on but now that we’re on holidays to be thinking ... it rocks you so hard that at times you snap. There are nights when you try to go to sleep and instead all that happens is that you roll through different scenarios.
“Originally, when they thought about the decision, they thought it might affect 30 people but the amount of people who are going to be affected by this decision is going to be massive.”
Hodgson is still waiting for ARU chairman Cameron Clyne and chief executive Bill Pulver to accept his invitation to come to Perth to explain their reasoning in dropping the Force. So far there has been no reply, though it’s fair to say the ARU bosses might have been a bit jumpy when Hodgson informed them it would take only “48-72 hours” of their time, a neat throwback to April 10 when Clyne suggested that was as long as it would take the ARU to reach a decision.
Now, some 129 days later, the matter is still up in the air, with the NSW Supreme Court to decide whether to grant the Force leave to appeal next Wednesday."
"12 Years aSupporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue
Great lateral thinking Western Force I hope something can be worked out!! Without the help of the EARU
Who is the Wallabies captain mentioned any guesses?
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
I don't think this is actually my preferred option, I've had a little bit of a think in relation to the Secession idea, I think the Japanese Top League would be perfect for us.
only playing half our home games in Perth would, frankly, suck balls.
Yet again, having our license controlled by an external body would make me nervous, I'm sure nobody on the planet could be as deceitful and capricious as the ARU, but I've been burnt once!
I just really like the idea of having WA boys qualify by residency to play for Japan without having to leave home, after the way the ARU has buggered us without lube it makes me happy to think that some of their best will come back to smash their Wallatards in Brave Blossom hoops! I'd buy the jersey, that's a lock!
Top 14 would offer more matches, a reasonable level, a massive TV deal (that RugbyWA would be in control of and the sole Australian beneficiary of and, wait for it, Access to the Honey Badger! Perth's favourite son could play in blue again without dropping the salary.
I reckon Kerry Stokes would be happy to throw that onto Channel 7, he'd be able to take the high moral ground and give it to News Ltd at the same time!
C'mon the![]()
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and we still get to have InnFORCErs tours!
"12 Years aSupporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue
I don't like this idea at all the sun wolves are the reason we are being thrown to the wolves pun intended. They are not being supported by their country union because the Japanese teams don't want to dilute their own internal comp. With out them stronger as 5 would be a reality. Supporting them if we are turfed out in any way means that we make them stronger and hence reduces the likelihood of us being added back in at a later date. The Sunwolves have done nothing in my mind to justify their position in the comp apart from throw money into the mix and dilute the rugby being played.
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
Could Twiggy buy their licence? Or lease it till 2020?
they are all contributing factors.
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
If Japan are only interested in having the sunwolves until the world cup...
Japan get their promotion
ARU get their Yen
WA maintains a presence for next 2-3 years. (And get their license back)
Need an ironclad contract that says WA will be in comp for as long as the Tahs exist (lets see the pricks get around that) come 2020 sunwolves may exit and we revert to the western force or unless the Rebels administration actually sort their shit out they would of killed themselves (i really hope for Aussie rugby to grow and prosper that we have 5 teams)
RugbyWA keeps going as they are with OTF, sponsors, community engagement...
2020
-We dont know what Japan or SA are doing nor want.
-Argies will ride what ever wave is on offer
-NZ will be the sought after product but will go where the money is
-Hopefully by then the Aussies have a spine, plan, coaching set up, centralised system, etc
Oh and i only like the above as a plan B/C
Im right behind plan A of being in the comp because of our contribution to Aus Rugby