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This has been passed onto me and you can see the response from John that follows. If anything further comes I'll post it up.
MR JOHN EALES
ARU Board Member,
PO Box 115 St Leonard Street,
NSW 1590*
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To:* John Eales ARU Board Member,
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We have never met, but I feel like I know you (or did anyway) as you have been a man I have admirer all my adult life. *I even wrote a paper on you while doing my diploma of Business some 17 years ago, during my diploma we were asked to select a person who we did not know but*you admired and write what you admired about them.
I wrote about you and stated that you were a Natural Leader who lead from the front and let his action do the talking. *Who spoke with passion came across as honesty & truthful person, who had the respect off his team mates, coach, and the opposition.
I think you were admirer by the average working man on the street and the upper private schoolboy and university type / Corporate leaders. I am not sure you would want me to write you about leadership now after terminating of the Western Force.
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I Know you are a Queenslander, but you have shown the rough end of pineapple to Western Australia and I don’t think the rugby Public will forgive you.
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As a rugby player and possibly Australia’s greatest ever rugby player and one of the few rugby players on the ARU board I cannot understand that you would not be wanting more Rugby players with greater opportunity to play for your country and developing a professional game. *
For the ARU and John Eales to suggest there was transparent process for eliminating one super rugby side based on the merits of both the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels, Canberra Brumbies was misleading and disrespectful to the Rugby WA and the Victorian Rugby Union Canberra Rugby Union” and the people of Australia.
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I see on Foxtel that you say you regret turning your back on the Hakka, you have Now turned your back on Australian Rugby, you should feel like an old Wallaby caught in the headlight of truck being driven by the Australian public. *
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It is my understand that the ARU with 5 team in Super Rugby had predicted it would be bankrupt in 2019, and then formed an opinion to cull one team, not based on anything other than who can we get rid of.
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It is clear that the ARU*had a simple strategy to reduce overhead by reducing one Australian super rugby team. *All WA players going to eastern state clubs strengthening the eastern states, basing the rugby on the eastern sea board which could be controlled by NSW rugby (similar to the Brumbies). This would reduce flights put all teams on a similar time frame and mean that most of the player base could still be based in Sydney or NSW and still play in the local NSW Shute Shield*competitions with the cost saved being investing into junior rugby in the eastern states mainly Queensland & NSW club competitions.
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I think we should be known as ESRU – Eastern States Rugby Union not the ARU as you clearly don’t care about WA or the good of the game.
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The ARU had treated fans and WA taxpayers poorly after the former state government spent more than $100 million providing a home for a WA team and the ARU original sign an agreement 2020. You can argue (As you have in court, that you had the right to cull the force after buying back the Western Force license). But the truth is the ARU were deceitful and unfair to a state that had invested in the game rugby, you may have won the court case but clearly this is not fair nor did you cull the right team.
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I see WA senator Linda Reynolds has stated: “It would appear the ARU’s decision to cut a team has once again been based on prioritizing the preferences of the SANZAAR’s partners rather than a respect for the domestic game and ARU’s own strategic vision of inspiring all Australians with the game of rugby union,”
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I agree with Twiggy and think the Force were ambushed as you have not been transparent about your actions and you should have just changed your decision when Twiggy came on board.*
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“The Force are at the battle of little big horn and WA public feel Like Custer”
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My feelings towards rugby in Australia and yourself at the moment is the lowest it has ever been and is waiving day by day. I cannot*believe the dump & stupid comments coming out the ARU establishment and am struggling to maintain my love for a game that has been a part of my life for 45 years including Playing Under – 9’s to first grade in the Perth Competition, Represent WA at Colts level, Captain WA Country, Coaching and an administrator in Club and country rugby in Western Australia.
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I am regular follow of the Wallabies oversea and in Australia, always watching them in Perth regularly fly to support them in Queensland and Sydney, with us being at the World cup last year in London.* ( I am Now Following the EAGLES ).
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I think the ARU decision is making as much sense as North Korea missile program and Cameron Clyne comments make as much sense as Donald Trump Twitter after fifteen whiskies’. *
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The total lack of transparentise and the statements coming out of the ARU are disgrace. *The Australian public just don’t understand why you got rid of the Force with the two stupid comments you are making:
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1.****** That this is a finical decision:
Ø* Twiggy Offered $50 Million – HOW could his be Turned Down????
Ø* Own The force campaign – Believe have received around 3 Million Dollars
Ø* Western Force has Largest Sponsor deal in Country – $1.5 Million a year
Ø* It has been reported that the Melbourne Rebels have costed the ARU $13.5 million over 6 years and the Western Force Has Costed the ARU $4.5 Million over 14 years.
Ø* The Western Force have the third biggest attendance just behind Waratah & Reds for Australian teams in 2017.
Ø* The western Force Have third largest membership in Australian Rugby
Ø* The Western force have $120 Million Facility spent by Local government
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2.****** Developing Australia Rugby:
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Ø* We have the third largest playing base in Australia
Ø* History of Rugby in Western Australia since 1883.
Ø* Western Australia has developed & produced many great & Professional Players in recent years with List of what I know of:
1.****** Zac Holmes – Toulouse
2.****** Kerrin Longbottom – Sale Sharks
3.****** Ollie Hoskins – London Irish
4.****** *Riley Winter – Ballynahinch - Ireland
5.****** Adam Wallace Harris – Brumbies / Queensland (Retired)
6.****** Daren Murphy – NTT Shining Arcs - Japan (Retired)
7.****** Ryan Hodson – Force / Rebels (Retired)
8.****** Justin Tuner – Western Force / Perth Spirit*- (Retired Career ending injury)
9.****** Will Brock – Australia Sevens / Perth Spirit/ Italy (Retired)
10.** Daley Haylette Petty - Western Force – Wallabies
11.** Richard Hardwick - Western Force – Wallabies
12.** Curtis Reno - Western Force – Wallabies
13.** Kyle Goodwin - ACT Brumbies – Wallabies
14.** Jermaine Ainsley - Wallabies Squad
15.** Harry Scobbles – Western Force
16.** Ross* Haylette Petty - Western Force
17.** Ryan Louwrens - Western Force
18.** Luke Burton – Western Force
19.** Chance Peni – Western Force
20.** Kane Koteca* - Western Force
21.** Michael Ruru - Western Force
22.** Anaru Rangi - Western Force
23.** James Verity Amn – Western Force
24.** Sham Vui –* Australian U20 / Western Force
25.** Clay Uden – Australian U20 / Perth Spirit
26.** Nick Jooste – Australian U20 / ACT Brumbies
27.** Jayden Ngmanu – Australian U20 / Queensland Reds
28.** Brad Lacey – Brisbane City / Perth Spirit
29.** Cruise Arnu – Melbourne Rebels
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·******** Four members of the women’s Wallabies squad
·******** Force Foundation
·******** 7 x Western force players named in the People choice starting 15
·******** 9 x Western Force players name in Wallabies squad
·******** 4 x Players named in Australian U20 from either WA / Force foundation
·******** Force Winner of the World Cup 10’s 2015
·******** Spirt Winner of the NRC in 2016
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What none of us can understand is Aussie Rules is moving into NSW & Queensland with two teams in both states heavily backed by AFL, and the ARU combats this dropping the Western Force and Killing the game in a state that is promoting and developing players as you can from the player and figures above.
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The ARU keeps saying two South African teams have been culled, but truth is they have not really been culled, they were moved to a European competition of 12 other teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy, now called Pro 14 and is probably were all the south African team will go at the end of 2020, this again is misleading, were did the ARU look to make changers and the way players have been treated is tribble .
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IT is my understanding that the ARU board key Roles and Responsibilities are:
Promote greater accountability and transparency: - FAILED
Reform the Membership of ARU to better reflect the contribution of the Super Rugby teams and RUPA and rebalance the voting entitlements of Members: - FAILED
Promote greater understanding and coordination of the roles and responsibilities of organisations throughout the Rugby community; - FAILED
Protecting and enhancing the game’s future. – FAILED
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ARU Code of Conduct – FAILED
“The ARU is committed to promoting and strengthening the positive image of Rugby and its Participants in Australia. To do so, we all need to be committed to living our core values of Passion, Integrity, Discipline, Respect and Teamwork.* This Code aims to ensure that Australian Rugby’s core values, good reputation and positive behaviors are maintained by its players, coaches, administrators, volunteers, parents and spectators by providing a simple set of rules that assist in delivering a safe, fair and inclusive environment for all.* This Code also seeks to deter conduct that could damage the game of Rugby by impairing public confidence in the honest and orderly conduct of matches and competitions or in the integrity and good character of Participants.”**
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I feel sorry Elizabeth Brodenck as a ARU board member as a former Sex Discrimination Commissioner and a fighter for people rights and equal opportunity most of her life, she must feel ashamed with the lack of transparency and no fair or due process.
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‘Elizabeth must feel like Rock Star at a wiggles concert.’
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Wallabies Performance – FAILED
Can you tell me how the Western Force & Brumbies who finished First & Second on the same number of wins only have 7 players in the Wallaby team that met South Africa in Perth and Waratah have 8 players in the same side and Queensland who finished above Waratah only had two players both on the bench.
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Michael Cheika’s talks about pride and one National team and the Green & Gold pride, but he makes laughing stock out it, by picking players NOT in form in Ned Hanigan, Jack Dempsey, Tom Robertson who do NOT deserve to play this year for the Wallabies based on super rugby or their international form.
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The reason Australian rugby is doing poorly, we are accepting second best from Coaches, Players and Administrators. I See you talking about Pride in the Green Gold jersey but I see no pride from the players, but I do see Pride in the SEA BLUE supporters.*
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“Sometimes the hardest thing & right thing are the same.”
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I would suggest if a Parliamentary enquiry has been called and decided on, there is question about behaviours of certain board members and I think clearly shows that some members may have breached this code of conduct set down by the ARU.
You have shown about as my much Integrity as wearing board short and thongs to formal dinner party. And you seem to be making the rules up as go like driving a motor bike on a truck licence and I hope the Judiciary throw the Book at the whole ARU board.
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“Without Integrity success is failure.”
“I can Think of 50 Million Reason why you should keep the Force and NO Reason to keep the ARU Board” John, I ask you to stand up and change your decision and be the man we expect, as Nobody (yes You) is doing the right thing.
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Can I suggest that you take Andrew Forrest Money and develop the second competition with one two Australian teams (Australian Country or another Sydney based team)*with a relegation system and (Exclude Waratah & Reds from relegation if you want)*and let the Force, Brumbies, Rebels fight it out, this would give Australian rugby coverage in two competitions ‘MORE TV RIGHTS great cover worldwide.
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Suggestions – Make Rugby Fun to Watch.
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Six tier Strategy for Rugby – National Selection 15 & 7 men & women / Super 14 / Asian Pacific competition / NRC / State Games / Club Games
The Development of State Academy – that answer to National Academy
Formal U20 Competition – two games a year home & Away
U20 Asian Pacific - National Competition with NZ (before Junior world cups)
Southern States – State of Origin Style – With a carnival atmosphere.
National School Boy Competition – That consist top three schools from NSW & Queensland, one combined state school side from WA, Victoria, SA, NT, Tassie, NT, ACT, NSW Country, Queensland Country which talent from all over Australian can be seen and developed.
National School Boys Academy – Tight five Development program / Running rugby coaching & mentors, Skills training.
National Academy for Indigenous schoolkids (Twiggy’s Charity may fund) – 2- 5 indigenous kids from each state would be offer Rugby scholarship at private school in each state for rugby, but must complete his education. Maybe forming an Australia Indigenous school’s Rugby teams to play in the above school’s program.*
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I think Cameron Clyne & yourself should consider Henry Wadworth Longfellow comments: “IT takes less time to do thing right than to explain why you did it Wrong.”
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History will judge you for your actions and when Cameron & you look in the mirror you may be surprised to find out that the man you see, is not the man the Australian Public see’s.
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Regards
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Dear ..........
Thanks for your email. While I don’t agree with a lot of what you have written, I do fully understand your sentiment and appreciate that you have gone to a lot of effort to write to me. I apologise for not replying more fully at this point as I am on holidays with my family.
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I’ll respond on my return either later this week or early next.
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Best regards
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John