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Nick Taylor**|**The West Australian
Thursday, 1 February 2018 5:00AM
Perth will bid to host the Australian leg of next year’s prestigious World Rugby Sevens Series at Optus Stadium.
The move comes as new Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle arrives today for a two-day visit as she tries to repair the damage created by the axing of Western Force from Super Rugby.
NSW has one year left on a contract to host the three-day sevens event but Allianz Stadium will not be available because of the a $2 billion rebuild and organisers are looking for an alternative venue.
TourismWA would only say they do not comment on “potential discussions, decisions or negotiations.”
But Castle’s visit, including a visit to Optus Stadium, comes at a good time as RA make the final decision on an event that would generate millions of dollars for the State economy, attract visitors from overseas and interstate and has a worldwide television audience.
Castle, who can expect a stormy welcome in Perth, will have discussions with the RugbyWA board and supporters who are still seething over the axing of the Force.
She will also have talks with the State Government, her first face-to-face meeting with Andrew Forrest, billionaire backer of the new Indo Pacific Rugby Championship, and members of the IPRC management team headed by former Wildcats managing director Nick Marvin.
Forrest said he wants to include 7s and 10s tournaments as part of his campaign to build the new IPRC tournament that will kick-off in March next year.
IPRC has already pencilled in a strong 23-man Western Force squad and will add another dozen for a series of upcoming fixtures expected to be played at nib Stadium off. An experienced coach has also been sounded out.
IPRC is still involved in discussions with RA. The national body is standing firm over its Wallabies eligibility policy that means only players in Super Rugby sides or overseas-based Wallabies with a minimum of 60 Tests appearances can be selected for Australia.
Some of Australia’s best players are overseas and Forrest said he was prepared to match their salaries to bring them home if they become eligible for the Wallabies by playing for any of the IPRC clubs.
Five teams will join the new Western Force in the IPRC and be based in places like China, Malaysia, Singapore, the Pacific Islands, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Seoul.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...-ng-b88730709z
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I know that the State Government is keen for events for it's flash new stadium but Tourism WA should not give these people a single damn cent.
Precious little in the article to justify the headline you chose, TIF.
Who is this mysterious "Perth" that's bidding?
What move? Who's move?
Why is TourismWA's "no comment" significant enough to be included in the article?
Smells of a "fake news" RA media release to pacify the masses, with no actual substance or commitment, to me.
Nick Taylor should have thrown it into the wastepaper basket, instead of wasting column inches on a bad Seinfeld script.
And there was I charitably giving Taylor the benefit of the doubt ....
Stupid idea. Trying to fill a 60,000 seater three days in a row when people are that p..ssed off is impossible.
I read even less than that.
The state who has been shafted again and again is expected to be thankful for picking up the scraps of the Sydney Sevens, shortly after it was torn away from a successful Adelaide event only because Sydney doesn't have a stadium in which to host it.
You watch, it will be a two year contract, the WA government will pay for the privilege and as soon as Sydney can host it again it will be gone.
I won't be signing up for that unless there is a significant incentive to go along with it! (Read that IPSC fully endorsed to run over the long term with Wallaby Eligibility for Aussie players)
ANything short of that, the WA government is wasting it's money and breath.
C'mon the![]()
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Does anyone else see misdirection in this? I think there is only one reason RA is fronting up here, and it is the one thing they don't want to mention...having never expected to be back, they've suddenly decided they want to bid for a RWC and know there is no chance if it doesn't present a national footprint. The only reason they are here is to try and smooth the water for that, and I think the State government should tell them to shove it. RA shafted them out of $5M for a Bledisloe before scuppering the support for it; what would they be wanting for a RWC? If it comes up at all (and I bet it does), the gov't should just observe that it is a public facility open to hire, but no promises, no deals, no guarantees without down payments.
I seem to recall that after the ARU/RA announced the Western Force had been axed,
- our esteemed Premier McGowan said that because of contractual obligations, the WA Government could not get out of paying $5 million to the ARU/RA for the privilege of staging the Bledisloe Cup in Perth in 2019, but if it could, then it would have, and
- some one (a Minister, the Premier?) said that going forward, there are probably better things for Tourism WA to spend its money on than subsidizing Wallabies tests [and Rugby Union matches] in Perth.
Why the heck would the WA Government want to transact future business with an outfit like the ARU/RA which has already dudded it royally?
You would think that Perth gets 5 matches minimum including a possible quarter final.
Reality is that the RA will have to squeeze over £100 million to the IRB. They won't be getting that off Twiggy and unlikely from the Feds after their recent behaviour.
I would be getting on to your local MP and the good Senators to ensure this doesn't happen.
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board
Profit? The Rebels have no idea what that word even means let alone how to generate it. They think profit is something that comes down in a money truck from ARU HQ every month!!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
I think if anyone is bidding, then it's RA on Perth's behalf. RA would see this as part of their pledge to "continue to support rugby in the West". If RWA/the state government turns it down then the RA can say "Well, we tried to give you something, but you didn't want it."
Maybe I'm doing RA a disservice (probably not), but I see this as a Machiavellian move to show lip-service to supporting rugby in Perth, but if it did come here they would demand payment (~$5 million a year, rather than paying to use the stadium), and only until ANZ was ready to host again.
What's the point of having the sevens here (other than a party)? It doesn't support community rugby, and as there's no pathway for local talent there probably won't be any local players getting a look in.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon