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Western Force captain Ian Prior feels for axed Sunwolves
Nick Taylor The West Australian
Thursday, 21 March 2019 2:23PM
Western Force captain Ian Prior knows exactly what Sunwolves players are going through after discovering their side will be axed from Super Rugby.
Scrum-half Prior was with the Force in 2017 when Rugby Australia sounded the club’s death knell and controversially culled it from the competition.
“Certainly feeling for them. I hope they didn’t have to find out like we did via Twitter in a cafe with your mates. Really thinking of them,” said Prior who first joined the Force in 2014.
More here
https://thewest.com.au/sport/western...ng-b881143205z
If they do enter GRR, let's hope they're not the only Japanese team. Be great if there was a Kansai or Kyushu team.
Hell, why not announce these new teams as part of the RWC celebration?
Japan and the Pacific Islands for Aussie Super 9's!
Let's have one of these in WA! Click this link: Saitama Super Arena - New Perth Stadium?
I've brought this up previously but the Wild Knights have been keen on looking beyond the Top League for competition in the past. They are based in Ota and have a nice 24k seat stadium in the form of Kumagaya Rugby Ground in which to play out of. Though a team in Fukuoka wouldn't be terrible.
Last edited by WCRugger; 21-03-19 at 21:49.
In my head it was a team each from Kanto, Kansai and Kyushu for geographic spread, but I am sure you are right in terms of the support base and where the initial interest lies. If they can mobilise interest in Japan though, there is almost no end of possibilities for the competition.
Sunwolves and Panasonic would be fantastic!!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
I think the goal should be to get at least one Japanese team up and running in the short term but three spread among those areas in time would be great. Japanese derbies. I wonder what they'd look like? Would also add something extra if there ever to be a Korean franchise emerge.
Don't know if they have the support base, but a post-RWC team in Sapporo would make for a nice symmetry to their structure. Four Japanese teams has always felt like the ultimate goal for mine, although as noted that might have been two in the Tokyo area at the cost of Hokkaido...
Problem now is that it all got delayed. They should be looking to ride the wave of the RWC, but that window will close very quickly if they aren't ready to go. Witness Australia post-2003.
I think 4 might be a bridge too far for Japan but with a solid mix of foreign and domestic players they should be able to field 3 competitive squads with the right number of investment. In order to get two more it will likely have to involve external interests coming on board outside of the current set ups.
If Sunwolves had not such a large passionate supporter base, I'd suggest moving the team to Western Sydney.
In years to come, the new infrastructure being built, new stadium at Parramatta Western Sydney would be ripe for GRR.