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I just sent an e mail to their radio program, rather than just Pappy. Gave a brief outline how it's going. Mentioned that The Badger is getting on board and it's getting some interest over East. Asked them to give it a plug on-air and put the link on their Facebook - they usually do that type of stuff when asked. See how it goes. Hopefully Heaps will overrule Pappy if he gets his knickers in a knot and they'll do it on air.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Western Force inject cash into club
Nick Taylor - The West Australian on November 11, 2016,
Western Force players are so convinced the Super Rugby club has a future in WA they are buying into their own product.
They are signing up to the radical scheme to become Australia’s premier community-owned club amid speculation that the Australian Rugby Union may be under financial pressure to cut one of its franchises.
The plan is to buy the Force back from the ARU. The two bodies formed an alliance this year, lifting a $4 million debt from the club’s shoulders.
The club already has more than 2600 expressions of interest for certificates of ownership costing $1000 each and many of the applications are for multiple shares.
Foundation prop Pek Cowan, who is leading the player campaign, said teammates were determined to buy in to show faith in the club.
“We are willing to do what it takes to keep the club here. I’ve invested a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears and it just feels right to be involved,” Cowan said.
“This is a show of faith from players that we want to be a part of the club’s well-being. We are not just putting our hands out, we are putting our hands in our pockets.
“We want to buy ourselves back, prove to everyone that we can run ourselves. We feel as responsible for the future of the club as much as anybody else.
“We can’t sit back and expect things to happen. We need to be pro-active and we need to be involved.”
Cowan is one of 15 players who have made their Wallabies debut while at the Force.
The club is seeing results of its pathway program with almost one-third of next year’s squad coming from local ranks and WA has the third-highest playing numbers, behind NSW and Queensland.
“It would be a massive shame to have done all that hard work and not see the fruits of our labour, but we are also under no illusion that we need to go out and win next year,” Cowan said.
Super Rugby’s governing body SANZAAR meets next week to discuss the future of the competition and Force general manager Mark Sinderberry said that while the response had been fantastic, the club needed to continue its push.
“We need to show the extent of community support and that they are prepared to underwrite the future of the Western Force, to support the ARU so they are financially capable of sustaining a national footprint,” he said.
Well done lads!
Faaarrrk, does anybody else have goose-bumps.
This year, more than any other it feels like something special is building, I don't think results on the field will matter if we can get the buy back over the line.
Brumbies for the knacker's yard!
C'mon the
Brumbies for the knacker's yard!
Relax, that decision has already been made.
I am really a Palmyra troll.
I wonder if the players can write off buying shares on tax?
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
doubt it that they can claim the purchase as a business expense
Last edited by brokendown gunfighter; 11-11-16 at 17:37.
I have registered interest but just wondering if any more info has been sent out yet?
Making sure my email hasn't lost it in spam.
not yet Leo-except they suggest if you want more than one share,you express interest using another family member
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Ah yes, I had done the survey was just making sure nothing else had come out. Saw a comment on GAGR talking about receiving the prospectus...
One thing I've learned in life is anyone who uses the term "trust me" is usually about to follow-up with a fat lie or at the least a white lie. That aside, the Force rescue is an easy one :
1) hire a name coach who commands respect from all and has players clambering to be part of his squad. If only Rod McQueen was available.
2) stop hiring guys who don't have the potential to play for Australia within 2 years or put another way, stop hiring players who have no chance of ever playing for Australia. Don't re-sign losers.
3) get rid of the dead wood in the organisation.
4) playing squad and coaches to genuinely (not just pretend) to engage with the local rugby community as well as to win over the wider community.
5) secure genuine not just cosmetic media engagement. What a disgrace when the abc's radio 720 sports person said he'd never heard of the perth spirit on the monday after they won the arc gf and didn't even know what arc stood for. WTF!!!! Who isn't doing their job? Until we crack the media nut we're stuffed.
6) recruit 2 mean mother f_____s who have that " I want to eat your children " look about them, 1 to play in the tight five the other in the midfield.
7) engage better with the kiwi expat community in perth and make the Force their team.
8) improve dramatically the talent identification and retention processes for local players.
9) engage commercially with Asia. Recent announcements about rugby in China are very exciting. Similarly there is serious money in Singapore and Malaysia that could be courted. Form partnering relationships with asian rugby unions
10) focus heavily on skill development and player awareness within the squad. These things don't come quickly so mechanisms need to be implemented to accelerate the process.
11) teach the players basic rugby strategy. I will become more of a psycho if the Force game plan continues as it has been. The Force are masters of DUMB RUGBY. Grrrrrr!
12) play an exciting brand of footy, quick ball, lots of support play, win our own lineouts and scrums, lots of counter attack, score more tries, thats the sort of stuff that will attract the punters through the gates at nib stadium.
Anyway, thats just a few off the top of my head suggestions. Waiting now for the barrage of abuse from the twfers.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa