Melbourne endorsed by ARU for inclusion in Super rugby competition

[TOCC]

The Melbourne team should be allowed to sign a certain percentage of foriegn players intially. Juan Martin Hernandez is playing for the Sharks in the Currie Cup and S14 on a one year contract. He'd be a good buy. The major problem for Rugby over the years has been the lack of professional opportunities available. To the benefit of League. Over time a fifth could assist in reconciling this.

Plus, with 5 Professional teams there could be an opportunity to establish a Acadmey's based Championship with the failed bids of Western Sydney, Gold Coast being included with Adelaide, NSW Country and QLD Country open to compete if they want.

agreed, the ARU would have to be ludicrous if they dont allow a largern number of foreign players

[Working Class]

Hopefully it would only be a stop gap solution. With the ultimate goal to have the squad all eligible to Wallaby selction.

[welshrugbyfan]

Just don't be suprised when the Southern Kings get it.

Can you put money on it anywhere?

[Working Class]

If the Southern Kings get it I'll incite a riot. I already have some fellow rioters on THEROAR. I'm willing to fly over and camp outside the ARU's St Lennard's HQ. The is no way the Kings should get it. Absolutely no way. The whole ARU board should be sacked if it happens.

[welshrugbyfan]

If the Southern Kings get it I'll incite a riot. I already have some fellow rioters on THEROAR. I'm willing to fly over and camp outside the ARU's St Lennard's HQ. The is no way the Kings should get it. Absolutely no way. The whole ARU board should be sacked if it happens.

It's the fact that you can buy their merchandise on the Super 14 website that I just can't get my head around. I honestly feel the decision has already been made a while ago.

Why would a club that doesn't exist at the moment and if and maybe will exist as the next franchise in 2013 or 2015 have merchandise for sale.

[travelling_gerry]

Old Government saying - "Never have an enquiry where you don't know the result"

[welshrugbyfan]

Honestly I'd be happy if they get it.

Until we get a local comp running after the super 14 season I can't see Aus sustaining another franchise.

Plus if the current game style of play continues we are never going to get a growing fan base here.

Even die hards are tuning out and onto other sports.

[jargan83]

Honestly I'd be happy if they get it.

Another South African side that will sit at the bottom of the table year after year
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[beige]

It's the fact that you can buy their merchandise on the Super 14 website that I just can't get my head around.

That's not the official Super 14 website, it has nothing to do with SANZAR and people need to stop reporting it as such. Look...

Super14.com was registered as a shortened version of the actual site name which is Global Super14.com. The Global Super 14 was a concept put forward in 2004 when we registered the name. Should this Super 14 tournament go ahead it will be played by the following teams :

Argentina Jaguars, Australia Swagmen, Canada Icemen, England Knights, France Revolution, Ireland Shamrocks, Italy Gladiators, Japan Samurais, New Zealand Rams, Pacific Warriors, Scotland Highlanders, South Africa Tribe, USA Fighters and Wales Wizards. It is still in the planning stage.

After we got a number of requests to expand the site we decided to adapt the site to include news on the SANZAR Super 14 in order to compliment our coverage on the proposed Global super 14 tournament and global rugby which is why most pages have international rugby news on it as well as SANZAR Super 14 content.

In 2009 we plan to report on the expansion of the rugby league tournament which is supposed to be named the Super 14 league.

Please note that this site was active before the Super 12 became the Super 14 and so were our logos. Anything that came after us on this subject , we consider to be a copy of our work.

We do not condone or participate in cybersquatting. These domains were registered before any sporting body decided to expand or implement changes.

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Remember the Southern Spears didn't only have jerseys but they played actual games and look where they ended up?

I'm with Working Class - if Melbourne doesn't get the franchise I'm joining his riot. Like he said, if rugby ever wants to seriously challenge the other codes here it need more professional opportunities - not semi-professional opportunities.

If there's a depth problem, relax the import rule for all 5 franchises. If they can at least beat teams like the Lions and Cheetahs then the depth argument is hypocritical in my opinion.

Sorry for the overuse of italics.

[welshrugbyfan]

Another South African side that will sit at the bottom of the table year after year
Posted via Mobile Device

Who knows they had a good competitive game against the Lions. I was worried for 69 minutes of that game.

None of the kiwi teams would be up to super 14 level, Taranaki etc and Aus don't have the cattle yet.

[laura]

Seeing as Australia is currently struggling to have four competitive teams (sorry Queensland, but you've been in the bottom three for the past six years) I'm going to tempt a severe smoting and say maybe Australia shouldn't get the fifth franchise.

South Africa and New Zealand both have strong leagues below Super 14 where they could bring in the extra players from. A Melbourne franchise would have to recruit from the Shute Shield teams and water down the depth of strength in the existing teams.

Of course, if we had an ARC...

I do not think we have the depth or talent yet developed in Australia to have a 5th team

I've said that before too. I don't think we have enough players who are capable of playing at Super 14 level. People are still doubting JOC at super 14 level even though he's played for the Wallabies. If we have a 5th franchise we would need to include more young players like him & if people doubt him then what chance are other young players going to have at getting a fair crack without all the doubt.

I think an Australian based (predominantly for logistical and finance reasons) Islander team would be the way to go. It would expose the players to a level of rugby they don't often get to play at (except for RWC), it would mean that NZ/SA don't get a 6th team and most importantly it would increase the competitiveness in local rugby in the Islander nations and hopefully increase the financial stability of their rugby.
I'm not very familiar with the situation between Fiji/Samoa/Tonga so I'm not sure which island would benefit the most from something like this. Maybe a representative team on behalf of all 3 is the way to go, I'm not sure, but in terms of developing and growing the game I definately think its a much better option than NZ or SA.

As much as I don't want the team to be based in Melbourne, its probably ideal. In terms of infrastructure there's a perfectly good stadium already and I'm sure there's clubrooms/training facilities/offices that they can use, or share with a league team if they're desperate. There might not be a massive support base for the team but there would inevitably be a profitable crowd rock up every week, if not to see the home team then maybe to see the away team. I'd go to watch the Force play there and its close enough for Brumbies/Tahs fans to make a trip for the weekend. The SA and NZ teams would probably be more willing to travel there as well, especially if it coincides with a Brumbies/Tahs game, because their travel time would be significantly lower than if they had to travel to one of the islands.

[travelling_gerry]

Greg Growden Chief Correspondent | August 13, 2009

Western Sydney officials last night criticised the Australian Rugby Union's decision to endorse Melbourne as the sole Australian contender for the 15th Super licence as not being in the best interests of the game.

Western Sydney bid chairman and former Wallaby Brett Papworth said it was another huge blow to the heartland of Australian rugby - the Sydney club scene.

The ARU yesterday went a long way towards healing the pain of four years ago in not giving Victoria the fourth Australian franchise by choosing Melbourne ahead of Western Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast as their 15th Super rugby licence contender.

The SANZAR board will decide on October 31 whether Melbourne, Taranaki from New Zealand or Eastern Cape from South Africa will be the 15th team that will play in the Australian conference from 2011.

While Melbourne are favourites, Australian officials know they will have a tough battle convincing the South African delegates, who are desperate for a sixth team in the tournament.

In settling on Melbourne, the ARU has called on the three parties from Victoria that put forward separate expressions of interest to join forces to ensure Australia's prospects of securing the 15th Super licence are maximised.

While getting the three Victorian parties, which involves opposing forces, to agree will involve delicate diplomacy by the ARU, the national body will also have to step its way around intense opposition from the losing bidders.

Papworth said he ''wished Melbourne well'' and understood the decision, ''but we're enormously disappointed''.

''We believe it's not in the best long-term interests of the game, but in the best short-term financial interests of the ARU,'' Papworth said last night.

''You can't keep taking from the well, with no regard for making sure that the well continues to produce. The players come from here. They'll pluck the players and coaching staff from here, relocate them to Melbourne at great expense and in the next 20 years they [Melbourne] will produce zero Wallabies.

''That's our issue. Perth was the same. No investment was made. What I've learnt from the process is that SANZAR and the financial arrangement is more important than any long-term investment in the game in this country.

''The governing body in this country doesn't get where future Wallabies are coming from. They will keep taking from NSW, destroy the quality of the club competition and in 20 years they'll say: 'What's happened to local rugby?' We thought we had a compelling bid for the long-term interest of the game and we always suspected there was some financial factors which would sway things in Melbourne's favour. Clearly those factors are more important than any long-term investment in the health of the game.

''We've got issues. In 10 years' time, when all these talented 15-year-olds in Sydney are playing AFL, rugby league or soccer, someone will need to ask why.''

ARU chief executive John O'Neill, when announcing the Melbourne endorsement yesterday, said there was intense interest at ARU board level in the Western Sydney bid and it would be ''on the agenda'' if there was further Super rugby expansion.

''Gold Coast and Western Sydney certainly had strong applications and we are absolutely determined to grow the game in the western suburbs of Sydney where the junior numbers are strong and the population continues to increase,'' he said.

''This is not the end of the aspirations those regions have to be part of Super rugby.''

It is understood the three Melbourne bids were better organised and more thorough than the Western Sydney bid.

A Victorian Rugby Union expression of interest was joined by one from a group called Victorian Super Rugby, and another from the Belgravia group, headed by Melbourne Victory Football Club chairman and former Hawthorn AFL chairman Geoff Lord.

''Belgravia and Vic Super Rugby have shown they have a lot of grunt around financial components, and involves Geoff Lord, who has run a very successful soccer franchise,'' O'Neill said.

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...e#contentSwap1

[travelling_gerry]

By John Geddes
August 13, 2009 .A new Super 15 team based in Melbourne could have an exotic blend of players recruited from the Pacific islands, Argentina and Japan, ARU managing director John O'Neill has revealed.

Former Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie has already been mentioned as a coach and he could bring Mark Gasnier back from French side Stade Francais with him as a star recruit.

The former NRL star could then be available for the Wallabies World Cup squad that season.

O'Neill announced on Wednesday that Melbourne had won endorsement from the ARU board as Australia's sole contender for the new Super licence in 2011, beating bids from western Sydney, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.

O'Neill warned that the Australian bid to be presented to SANZAR Executive Committee for a final decision on October 31 will have to be "absolutely drop-dead gorgeous" to be successful over the rival contenders for New Zealand and particularly South Africa.

But O'Neill has no doubts that a team based in Melbourne would have the player pool to be a force while indicating to the existing sides that they would still be protected as much as possible.

"You might have 30-35 per cent of the team with the players coming from Pacific island nations and another 30-35 per cent may come from Australian players coming back from offshore," O'Neill said.

"It will be a bit of Heinz variety team with maybe some Argentinian players and some Japanese players."

The rest of the squad could be made of home-based players.

"There is lots of talent in Australia that just hasn't been given an opportunity," O'Neill said.

He said there were plenty of Fijian, Tongans and Samoans playing in Europe for not a lot of money. And if they played Super rugby they could then represent their countries in the southern hemisphere season.

Leading player manager Ben Williams said he has been approached by a number of British Lions players who would like to play for an Australian Super team if the qualification criteria were relaxed.

Winger Lote Tuqiri has also said playing for the new franchise was an option he would consider.

Three consortiums from Melbourne put in bids for the Super team and the ARU will work with them, hoping they now come together to make one consolidated bid.


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html

[travelling_gerry]

By staff writers
August 13, 2009 .Michael Cheika has been linked with the coaching job of a new Melbourne Super 15 side should SANZAR award the Victorian capital a licence for the 2011 expanded competition.

The Australian Rugby Union announced on Wednesday Melbourne would be their sole candidate to host a 15th team.

Cheika, who took Irish super club Leinster to a Heineken Cup title in May, has already been linked to the proposed team while a host of star players would be surefire targets.

Top of that list is Melbourne-born Wallaby Rocky Elsom who has only signed a one-year deal to play for the Brumbies next season.

Elsom played under Cheika during Leinster's charge to the Heineken Cup, with the star backrower named man-of-the-match in the final.

Test playmaker Berrick Barnes, who has a one-year deal with the NSW Waratahs after quitting Queensland, is another, while Reds outside back Digby Ioane lives in Melbourne and would be an obvious candidate.

The proposed Melbourne team will still have to fend off rival bids from New Zealand and South Africa for a place in 2011.

Melbourne was chosen over western Sydney and rural NSW, as well as Queensland's Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast regions.

ARU chief executive John O'Neill said the board unanimously decided that Australia's second-largest city, which missed out to the Perth-based Western Force when the competition last expanded in 2006, had the best chance of success.

"We are in a three-nation race for the licence and we want the 15th team in Australia, so we need to focus our energy on what will be our most compelling bid," O'Neill said.

Super rugby's governing body SANZAR has ruled that the 15th team will play in an "Australian conference" with the country's four other Super teams.

But they have also allowed New Zealand and South Africa to bid to base the team on their shores.

SANZAR is expected to decide on the new team's location in October.

O'Neill said the three organisations that submitted separate bids for a Melbourne team would now be encouraged to join forces and submit a single bid to SANZAR. However, that may be easier said than done given the powerful figures involved in the three rivals.

One bid from the Victorian Rugby Union is headed by their chairman Gary Gray and is backed by Harold Mitchell, Australia's biggest media buyer, and World Cup-winning coach Rod Macqueen.

Another is backed by Melbourne Victory chairman Geoff Lord's Belgravia Group.

The third, known as VicSuper15, is sourced by resources and finance executive Kevin Maloney, and fronted by Wallabies great Mark Ella, fellow Randwick player Ray Evans and three former VRU directors.

Ella said on Wednesday it was too early to say how compromise could be reached.

"We are extremely pleased that potentially the new team will go to Melbourne," Ella said.

"We are very thankful to everyone involved including the Victorian government and the rugby community."
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html

[James]

I've said that before too. I don't think we have enough players who are capable of playing at Super 14 level. People are still doubting JOC at super 14 level even though he's played for the Wallabies. If we have a 5th franchise we would need to include more young players like him & if people doubt him then what chance are other young players going to have at getting a fair crack without all the doubt.

I think an Australian based (predominantly for logistical and finance reasons) Islander team would be the way to go. It would expose the players to a level of rugby they don't often get to play at (except for RWC), it would mean that NZ/SA don't get a 6th team and most importantly it would increase the competitiveness in local rugby in the Islander nations and hopefully increase the financial stability of their rugby.
I'm not very familiar with the situation between Fiji/Samoa/Tonga so I'm not sure which island would benefit the most from something like this. Maybe a representative team on behalf of all 3 is the way to go, I'm not sure, but in terms of developing and growing the game I definately think its a much better option than NZ or SA.

As much as I don't want the team to be based in Melbourne, its probably ideal. In terms of infrastructure there's a perfectly good stadium already and I'm sure there's clubrooms/training facilities/offices that they can use, or share with a league team if they're desperate. There might not be a massive support base for the team but there would inevitably be a profitable crowd rock up every week, if not to see the home team then maybe to see the away team. I'd go to watch the Force play there and its close enough for Brumbies/Tahs fans to make a trip for the weekend. The SA and NZ teams would probably be more willing to travel there as well, especially if it coincides with a Brumbies/Tahs game, because their travel time would be significantly lower than if they had to travel to one of the islands.

Downside though is that the Pacific Islander teams don't want to/can't do it. The player depth issue isn't actually a big problem. Most of the Super 14 franchises have significant amounts of players signed until 2011 so they are safe from the new franchise. New franchise comes in they will bring back half a dozen overseas Australian players and have maybe a dozen imports and a dozen players from Australia (including raiding non-Marquee league players). In 2012 when everyone comes off contract the ARU can then turn around and say that each Aussie S14 team can have 3 or 4 foreign imports in their teams subject to ARU approval. That takes the pressure off the Australian talent pool. If each of the four current teams had 2 or 3 more imports thats 8-12 local players that could be with Melbourne assuming they want those imports. I used to be dead-set against it but really it does add a bit of extra spice.

Melbourne bid will work.

And in answer to the Kings already selling merchandise it doesn't surprise me in the least. I think that's the surest sign if anything that the bid will collapse.