Terms of Reference for a Senate Inquiry into the Future of Rugby Union in Australia

[Bakkies]

What was the most astounding in reading what I listened to the other day…The REBEL's have always run at a loss. The first owner did about $11m and walked, the ARU took over the licence and let the VRU run the club which sank another $13m into the club then wrote that off (and then gave Cox another $6m of confidential upfront money) and now its back in the hands of the VRU who lost the $13m. No front of jersey sponsor, no coach, squad 14 players short, no declared major sponsor (apart from an LOI from the Victorian Gov't). They will be insolvent before the first whistle blows. Already asking for more salary cap, more than the other states…..

They are the Kings and Rangers of Australian Rugby.

I would like to know who is paying the Rebels bills at the moment as the VRU had no money.

I have raised that too. If it doesn't get a response by email by the end of the week I will lodge it through the Senate Inquiry public submissions website as I want to make sure they have enough time to notify O'Neill, Clarke, Cox and co before they go book overseas flights like de Clyne did.

[BLR]

According to some of the Rebels mob on GAGR the bill payers are just a bunch of nice blokes who don't like the limelight so would prefer not to be mentioned.

[BLR]

So lets put this in english the deal with the Victorian government is said to be circa $20m and approx one quarter, so $5 m goes to the Rebels for working capital and the remainder - let's say $14 goes to the ARU. And that's the deal.

Comments?

That's the crux of it. $15 million going into the ARU coffers as a one off hit to keep them afloat for a few years.

Keeping in mind once signed they will be providing 10 years worth of tests in Victoria for nothing while the going rate for the Perth Bledisloe is $5 million for a one off. Imagine the going rate for a one off Bledisloe in 10 years.

Victoria got a hell of a deal.

[shasta]

Spending 3/4 of tomorrow's income today and giving the Rabble the other 5 million. On top of the $18 million of "incremental funding" they have already squandered. You could not dream this shit up! Dead set.
The next ARU strategic plan? Just Nimble it and move on.? So much for the grass roots bullshit.

[Bakkies]

Lou that is the supposed deal that we don't even know if it is signed? When is the next state election by the way? As we know with Government deals that are announced it could be scrapped e.g Howard Government approving the new development at Ballymore and Rudd getting in and abolishing it.

Why then did the ARU continue to pump money into them ? at the exact time - according to the Hansard notes - that they refused the loan to the Force? Who benefited? Certainly a good set of questions for Linda - will this be on your submission , Alison?

Can you tell me what the WA Gov deal was with the ARU? I really don't know but I've been told no deal as WA Gov has no money - excuse my ignorance if this is arse-up.

The deal that the WA Government has already followed through on by building facilities on for the Force (that are also rented out by the Perth Glory) and a Bledisloe Cup test that is already part of the IRB future schedule? The morons at the ARU have claimed that they have signed a deal for a franchise in the Rebels that don't know if they are competing in Super Rugby past 2020 (up for negotiation next year), no Lions Tour agreement past this year and Bledisloe Cup tests that are dependent on the not yet negotiated schedule that has only announced time frames.

It was mentioned in the Inquiry that the WA deal wasn't included in the financial funding and financing for the Force yet the unsigned deal for the Rebels was included in theirs.

[jargan83]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/l...702-1gw32.html

I'm wondering what the legal argument was that got the rabbitohs back in. Cant seem to find it.
I wonder if the ARU can be forced to release their criteria for our exclusion? Can the senate recommend ACCC referral and draw this out? Are there any legal grounds if we can show the Force surpass other Aus teams in these criteria?

The High Court actually overturned the Federal courts decision that saw Souff Sydney reinstated to the NRL.

I’d assume that could be dangerous precedent if the law talking guys went to the High Court??

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...588463480.html

[Perth Girl]

Lou I'm sure that Pulver said at the hearing that the ARU continued to pump money into the Rebels because they needed to have 5 teams for the broadcast agreement. He didn't seem to understand how ironic that statement was!

[lou]

Lou I'm sure that Pulver said at the hearing that the ARU continued to pump money into the Rebels because they needed to have 5 teams for the broadcast agreement. He didn't seem to understand how ironic that statement was!

I get the irony, but why didn't they tie it to an Alliance Agreement with them as well? that's what I don't understand.

[Alison]

If that was true PG, why did they not go to SANZAAR in 2014 when the 2011-15 TV deal was being renegotiated AND they had control of the Rebels and say "we can't afford to field 5 teams anymore" instead of agreeing to go to an 18 team format and making things even more expensive for themselves and recommitting to field 5 teams?!!

[shasta]

On reading the Hansard transcript I noticed how agitated Pulver was at the questioning about past funding arrangements to the Rebels/Imperium/VRU. He kept asking the relevance to the ToR's, and had that explained chapter and verse by Senator Reynolds. She also informed him that how much weighting past performance related to the scorecard was of major interest to the inquiry. He answered, almost too quickly, "The primary weighting was looking forward, not looking backwards."

Now, politicians are expert in these matters of how to get report/reviews to say exactly what you want. You just set them up so that they can arrive at no other conclusion than the desired one. Remembering that the "scorecard" was compiled with the help of "consultants", the tabling of the 13 ARU internal reviews of the past decade could prove interesting. "Independent" reviews can provide a lot of defensive ammo for people like the Pulver and Clyne when facing oversight of their dealings . So just how "independant" they were may be key.

Take the only one Pulver was prepared to mention - probably because Sydney based Rugby WA director David Vaux is involved somehow, was conducted by Saltbush Capital. Saltbush capital has been running 20-odd years and was founded by former Wallaby and ARU director Steve Williams and Sydney Uni RUFC Director and former player Patrick Allaway. These two are also involved in a venture capital enterprise called Allaway, Hawker, Williams. Bet you can't guess which Hawker. .

Now, I'm not unaware of the up-front and worldwide Rugby Business Network, though I know nothing of how it operates. But if the rest of those inquiries are provided by similarly "independant" operations you begin to wonder what real value they provide, apart from being a nice little earner. The ARU governance model is supposed to be best practice and chock full of directors more than capable of running the show, presumably without the need for "outside" help from their mates more than once a year. And with few results due to those pesky state Unions not playing ball, according to Pulver.

Interesting times.

[UAUdiver1959]

Its part of the Victorian Government LOI for games yet to be gazetted to Victoria (i.e. the 2025 Lions tour), at best, the Vic Gov't would be stumping $2m up front and only based upon Bledisloe's etc. NONE of these games have been allocated venues yet. $20m looks great but it is over 8yrs and very conditional.

[UAUdiver1959]

Why did the ARU not use the excuse of the licence transfer (Cox to the VRU for $1) without ARU sanction as the mechanism to revoke the Victorian licence? I must have missed that during the hearing or is this yet to be asked?

[Kalahard]

Pulvers submissions to the inquiry were pathetic. Pulvers questioning of the Senators was pathetic. Pulver taking so many questions on notice was pathetic, no doubt some evidence fabricating is occurring as we speak. Pulvers knowledge of the business he is responsible for the day to day operations of was also pathetic. Claiming ignorance and confidentiality will not work. Pulver, being a board member of SANZAAR and having no idea how SANZAAR operates is pathetic and very worrying that our National body has signed us up to an organization that they have little knowledge of how it benefits Australia. The ARU had the chance to prove themselves and their processes are transparent, they did not. In fact the submission by RugbyWA directly after Pulver started to expose the lies immediately.
The next inquiry submissions day should be very interesting.

[Kalahard]

Why did the ARU not use the excuse of the licence transfer (Cox to the VRU for $1) without ARU sanction as the mechanism to revoke the Victorian licence? I must have missed that during the hearing or is this yet to be asked?

The VRU circumvented that requirement through a put option negotiated by the ARU, VRU, Cox and Imperium before the sale to Cox. The ARUs claimed ignorance and surprise, and basically any noise about Melbourne being removed is all bullshit. The reason we know its bullshit is because the ARU have been negotiating the support package from the Victorian government in unison with the VRU to save the Rebels while refusing to enter negotiations with the WA government, RugbyWA and Andrew Forrest.

[Bakkies]

another wily move by Tim North QC

Won't be wily as the VRU don't have the money without VRU assistance to fund the Rebels.