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Australia A will not compete in 2009 Pacific Nations Cup
December 17, 2008 AUSTRALIA A will not compete in next year's Pacific Nations Cup, the Australian Rugby Union has announced.
The ARU board announced a "strategic decision" to pull out of the competition amidst the current economic environment.
Australia A finished second in the past two years of the tournament, which has given fringe players a chance to stake their claims for Wallabies selection.
The ARU said in a statement: "There are alternative playing options for fringe Wallabies currently under consideration."
The ARU also announced it would suspend the 2009 Australian Rugby Shield, a round robin tournament involving teams from Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, NSW Country and Queensland Country.
Despite the global economic crisis, the ARU said it would still deliver full core funding to its state affiliates next year.
The ARU said it would "continue rolling out almost $8 million in allocations for grassroots development nationwide in 2009, on top of more than $17 million in Super 14 grants."
AAP
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
Dear John,
Say it isn't so
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
What the hell!!! My gosh.. So there is basically no Aus A. That's crazy, what about te injuries from s14 who need to work their way up? What about the new players we are introducing to top level rugby? Would Richard Brown have made his wallaby Debut this year if he hadn't played for Aus A? Would Drew have got back from his injury so quickly?
Not cool John O'Neil.. Not cool
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
This is crazy, I can see players not in the Wallabies going overseas to get some game time. Perhaps if they cut the fat cats perks there might be a bit of cash for what is really important - like rugby games!!
As if something like this wasnt inevitable, i mean seriously.. All sports in the world are under strain, there was a article on this forum earlier this week about the England Premiership tightening there belts. The all mighty NFL has cut 10% of there staff..
It was always going to hit Australia as well, its easy to condem JON's decision, but im interested in what other ideas some of you have about cutting expenditure, yes someone already mentioned cutting the salaries at the ARU HQ, possible but like the players they are on agreements and contracts as well..
Cut grass root spending, no thanks
Cut S14 spending, well that isnt feasible
Cut wallaby spending, well thats just killing the goose who layed the golden egg
The PNC and ARU Shield would have cost quite a bit, with flights all over the country, at the end of the day the PNC is probably more beneficial to the other nations then it is to Australia.
I wouldnt be suprised if we see 7's funding cuts in the near future as well, JON is a shrewd person though and wont announce that until after the Adelaide competition.
Companies are reducing there sponsorship obligations, they are pulling out and reconsidering there support in all sports, Rugby Union will be no different, sponsors will pull out in the next 12 months, which means cuts need to be made somewhere.
I think some of you are overestimating the contribution that the PNC gives to Australia as well, yes it gives a stronger pathway for players to come back from injuries and to also improve there form. Yet, this is still feasible through club rugby, it has happened in the past, several players have made comebacks through club rugby. It also boost the strength of club rugby, which is just as good as a cash injection with bigger draw card players.
ok so that last statement was a bit long and drawn out, to summarize it though, and add a few on
-i agree with the cuts, costs need to be trimmed in the current economic enviroment
-Sponsors will leave the game, we are going to see a high turnover of sponsors in the next 12-24 months, revenue in the Super14 and ARU will go down
My predictions of more cuts
-the Super14 expansion will possibly be delayed, if not Australia wont be getting a 5th team, it will be someone like Japan..
-Players contracts are going to be reduced, yes it means more players are possibly going to be heading overseas
-players with top up contracts will be reduced, i am predicting now that we will see many players cut from top-up contracts, currently around 50 players receive it, i imagine this will shrink to closer to 30
-More wallaby matches will be sold overseas, even if its only the Bledisloe next year, it will be a trend which will continue and possibly escalate
-i expect 7's rugby to be cut next, but the announcement will be made after the adelaide tournament, more likely at the end of the IRB 7's competition for the year
Curse me all you want, but i stand by these words now, in the next 12-24 months we will see much of what i have just said happen.
The true JO'N is starting to emerge now.
Doesn't give a rats about the given sport or associated culture, it's all about enhancing profits under his tenure.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
He is up to something - no Shute Shield no Aus A no Arc - where does he expect the next generation to appear from ?
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
how do you suggest the ARU pay there players if they are running a defecit?
Yeah the true JON is emerging now, the shrewd buisness person who knows how to keep things financially viable. Hate him all you like, but this is only the beginning of cuts across all sports.
Im sure we will hear some rumours out of the NRL camps in the next few months, teams struggling to secure sponsorship etc etc. AFL has already canned the AFL match in South Africa next year because of the financial crisis, i am highly expecting the new Gold Coast AFL side to be delayed for another 12 months as well.
the same spot they came from prior to those tournaments.. club rugby, hence why he said they will continue the investment in grass roots rugby.
Shute Shield hasnt being cancelled either, you are thinking of the Australian Rugby Shield, which hasnt produced any decent players in the last 5 years anyway.
In this article at least it doesn't refer to running in a deficit, just referring to the economic crisis as the catalyst, if you have other knowledge of that fact then fair enough.
The point being, it takes no great business acumen or shrewdness above all others to lead a business by shutting down "branches", there are 10,000 CEO's around Australia who could make that decision. If he was such a genius, after two years at the helm, he would have been making announcements along the lines of, "despite the global financial difficulties, the ARU are proud to be in a position to continue in the PNC, both developing the next generation of Wallabies and supporting the developing Rugby Nations in the region thanks to the (insert blinding flash of business brilliance he's being paid for) initiative"
Instead we are faced with retreating to the earliest days of Pro Rugby, being lead by an introverted, non-visionary "messiah".
I think he is totally overrated and is bad for the code.
In fact, I heard at the ARU water cooler the other day...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
I happen to like JO'N myself but it's not good news either way - especially the loss of the Shield (I must admit that I would prefer the PNC to be an actual 'Pacific nations' tournament and have an expanded Super 14 for our players instead - although that must be under threat too). I guess the shadow tri-nations they were talking about for 2009 is off the agenda...
I have to agree with you TOCC, the only reason the aru will run at any kind of profit this year will the game in Hong Kong. If you do have a business and the finance is in crisis , you shut down the loss making excersizes and focus on your core business, as it stands right now 75 % of super 14 players are coming out the the sydney club comp which the aru does provide grants to. Only 2 of the sydney clubs are not in debt at this point so it is crucial that they continue to be viable.
With time and effort the perth club comp will continue to improve.
only one s14 club will run at a profit this year to my understanding. NSW , but i may be wrong.
J'Oniel is a tough cookie and extremely difficult from all accounts but most empires collapse because they are too big to keep going. for the time being this may be some neccesary pain.
BTW the usual response on the pacfic nations non inclusion in the s14 is that there is no tv money to be made out of , those places. they would have a tough time contracting those guys as almost all of the starting xv's from the last world cup pacific nations sides are european based and earning far more than they would in the s14
have all the the s14 team lost money this last season? the july to june financial year.
to my understanding this financial year the aru was looking to make a profit. they tend to lose money in world cup years except when the cup is held in the respective host country.
things will be even tougher though as vodafone and ford have now pulled the pin on sponsorship.