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Proposed national competition may revive Vikings
John-Paul Moloney, Canberra Times | March 18, 2008 - 1:03PM
The Canberra Vikings' current stint in the rugby wilderness could last just one year if a proposed 10-team national club rugby competition to begin in 2009 wins approval. ACT Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan gave his in-principle support yesterday to a plan to restore a national competition after the Australian Rugby Championship was scrapped last year after one season. A full proposal for a new bridging competition between city-based club rugby and Super 14 will be put to ARU chief executive John O'Neill today.
While Canberra and Perth would be likely automatic inclusions in the 'national competition', participating Sydney and Queensland teams would be decided each year based on their placings in Sydney's Shute Shield and Brisbane's Hospitals Cup. There are no plans to include Melbourne, despite it being involved in the ARC.
Each participating club would pay a participation fee of about $75,000 to cover travel and accommodation costs, removing much of the financial burden from the ARU and the state unions.
Fagan said he wanted to see more details of the proposal before pledgingfull support, but said it looked encouraging.
"The initial details appear to be interesting. It includes a Canberra-based team which is great, and if we can work out a way to provide football for that level of players to feed our Super 14 teams then we'll all benefit," Fagan said.
A strong national club competition has been a long-held dream of Australian rugby, which sees itself at a disadvantage against New Zealand and South Africa which have vibrant championships.
The first realisation of the dream - the ARC - came under a previous ARU administration headed by formerchief executive Gary Flowers. After citing disappointing crowds and mounting costs, the O'Neill-led ARU scrapped the ARC, leaving the Vikings without a competition. The supporters of the proposal believe the tribalism associated with traditional clubs would ensure stronger crowd numbers than seen for the ARC.
Before the proposal wins ARU approval, issues including competition duration and player payments will need to be thrashed out.Fagan said the proposed 20-rounds plus finals format was far too long, given the drain on player depth of the Wallabies schedule, the Australia A program and the under-20 world championships.
Another concern for the ACT Rugby Union would regard player payment. It is understood the initial proposal is for unrestricted player payment, which could see clubs in bidding wars for players."It should not be open-ended, there has to be some clear regulation there otherwise it will be an extraordinarycost for clubs that they don't need to pay," Fagan said. In lieu of their involvement in a competition, the Vikings will go on an overseas development tour in September.
Players will be drawn from the Brumbies squad and also from the Canberra club competition.Possible tour destinations include Japan, South Africa and Argentina.
Canberra Times