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TODAY AT 3:21 PM SUPER RUGBY
The VRU and RUPA have called for a special general meeting of the ARU board.
by Sam Phillips
The Australian Super Rugby saga is getting messy, with the Victorian Rugby Union and the Player's Association voting for a special general meeting of the ARU board.
To be held as soon as possible, the meeting will seek transparency from the ARU regarding the decision as to whether the Force or Rebels will be cut.
It will also move to bring all board members together to determine the best course of action regarding rugby's future in Australia.
RUPA officials met with Rebels players in Melbourne after training yesterday and action has now followed.
RUPA CEO Ross Xenos was scathing in a RUPA statement released this afternoon.
"The ARU’s intent to axe an Australian Super Rugby team has lacked transparency and consultation with key stakeholders," he said.
Rebels captain Nic Stirzaker has called for a decision as soon as possible. Photo: RUGBY.com.au/Stuart Walmsley
Rebels captain Nic Stirzaker has called for a decision as soon as possible. Photo: RUGBY.com.au/Stuart Walmsley
"Today’s unanimous RUPA Board resolution illustrates the commitment of players from all across the country to take action towards a constructive solution to this ongoing fiasco.
“The ongoing uncertainty and secrecy of this process continues to do unprecedented damage to the reputation of the game and has placed unacceptable distress on players and their families.
"In every Australian team there are players and staff whose livelihoods and wellbeing have been compromised through this protracted process.
"If there is no clear way forward for Australian rugby that provides the necessary cost savings to justify altering our current professional rugby footprint in the middle of this broadcast cycle, then it’s about time we stopped uppercutting ourselves, backed the retention of five Super Rugby teams and got on with fighting our common enemies outside the tent."
The Force have mounted a spirited campaign in their quest for survival. Photo: Getty Images
Xenos also questioned the ARU's rumoured move to buy the Rebels from Andrew Cox - for a reported asking price of $6 million.
"The most consistent narrative we hear from the ARU is about the financial challenges the game faces and how tough times are," he said.
"Axing an Australian team and disenfranchising a rugby community was justified five weeks ago by the ARU based on financial savings.
"Now, anywhere between six to ten million dollars promised to be invested into the game, including at the grassroots level, could be burned so that the ARU can cull a team and save face around the SANZAAR table.
"Why are we are cutting a team at all and limiting Australian rugby’s future if there are such discretionary funds within the game that ARU can afford to buy a license, only to scrunch it up and throw it away?"
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2017/05...u-call-for-egm
this will be interesting
I feel a spill motion brewing
About time the RUPA stood up for the players who are by far the most affected in this whole grubby saga.
Can see a few board members and management not been to happy with this development.
I really hope that this meeting is a blood letting session with a lot of the instigators of this mess receiving the most casualties.
Have the meeting, just make sure we have Sinderberry, Hansie, McCusker and Howard there to represent RugbyWA. Just make sure this meeting isnt an attempt by the VRU to supplant the ARU board by hostlie takeover to benefit Victoria and no one else.
Yes, there is a real risk the VRU has a cunning plan in play, RugbyWA will need to get its shit together real quick......but they have done a damn good job so far, since this fiasco started. Stay very hard on this please Hansie and Co.
Five teams surviving in Aus may be firming in the betting ring I suspect (with a new ARU CEO at the helm)
Well its launched by the VRU which is Tim North and not the MRRU pty ltd which is Mr Cox. Tim North wont go away quietly and will fight to the death to save the VRU. Just be wary of Tim North, hes out to make trouble for the ARU and the rest of us to save himself.
There is also the potential that, if a spill motion is raised. Pulver could have NSW voting to remove him as well. Given that this is the first real chance they have had to do more than piss and moan about the NRC 'supplanting' the shute shield.
This better not fuck us. The fact that it isn't launched with at least some aspect of association with us is worrying.
Rugby Union Players Association want answers from ARU over plans for Melbourne Rebels
Iain Payten
The Daily Telegraph
WALLABIES captain Stephen Moore and leading Australian Test stars have helped force a special General Meeting of the ARU after RUPA joined forces with the Victorian Rugby Union to get answers on the Super Rugby downsizing “fiasco”.
Upset at the “ongoing uncertainty and secrecy” around the ARU’s process to cut one Super Rugby team, the Rugby Union Players Association board voted to support the VRU in requesting a special general meeting of the ARU voting members.
Such a meeting can be called at the behest of two voting members and must be held as soon as “practicable”. RUPA said it wanted the ARU board to give “a transparent, comprehensive update on the ARU’s review process to date along with the financial implications of various rationalisation models.”
The anger and frustration of the players association is made all the more plain when looking at the distinguished names on the RUPA board who are current stars of the game: Moore, Bernard Foley, James Slipper, Scott Sio, Tom English, Matt Hodgson, Ed Jenkins and Shannon Parry.
“The ARU’s intent to axe an Australian Super Rugby team has lacked transparency and consultation with key stakeholders. Today’s unanimous RUPA Board resolution illustrates the commitment of players from all across the country to take action towards a constructive solution to this ongoing fiasco,” RUPA CEO Ross Xenos said in a statement.
“The ongoing uncertainty and secrecy of this process continues to do unprecedented damage to the reputation of the game and has placed unacceptable distress on players and their families.
“In every Australian team there are players and staff whose livelihoods and wellbeing have been compromised through this protracted process.”
It is unknown whether the special General Meeting could see a spill of the ARU board and under-fire directors such Bill Pulver and Cameron Clyne turfed out.
RUPA, who have consistently backed the retention of five teams, said if it was made clear there was no way to cut a team and make the savings that the ARU have justified the cull on, they should withdraw from the 15-team model.
“If there is no clear way forward for Australian Rugby that provides the necessary cost savings to justify altering our current professional Rugby footprint in the middle of this broadcast cycle, then it’s about time we stopped uppercutting ourselves, backed the retention of five Super Rugby teams and got on with fighting our common enemies outside the tent,” Xenos said.
The RUPA wants answers from the ARU over its plans for the Rebels.
Amid reports the ARU are negotiating with Melbourne Rebels owner Andrew Cox about buying his licence back and shutting the franchise down, Xenos said that option didn’t line up with the ARU’s narrative about the financial problems the game is facing.
“Axing an Australian team and disenfranchising a Rugby community was justified five weeks ago by the ARU based on financial savings,” Xenos said.
“Now, anywhere between six to ten million dollars promised to be invested into the game, including at the grassroots level, could be burned so that the ARU can cull a team and save face around the SANZAAR table.
“Why are we are cutting a team at all and limiting Australian Rugby’s future if there are such discretionary funds within the game that ARU can afford to buy a license, only to scrunch it up and throw it away?”
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...876e6bcd0686ef
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Like i have alluded to, i wouldn't be surprised if this is some desperate attempt by Tim North to make a move to save the Rebels as the rumours persist about Cox selling the license. If Cox sells then the VRU have almost no other avenue of rescuing the Rebels. Things are getting desperate in Melbourne, lets see what they are going to do.
OK, so the reasons RUPA are being linked with VRU in this case are
1 The VRU is the voting member which has a right to call from an Extraordinary meeting as long as they are supported by another voting member
2 The MRRU are not a voting member, therefore they can't do it
3 The VRU have put out the call, RUPA are just climbing on board to support it with their vote (Interesting that Tim North didn't call Malcom McCusker to see whether RugbyWA would vote)
4 RUPA have been pretty clear in supporting a 5 team model in this press release
5 I think it's all directed at the Rebels, because the media are sharpening knives for Melbourne now, not for us.
At the end of the day, it will take somebody to stand up and table a motion of no confidence, that will need to be seconded and then carried by the board. I reckon (since NSW - 3 votes, Qld - 3 votes and ACT - 2 votes are safe) that this motion will be defeated and then the tabling party and the seconder will be thrown out of the board. (ie WA and Vic) It will then take time for them to propose a replacement voting member and during that time, the votes will be either unused (or worse, proxied to one of the existing members)
I wouldn't be going that direction until I knew I had the numbers to carry it through.
C'mon the![]()
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You seem to think WA would second a hypothetical "no confidence". I'd guess that is no given - ditto with RUPA. Why would anyone concerned be ringing Mr McCusker![]()