THE ARC COMPETITION IS FINISHED

[Seldom]

Too much politics and not enough looking after the future of the back. It will be those poofter sydney clubs.

[Jess]

Pretty dark about this decision. Very dark indeed.

Hate how everything has to be about money and that it is the financial aspects of the game that dictates decision making rather than having the best interests of the game itself in terms of future development of young and local talent at heart. Like Happy said... wouldn't having a stronger national team with more depth in terms of experience be worth a couple of million dollars loss. It was only the first year anyway and it was never going to be as successful as it would of if it was held in a non world cup year. What are they doing?!?
I just don't understand what's going to happen now... they better work out some way of getting some sort of national club comp going otherwise we're back to where we were and way behind other rugby playing nations that have their own comps such as the currie cup. We can't just have nothing.

*sigh* It's a sad sad day for Australian rugby...

[travelling_gerry]

another win to the Sydney Clubs

[GIGS20]

I can't see what the problem is? We're in a rebuilding phase for the Wallabies, Latho is off to the big money up north, No Gregan, No Larkham, surely their salaries will pay the bill for a second year of ARC. in the same breath developing the talent required to fill their positions.

Is there any chance that RWA could put a team in the PI cup?

Sevens?

Age comps internationally?

Surely there's some way of giving good young Force players an opportunity to play together (rather than against one another)

[Unnamed Sauces]

Currie Cup....here we come........

[GIGS20]

This from RugbyHeaven

But Arvid Petersen, chairman of NSW Rugby said the demise of the ARC was disappointing but inevitable.

"Although the ARC produced some wonderful results on the field ... NSW is exposed more than anyone with three teams," said Petersen.

"Rugby-wise the tournament was a great success and it has shown the way for the future, providing we get the model right."

And Peter O'Meara, chairman of Rugby WA said he hoped the concept would not be abandoned.

"The players want it, the fans want it and Australian rugby needs it," O'Meara said.

"We hope that in the not too distant future a new, more sustainable national tournament rises from the ashes."

Can anybody guess how the votes were cast?

I'm predicting Rugby Establishment voted against with everything they had, and forward thinking administrators with the advancement of Rugby at the front of their mind voted for.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Heard Mulvihill on ABC this arvo and he wasnt happy. He said the financial losses incurred were, 1 the Melbourne Rebels and associated costs involved with them coming on board and day to day running expenses, and wait for it.......underwritting Sydney rugby for any incurred losses for them to participate in the ARC. If this is the case well thank christ we have a new man on board(Deans) who may quietly give these stuffed shirts the finger and hopefully progress our game.Interestingly, Mulvihill said the Spirit with the largest attendances were basically self funded by RugbyWA.
Randwick, University and Eastwood still think the rugby world revolves around them, but hang on to your G and T, cause things are gonna change.

[GIGS20]

I'd gladly put money in to help Melbourne get going in the ARC.

As for Sydney club rugby......they already suck enough out of the game as it is!

[fulvio sammut]

I've got a brilliant idea.

Give each first grade club in WA $100,000 of the $1,000,000 plus wasted on the WA ARC nonsense team and see what they can recruit for WA by way of class players available for Force/Academy selection. I bet they would each come up with at least 2 players who could give most of the Academy and 25% of the Force a run for their money.

Who says RugbyWA have a monopoly on knowing whats good for Rugby? Most clubs have some administrative personnel doing the job for nothing who would run rings around the incesteous hacks bludging off the Union.

Lets bulldoze whats left the gravy train passengers and put true rugby people back in control before it's too late. See how fast the in-it-for-the-money and the glory boys are deserting the sinking ship, leaving the locals to pick up the pieces, already.

[jono]

this is going to hinder the development of new players.
how are they supposed to get noticed now?

[fulvio sammut]

By playing well in the local comp, getting noticed, and being asked to trial, and being given a fair shake in the next level up? How hard is it? Oh yeah, someone is going to have to do some legwork and actually see what's going on locally. Silly me.

[jono]

well, i better get my knee sorted out and get fit so i can play next year. gotta play to be noticed

[fulvio sammut]

That's the spirit laddie!

[blueandblack]

very disappointed to say the least.

[GIGS20]

By playing well in the local comp, getting noticed, and being asked to trial, and being given a fair shake in the next level up? How hard is it? Oh yeah, someone is going to have to do some legwork and actually see what's going on locally. Silly me.

That's a great idea in principle FS, the only issue I have is exactly the reason the ARC was conceived as an idea, at the moment (even in NSW if the press is to be believed) there is a bit of a gulf in standard of competition between Club rugby and super 14. That's not to denigrate club rugby at all, it's simply a factor of the number of elite players available for each team. You see there are 4 Super rugby teams in Australia, and let's say that everyone on the playing roster of those teams is a super elite player, that makes about 140 super elite players. They also would have an academy team and some apprentices to approximately the same commitment, that's another 140 elite players. If we take these 280 elite players, and remove (say) 50 for test duties and injuries and such like, we could spread the remaining 230 amongst 8 ARC teams and we'd have 28 elite players per ARC team. Now we top each of those ARC teams up to 35 players with the cream of the local club scene and you can see that the level will be almost the same level as the Super 14. If however we take WA as an example, the Force/Spirit would be choosing from a pool of about 70 elite players, losing (probably) about 13 to injuries or tests. leaving 57 players. If we put that 57 players into the Premier clubs to boost club rugby to it's peak standard, we will have about 7 players per club (there are 8 club teams isn't there)

That's why I think the ARC is a good idea! It gives those stars of the future, who got their skills in club rugby, a place to not only showcase, but also to hone their skills in a more competitive environment. Along with giving me more 'event' standard rugby to watch, giving these guys some experience playing in front of crowds (albeit a tenth of a S14 crowd) opportunities for more club officials, administrators etc to be involved. It's truly a level of competition that Australian Rugby is lesser without.

As for the good points you make about asking the local people to identify talent etc, I don't argue with them, I don't know how much input club officials had to who was selected for the Spirit, if it's not much...yes that's a bad thing!