Force set to be axed

[PerthGirl]

April 6 was supposed to be decisio. Day but I've read some speculation coming out of South Africa that the decision may be postponed again.

Planning for 2018 would have to start soon.

Damage has been done to Rugby in Australia already. The name of the game and Super Rugby as a completion is constantly being dragged through the mud at the moment.

There was an article in todays West saying the SARU are due to meet on Thursday but a source has said Super Rugby was not on the agenda and the number of teams will not be discussed. WTF!! sorry can't do links

[chibi]

So if the ARU says to SANZAAR "we're keeping all our teams," then what for SARU?

[blueandblack]

Page 66 "South Africa fiddles while Force left to burn".

It'll appear online eventually, I expect.

[jargan83]

This is a circus with no ringmaster.

[Kalahard]

Confusion surrounds the future of Super Rugby, frustrating teams and players who are concerned about their futures.
The Australian Rugby Union has refused to reveal whether it will cut a team from the competition until South Africa decides whether they are prepared to lose two sides.
Get in The Game
Footy Tipping and Fantasy competition with $150,000 in prizes up for grabs!
The axe has been hanging over the Melbourne Rebels, Brumbies and Western Force for months, while the Kings and Cheetahs are earmarked as casualties in South Africa.
The picture was expected to become clearer on Thursday when the South African Rugby Union holds its General Council AGM.
But no decision on how many teams SA wants to have included in Super Rugby from 2018 will be made.
A SARU source said Super Rugby participation was not even on the agenda and there would be no formal discussions.
" ...so no announcements," he said.
That will have further repercussions for the ARU who have a board meeting next Monday.
Meanwhile Western Force foundation player Matt Hodgson, who is on the board of the Rugby Union Players Association, said the ARU should back its five sides.
"It's frustrating what the top level administrators are doing, bringing the game down like this" Hodgson said.
"It's ruining the game.
"I don't know why we have become reliant on others to make the decision.
"The ARU should stand up and say 'we are having five teams, it's up to you guys to sort the rest out'.
"Draw a line in the sand and say the competition numbers are going to stay the same, we are just going to change the structure.
"Players are sticking strong. We believe we have the depth but a decision has to be made quickly because we are already losing players overseas because of the indecision.
"We should be focussing on the positives and let the players play football and not worry about their future."


https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-u...-ng-b88435750z

[Kalahard]

I wonder if Mr Nick Taylor can run an article or 2 onthe ARUs financials. Georgina Robinson, Iain Payton and Jamie Pandaram are privy to secret information, maybe our journalists can do the same and request access to the secret documents Payten and Pandaram are quoting and the unreleased financial documents Robinson has quoted in recent articles. We need the truth, we deserve the truth.

[Sheikh]

And another aside, the ARU spent more money running head office than it gave to 4 of the 5 Super Rugby clubs last year. Also 5 of the 9 board membets were paid more in Salaries than the ARU gave to grassroots funding.

Time for Mr Sinderberry to take over Pulvers job i think.

Matt Hodgson may be looking for a job for next year, too. He'd do a better job than Pulver is at the moment

[Herbasimplex]

And another aside, the ARU spent more money running head office than it gave to 4 of the 5 Super Rugby clubs last year. Also 5 of the 9 board membets were paid more in Salaries than the ARU gave to grassroots funding.

Time for Mr Sinderberry to take over Pulvers job i think.

I'm appalled but not surprised. The fat cats looking after each other. Maybe the easiest solution to this mess is to f$ck off the ARU board and replace it with one that will commit to 5 teams. Where's the petition for that one? I happily sign it.

[GIGS20]

Who are the ARU's shareholders, it's definitely feeling like time for a vote of no confidence.

In many ways I would have preferred for the ARU to come right and say that they are/aren't cutting a team and who gets the chop. This pointless dithering is hurting aussie rugby regardless of the decision that is made.

[.X.]

The ARU shareholders will be the states - Why would NSW and QLD want a change?

[SNOB]

The ARU shareholders will be the states - Why would NSW and QLD want a change?

Good one yesterday Ex! Enjoyed the read.

[.X.]

Good one yesterday Ex! Enjoyed the read.

Thanks Snob.

I hope nobody mind I went to GAGR for that, I wanted to get other Rugby Fans onside. I spoke with Travelling_Gerry, we felt that GAGR or ROAR was the best market for that article. The original article was twice as long. But some good editing made it readable. Lots of retweets on Twitter about it - Dave Wessels loved it, Sharpie, Scott Stanerforth.

[South]

This isn't just a horrible situation for rugby in general but the longer they drag it out the worse it gets.
My partner currently is a force player and for many of the force families, the wait is killing us. There are only a handful of players who have got a job for next year but the rest of us are here twiddling our thumbs as to if the force is staying put and if the force will resign any of its players or take up options overseas. It's livelihoods on the line at the moment and it's honestly the most stressful situation many of us have been in.

[Alison]

So sorry that you are in this dreadful situation South. It's an appalling way for the ARU fat cats to treat their loyal employees. We in the sea of blue will fight hard for you and all the Force families.

Stay strong!

[yungfen]

If only those administrators could feel what a lot of these young families are going through at the moment.
All due to their total lack of proper management.

I makes me so angry, we will all do our best to try and keep the Force and also the Brumbies and Rebels.