Western Force officially dumped out of Super Rugby

[smartcooky]

a merger like Galumay suggested was the best option. Even if it implicated the Rebels, I would have still supported the merged team.

I can speak to that in a minor way, being the supporter of a merged team.

Tasman is the result of a merger between Nelson Bays and Marlborough. Both teams used to play in the Heartland Championship, both teams wanted to play in the big time, but on their own, they didn't have the resources, only together could they do it. On the surface, it seemed the perfect union (no pun intended). Both teams at the top of the South Island and the two provincial capitals only a 90 minute drive apart. However, it was a very difficult marriage and it very nearly ended in an acrimonious divorce. There has always been a fierce rivalry between the two provinces (you're a Melburnian; imagine Carlton and Collingwood trying to merger), and about two years into the merger, the Tussock Jumpers over the hill in Blenheim thought they weren't getting fair deal (I wont bore you with the details).

My point is that the Force and the Rebels could have merged, with half the home games in Perth and half in Melbourne. That's how we resolved it. You might find the distance a hassle, but I can tell you that very few Tasman fans from opposite sides of the hill travel the 90 minutes to the other provincial capital on game day, and we can always watch it Live on TV.

 

[TRF_heineken]

My point is that the Force and the Rebels could have merged, with half the home games in Perth and half in Melbourne. That's how we resolved it. You might find the distance a hassle, but I can tell you that very few Tasman fans from opposite sides of the hill travel the 90 minutes to the other provincial capital on game day, and we can always watch it Live on TV.

Exactly, and that was also how the Cats did it when the now Lions and Cheetahs was 1 franchise. half of the games at Ellis Park, and the other half in Bloemfontein.

 

[mania]

"Grassroots" is starting to sound like a broken record.

another great example of an aussie being told what to do to fix your rugby and the advice being ignored. grassroots is the foundation that everything else is built on. thats why no matter what the ARU and Aus do it keeps collapsing. but dont take my advice. i said over 10 years ago and since ive watched the slow demise of aus rugby.
what i cant understand is why aussies are so against spending any money on grassroots. its for the kids.
superRugby can survive without aus. itll have to evolve into something different but the important ingredients are there, ie good rugby teams playing good rugby. aus doesnt offer that anymore

 

[mania]

Just out of interest, which ex All Blacks?

i shouldnt name drop but cos your a fellow canes man. tamatiEllison, johnSchwalger and rodneySooialo

 

[smartcooky]

SuperRugby can survive without aus. itll have to evolve into something different but the important ingredients are there, ie good rugby teams playing good rugby. aus doesnt offer that anymore

Five NZ teams, four South African teams, one Japanese team and either two Argentine teams or one Argentine team and a combined team from the PI's... full round robin... hey, its Super 12 all over again.

(If it was two Argentine teams, the Jaguares based in BA, the other based inland (Cordoba/Tucaman/Mendoza)

 

[mania]

Five NZ teams, four South African teams, one Japanese team and either two Argentine teams or one Argentine team and a combined team from the PI's... full round robin... hey, its Super 12 all over again.

if you just get rid of aus, invite back the cheetahs and kings and its a super13 again. one bye a week and easier to consolidate if your not introducing any new teams, for a couple of years until everything stabilises and SANZAR have a clear direction

 

[mania]

And let me say all those saying sunwolves wouldn't make it. They were competitive . We had new stadiums and environments to play in. New crowds and culture. imo a success.
They claimed a few good scalps. Travels a btch but u can't have everything. The money Argentina and Japan bring will go along way to keeping superRugby alive.

 

[The Jones Boy]

A merger between the Force and the Rebels would have been a successful compromise.
The rebels don't have many good players to keep and their best players could shore up the shortcomings in the force squad.
The infrastructure in WA could have kept its integrity and funding and it would be a way forward.

Losing the Western Force is a stone cold travesty of justice.
They were the only Aussie team who I made an effort to see their results each week.
I spent a year working in perth back before the millenium and I still follow the Dockers and well... I suppose I have to say I used to follow the Western Force.

 

[smartcooky]

And let me say all those saying sunwolves wouldn't make it. They were competitive . We had new stadiums and environments to play in. New crowds and culture. imo a success.
They claimed a few good scalps. Travels a btch but u can't have everything. The money Argentina and Japan bring will go along way to keeping superRugby alive.

The Sunwolves had amazing crowd numbers for a cellar-dweller team; well and truly put the Aussies to shame (and us to certain extent). What was the crowd figure for the Brumbies home quarterfinal... 6000?

If they had a table for most enthusiastic crowd support, the Sunwolves would have topped it undefeated all season.

 

[galumay]

another great example of an aussie being told what to do to fix your rugby and the advice being ignored.

Look, if you are going to engage in a discussion, at least keep it accurate and avoid the personal attacks, it reflects poorly on you. Its not about someone telling me how to fix rugby, or me ignoring it. I was simply pointing out that the whole 'grassroots' thing is an overly simplistic solution, its largely problematic in a competitive environment of 4 major winter football codes. Like most things in life, its not simple, its not binary and its not absolute.

superRugby can survive without aus

Maybe, maybe not. But if you dont realise that it would be a massive threat to it's future then I think you are not looking at the situation with an open mind.

A merger between the Force and the Rebels would have been a successful compromise.

I still think a better compromise would have been a merger between the Brumbies and Tah's, but apparently the decision was made very early and very quickly, that the Force would be canned, because the Rebels couldnt be, (and I am guessing couldnt be forced into a merger either), and there was no appetitie to explore any other options.

 

[Brigantine]

Off topic, but TIL there's a Fijian team in the NRC, starting in 3 weekends. And the current Australian champions are from Perth... and have the same logo as the Force - and the same captain and 19 of the same players.

I suppose that shouldn't really have been so surprising

 

[mania]

Look, if you are going to engage in a discussion, at least keep it accurate and avoid the personal attacks,

galumay - im sorry if you thought it was personal. if anything its a generilisation of all aussies not personal to you.

but yes i do want to discuss this. i want as many ideas bandied about as possible so that all avenues can be explored. im sorry if i seem nasty but the reality is imo if super is to survive and be an awesome rugby product, then the way aus is trending they have to go.

Maybe, maybe not. But if you dont realise that it would be a massive threat to it's future then I think you are not looking at the situation with an open mind.

Its not my conference under threat. its aussies. i do have an open mind about the future of superRugby without aus. its a contingent that has to be considered. if u and the rest of aus rugby dont get a robust grassroots created then imo honestly aus will be out of super by the next broadcast deal. aus cannot rest on its laurels that once it was a great rugby nation.

 

[Car]

Off topic, but TIL there's a Fijian team in the NRC, starting in 3 weekends. And the current Australian champions are from Perth... and have the same logo as the Force - and the same captain and 19 of the same players.

I suppose that shouldn't really have been so surprising

I knew about the Fijian team (and love it), but not about the other team. So they have found a way of keeping them after all?

 

[Bob]

The Rebels are hopeless and no one in Melbourne gives 2 shits about union. It has no profile. The Force had solid foundations and weren't pathetic on the field. Gutless call from ARU. Wrong call. Aussie rugby is killing itself.

 

[smartcooky]

Off topic, but TIL there's a Fijian team in the NRC, starting in 3 weekends. And the current Australian champions are from Perth... and have the same logo as the Force - and the same captain and 19 of the same players.

I suppose that shouldn't really have been so surprising

Perhaps the ARU should consider promotion/relegation?

The winner of the NRC plays the bottom placed team in the Aussie SR Conference for a place in the next year's SR, the loser drops back to NRC.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Did you guys see this article: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...force-out-of-super-rugby-20170816-gxxde5.html

It's starting to look a lot like South African sport with the government interfering...

 

[RoosTah]

Did you guys see this article: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...force-out-of-super-rugby-20170816-gxxde5.html

It's starting to look a lot like South African sport with the government interfering...

Similar, but different. Victoria only care about Australia Football, but politically they hated the idea of Sydney having a football competition that they weren't a part of. It wasn't so much about the Force, but rather their insecurities around Sydney

 

[smartcooky]

Did you guys see this article: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...force-out-of-super-rugby-20170816-gxxde5.html

It's starting to look a lot like South African sport with the government interfering...

Back-handers to get a favorable decision.

Sounds corrupt to me

 

[Brigantine]

Other than the taxpayers of Fiji and Victoria, where were ARU ever going to get the money from to keep the NRC running?

Well 2nd in conference and 26 table points. The Sunwolves have big shoes to fill next season - but I reckon they can do it.

 

[RoosTah]

Back-handers to get a favorable decision.

Sounds corrupt to me

I'm not a fan of the Victorians and their shameless self-obsession and self-promotion, but it's hardly corrupt for a state government to commit more funds to a sport so they can lure more high profile game to their city... these things are generally open for bidding after all and that's just a function of market economics.