100% agree. On what basis were they excluded from the cull?
Can anyone provide a rational reason for them not being culled that excludes "they won two championships a long time ago or larkham played there"?
Have the rebels/brumbies play two games a year there. Pre season there and throw Canberra a test a year against one of the weaker teams.
You realise the same can be said for the Waratahs and Reds? Both have received financial help from ARU. Both have dropping crowds. Both have a long history of poor performances. If they were based anywhere but QLD and NSW they'd be on the chopping block too.
If a goal of the ARU was to turn Rugby fans of this country against each other than they have been extremely successful.
Instead of banding together we are at each others throats, tearing into all the other franchises to try and make our own look better (from what I have seen both here and on social media, one team's supporters are doing this more than any others - its clear which fans are fighting for their team to stay and which ones are more focussed on trying to point out why a different team should go). Force and Rebels fans are at each other and now the other teams are being dragged in too, especially the Brumbies. The ARU say we are safe so we must be the worst, should be gone etc.
Only sensible suggestion is to merge with Rebels? Yep, we only get 9-10K (will jump to around 12K if they play like they did against the Reds) at matches so lets trade DOWN to smaller crowds and more sporting competition, just throw Canberra a bone of a game or 2 where no one will go because they won't be our team any more, therefore proving that they should stay in Melbourne because Canberrans won't go to matches.
The whole thing is right royally fucked and it will be the death of Rugby in this country.
So thank you to the ARU.