Where to for Twiggy Rugby?

[Brumby Runner]

Blah, blah, blah.

Everything Twiggy has said and done is (a) totally selfless (b) absolutely in the best interests of the game (c) has been rejected out of hand by the idiots who actually are responsible for the health of the game as a whole for spurious reasons and (d) Twiggy is an absolutely credible source of truth about everything that has been said and done.

Haw, haw, haw.

Wamb, with stringent attitudes like yours, you could easily end up with a whole lot of egg on the face if the two sides do manage to work together. Actually, that might not be such a bad thing.

 

[Brumby Runner]

So, there's a bit of talk now about bringing the o/s Aussie players back. Could they form the secretive International team that Forrest is talking about?

 

[barbarian]

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but this could end really well for Aussie rugby.

Essentially the ARU can use the Indo-Pacific Championships as a pilot model for Super Rugby 2.0, and simply expand it once the current broadcast deal expires.

If they can get Twiggy inside the tent (a massive if) then really anything is possible. It surely can't be a bad thing.
.

 

[half]

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but this could end really well for Aussie rugby.

Essentially the ARU can use the Indo-Pacific Championships as a pilot model for Super Rugby 2.0, and simply expand it once the current broadcast deal expires.

If they can get Twiggy inside the tent (a massive if) then really anything is possible. It surely can't be a bad thing.
.

I don't think TF wants to hurt rugby in Australia or destroy the ARU and State Unions.

He wants the current board to go, and the Force as a major part of rugby in Australia.

A smart group would see this and work towards these ends.

The primary issue is still the Super Rugby competition in and of itself and the need to start work on its replacement if needed.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I understand that there is little likelihood of the Indo-Pacific comp being an NRC hybrid as this doesn't enable Perth to maintain a professional rugby team. This is Forrest's main goal.

Expect more announcements from Forrest this week re a 6 Team International competition with Perth-based team as the ONLY Australian team.
Just not enough time nor interest to establish a 2nd Aussie team for 2018.

Forrest isn't trying to feed an Aussie market - that's the ARU's job.
He is planning to tap into the Indo-Pacific market that is economically booming.
The initial participants will have already established rugby programs and National teams albeit at lower world rankings.
The injection of more international players will improve the standard of play.
I reckon World Rugby/IRB will be keen to see/help that happen.

Will be interesting as this unfolds.

Expect more from Forrest this week.
ARU Board meeting on Friday.

FF (Folau Fainga'a) of course TF's main interest is WF but better Oz rugby environment has positive carryover effects for WA Rugby as the WF would want local derbies ideally as well. So if he can arrange a competition with more oz participation (which would attract more oz viewers) as well as Asian nations well funded and supported (read: Thanks Jack Ma for your help in funding to ensure $'s for better foreign players in Asian squads) then that would be optimal. First and foremost of course we want to see a WA side in professional rugby but they need games against other oz sides to help attract interest longer term. Super Rugby taught us that lesson. I have no idea how exactly this could all unfold so will watch with interest but if TF and ARU are working together that would be better for all concerned. I would have thought doors would not be closed at this this point and if anything starting to open a bit more following the legal decision (provided TF has closed appeal to the High Court which seems is the case).

 

[dru]

Maybe I'm too much of an optimist, but this could end really well for Aussie rugby.

Essentially the ARU can use the Indo-Pacific Championships as a pilot model for Super Rugby 2.0, and simply expand it once the current broadcast deal expires.

If they can get Twiggy inside the tent (a massive if) then really anything is possible. It surely can't be a bad thing.
.

The problem here is that all the 'give" is expected to be WA. Now, if they had actually been chasing the elusive B Plan, back when the met in Adelaide the ARU response could have been:

"OK, we plough the funds into a revamped National thing using your broader contacts internationally for the NRC, as we build for new arrangements in 2020. In the mean time, we'll give you your non-negotiable bottom line - Force continue in full season pro rugby."

Instead they said "get stuffed", and went to the media with, "hey what a pity this pillock hasn't got a better sense of timing".

And now they are, "but you know, we could use your funds".

So far, so good.

Where does everyone think this is travelling in the absence of full time pro rugby for WA?

 

[Rugbynutter39]

The problem here is that all the 'give" is expected to be WA. Now, if they had actually been chasing the elusive B Plan, back when the met in Adelaide the ARU response could have been:

"OK, we plough the funds into a revamped National thing using your broader contacts internationally for the NRC, as we build for new arrangements in 2020. In the mean time, we'll give you your non-negotiable bottom line - Force continue in full season pro rugby."

Instead they said "get stuffed", and went to the media with, "hey what a pity this pillock hasn't got a better sense of timing".

And now they are, "but you know, we could use your funds".

So far, so good.

Where does everyone think this is travelling in the absence of full time pro rugby for WA?

I am waiting to see detail but I do wonder whether small chance (ie less than 5%) the ARU may negotiate with twiggy the retention of the force in Super Rugby for a better deal than that offered in Adelaide ie twiggys comp replaces nrc with oz and Asian sides included.

I suspect this is all very fanciful at my point. Twiggy told us details out in a few days so might see this week some details.


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[dru]

Certainly we are not going to get bored watching this pay out.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I am waiting to see detail but I do wonder whether small chance (ie less than 5%) the ARU may negotiate with twiggy the retention of the force in Super Rugby for a better deal than that offered in Adelaide ie twiggys comp replaces nrc with oz and Asian sides included.

I suspect this is all very fanciful at my point. Twiggy told us details out in a few days so might see this week some details.


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I suspect our SANZAAR partners would veto any attempt at increasing our Super Rugby allocation for next year, especially if the ARU wanted to do it simply because they got a better offer.

The comp has to change, and the other guys think 4 teams is the right result

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[kiap]

Essentially the ARU can use the Indo-Pacific Championships as a pilot model for Super Rugby 2.0, and simply expand it once the current broadcast deal expires.

It's the only pilot we'll get. The ARU can't afford one. Hope this pans out.

 

[dru]

I suspect our SANZAAR partners would veto any attempt at increasing our Super Rugby allocation for next year, especially if the ARU wanted to do it simply because they got a better offer.

The comp has to change, and the other guys think 4 teams is the right result

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So why would anyone think Twiggy will simply go "fair enough ARU, here's my cheque, call me when you are interested in WA."

 

[barbarian]

Is he doing that though? As I read this, the ARU are saying to him 'great, let's do the Indo-Pacific Championships, and we can work together on it if you can time it right'.

So Twiggy gets his league, and the ARU get another valuable development pathway for minimal cost.
.

 

[dru]

Is he doing that though? As I read this, the ARU are saying to him 'great, let's do the Indo-Pacific Championships, and we can work together on it if you can time it right'.

So Twiggy gets his league, and the ARU get another valuable development pathway for minimal cost.
.

Let's hope so. There is a lot of suspicion for Twiggy here, and a lot for the ARU. Let's see where it goes.

 

[daz]

Is he doing that though? As I read this, the ARU are saying to him 'great, let's do the Indo-Pacific Championships, and we can work together on it if you can time it right'.

So Twiggy gets his league, and the ARU get another valuable development pathway for minimal cost.
.

Which, if the newspapers are correct, means that Twiggy gets to reshape the current NRC model into an Indo-Pac comp from 2018-2020, when the ARU and Twiggy's team sits down and decides what Super Rugby post-2020 might potentially look like.

It just means that the Force will exist in a second tier NRC-type comp for 2 years, until the current broadcast deal ends. All things considered, that is not the worst outcome for the Force.

I can just about say with confidence, that if the Rebels had folded there would have been no white knight to make that kind of deal on behalf of Vic Rugby. I suspect the Melbourne Rising competing in Twiggy's new league would have probably been the end game for us.

 

[Leo86]

Daz, unless the Rebels admin sort their shit out 2020 could be the end game still. Your Admin (mostly), players and supporters have a deadline to turn it around or come new comp/broadcast deal whatever you blokes are gonna have a lot of attention aimed your way

 

[daz]

Daz, unless the Rebels admin sort their shit out 2020 could be the end game still. Your Admin (mostly), players and supporters have a deadline to turn it around or come new comp/broadcast deal whatever you blokes are gonna have a lot of attention aimed your way

Absolutely. I obviously fundamentally disagree with many that we remain in Super Rugby out of luck/protection, but I fully believe and agree with your assessment that we have been given a window of 2 years to get our act together.

How will my Rebel admin team respond to that? I honestly have no fucking idea. The financial support plans have not been released publicly as far as I know, which, if tax-payers are footing the bill as we are led to believe, I would expect to see some sort of explanation ASAP.

 

[kiap]

The window has three years to run - for both the Force and Forrest's proposed comp, and the existing Supe teams and comp.

But, yeah, the future direction will need to be decided with two years.

But it's hard to see another simple rollout of a further five years of Soup.

 

[BLR]

How will my Rebel admin team respond to that? I honestly have no fucking idea. The financial support plans have not been released publicly as far as I know, which, if tax-payers are footing the bill as we are led to believe, I would expect to see some sort of explanation ASAP.

You would have to hope the financial plans going forward weren't organised by the same people who said the Rebels would be sustainable in 2 years under Cox.

This is what worries me about the ARU's 'spreadsheet', as they don't exactly have the best track record as far as financial modelling is concerned.

Hopefully the VRU is looking at getting some outside professionals in to see what they need to do to go into the black, I wouldn't be relying on the ARU's figures at all.

 

[daz]

.

But it's hard to see another simple rollout of a further five years of Soup.

Famous last words. Let's pull this post out in September 2020 and see if SANZAAR are really that dumb.

 

[Brumby Runner]

You would have to hope the financial plans going forward weren't organised by the same people who said the Rebels would be sustainable in 2 years under Cox.

This is what worries me about the ARU's 'spreadsheet', as they don't exactly have the best track record as far as financial modelling is concerned.

Hopefully the VRU is looking at getting some outside professionals in to see what they need to do to go into the black, I wouldn't be relying on the ARU's figures at all.

Apparently, there is nothing to worry about - Rob Clarke is back. (And who of the organisations he has spent time with in Super Rugby would begrudge you that?).