Where to for Super Rugby?

[Moono75]

As a sign of protest and as a mark of respect, particularly if RUPA has any balls. All Wallabies players in the opening Test against the AB's should wear Force blue armbands to protest the ARU decision. At the very least a black armband will suffice!

 

[moa999]

I'm not sure what the ARU can do about time zones in other countries?

A 1p kickoff in Jo'burg/Cape Town would be 9pm in Syd/Bne/Cbr/Mel.

Yet almost all the Aussie games played. With a 7/8pm kickoff - so 3/4am... Stupid stupid stupid

8pm Jo'burg kickoff sort of works for NZ - 7am Auckland time - so it is at least wathable for most people

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In the same manner all our East Coast games against SA teams should be at night, so they are in a lunchtime viewing window.

 

[No4918]

As a sign of protest and as a mark of respect, particularly if RUPA has any balls. All Wallabies players in the opening Test against the AB's should wear Force blue armbands to protest the ARU decision. At the very least a black armband will suffice!

Nah. I wondered about this. They have nothing. I cannot see an ACA style standoff and player strike coming out of RUPA. All talk no action, their press release said all the right things now watch them do sweet fuck all.

 

[Slim 293]

A 1p kickoff in Jo'burg/Cape Town would be 9pm in Syd/Bne/Cbr/Mel.

Yet almost all the Aussie games played. With a 7/8pm kickoff - so 3/4am. Stupid stupid stupid

8pm Jo'burg kickoff sort of works for NZ - 7am Auckland time - so it is at least wathable for most people

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In the same manner all our East Coast games against SA teams should be at night, so they are in a lunchtime viewing window.

1pm is not a suitable time for SA broadcasters though...........

They schedule their games to suit their broadcast commitments, and we do the same.

 

[Gnostic]

Geoff Stooke was the only ARU director to vote against culling a team. It has been reported that he was actually excluded from some of the ARU board discussions on culling a team...that seems odd to me. Mate this whole process is about to be exposed for what it is and it's not going to be pretty.

He has been there for the ride for a fair while and done not much to drive reform that we can see, and certainly his letter sheds no light. So at 1 minute to midnight he stands up. A bit late IMO.

Funny how some people also think an interim board with RUPA and votes from the Unions would be in any way better than what we have now. Funny how those same voters voted in support of culling a side, and have overseen the collapse of Australian Rugby to the point it is now, and that has taken 20 years, not one or two.

 

[Gnostic]

No doubt that Vic connections to the old boys network stronger.



But this has been some time coming. Long term issues with RU.

- chasing the short-term Foxtel money rather than ensuring some games on FTA

- not supporting juniors and subbies to the extent of other codes eg. AFL

- not requiring games in Sth Africa, Argentina and v.v. to be played in watchable time periods

- supporting the Tahs moving 3 of their games away from the SFS

- forcing NRC on the club teams with no buy-in, versus say Soccer's FFA Cup

Apart from the time zone thing. That's a bit far fetched, in that case SARU could rightly require our game here to be played at 3am our time.

 

[p.Tah]

Not RUPA, I want the players to do it. Wear Blue Arm bands.

Right now the Force suppprters are angry and rightly so, but it's not Australian rugby's doing. It's not the Wallaby players, it's a group of board members and management.

The WA rugby community will channel that anger by boycotting Wallaby games. Games that contain Force players. Perhaps showing WA that the Wallabies support them will highlight it's the Head Office who should be protested against, not the players.

 

[Moono75]

Not RUPA, I want the players to do it. Wear Blue Arm bands.

Right now the Force suppprters are angry and rightly so, but it's not Australian rugby's doing. It's not the Wallaby players, it's a group of board members and management.

The WA rugby community will channel that anger by boycotting Wallaby games. Games that contain Force players. Perhaps showing WA that the Wallabies support them will highlight it's the Head Office who should be protested against, not the players.

Sometimes drastic action is required to get a point across. I think if tickets sales for the Wallabies v Boks in Perth were crap that would deliver a clear message to the ARU. I think if there is a crowd for the game but they are in Force jumpers and the rest in Boks jumpers that will deliver a message. If the crowd all stood during the game with their backs to the rugby pitch for 5 minutes that would deliver a clear message. Sometimes you need to cause some clear embarrassment and unease to drive the message home. Im sure the players would totally understand what the meaning of the protest was about and that its not directed personally to them.

 

[half]

Sometimes drastic action is required to get a point across. I think if tickets sales for the Wallabies v Boks in Perth were crap that would deliver a clear message to the ARU. I think if there is a crowd for the game but they are in Force jumpers and the rest in Boks jumpers that will deliver a message. If the crowd all stood during the game with their backs to the rugby pitch for 5 minutes that would deliver a clear message. Sometimes you need to cause some clear embarrassment and unease to drive the message home. Im sure the players would totally understand what the meaning of the protest was about and that its not directed personally to them.

What about say 10K or so Force fans in jumpers standing at the entrance but not going in.

 

[Moono75]

the crowd turning their backs to the game for 5 minutes would deliver the message. If they are also in Force/Bok jumpers even better.

 

[half]

But 10, 000 tickets not sold at say $ 70.00 per ticket is $ 700, 000 dollars that hurts .

 

[I like to watch]

Have a "save the force" rally at the same time as the test match, obviously at a different venue.

 

[TOCC]

But 10, 000 tickets not sold at say $ 70.00 per ticket is $ 700, 000 dollars that hurts .

But there will also be a few Force players in that team, and whilst it would convey a message, it's punishing the wrong people. The players through RUPA have voted unanimously through this to retain all 5 teams.

Turning up in Force jerseys would be a good message to send IMO, and maybe a few blasphemous banners aimed at the ARU

 

[TOCC]

Force to lodge appeal with NSW Supreme Court on Monday, with the hearing to take place in 4-6 weeks. So, ARU can't really do anything until that hearing is held.

 

[BLR]

Force to lodge appeal with NSW Supreme Court on Monday, with the hearing to take place in 4-6 weeks. So, ARU can't really do anything until that hearing is held.

Haven't they already cancelled the license? Or will this be grandfathered back?

As for the Wallabies game, the players should be on strike tbh, look at the flood of abuse towards the ARU if the Wallabies can't play their top line players. I don't care about some bs CBA sorted by the ineffectual RUPA, the ARU is buggered if they have no players.

 

[andrewM]

 

[Hoolly Doolly]

https://www.rugbywa.asn.au/news/geoffrey-stooke-aru-board-resignation-statement/

Stooke resignation statement. Interesting point......

"Sadly, I lost the battle & I was the only dissenting vote on the Board earlier in the year when the Board resolved to remove a team. This resolution was subsequently supported by an extraordinary meeting of the Australian Rugby Union."

Does that mean Victoria supported the removal of a team(knowing ARU wasnt targetting them).

Stronger as 5 my arse.....

 

[lou75]

https://www.rugbywa.asn.au/news/geoffrey-stooke-aru-board-resignation-statement/

Stooke resignation statement. Interesting point..

"Sadly, I lost the battle & I was the only dissenting vote on the Board earlier in the year when the Board resolved to remove a team. This resolution was subsequently supported by an extraordinary meeting of the Australian Rugby Union."

Does that mean Victoria supported the removal of a team(knowing ARU wasnt targetting them).

Stronger as 5 my arse...

No, VRU was the only member union that voted to keep the five teams. Stooke was the only Board member that voted to keep the five teams. These were different votes at different times.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Not RUPA, I want the players to do it. Wear Blue Arm bands.



Right now the Force suppprters are angry and rightly so, but it's not Australian rugby's doing. It's not the Wallaby players, it's a group of board members and management.



The WA rugby community will channel that anger by boycotting Wallaby games. Games that contain Force players. Perhaps showing WA that the Wallabies support them will highlight it's the Head Office who should be protested against, not the players.

What is interesting is we have such outrage against the ARU at so many levels in how they have (mis)managed our game....but yet no radical change or push for change within the ARU ever really goes anywhere. As this reflects to my mind why rugby has failed in this country as too many state based union and club factions pushing their own self interest and politics where there is no real united front. The political landscape for rugby is really screwed which is why to my mind why rugby will never succeed and grow at the professional level. Rugby is just too fractured and divided in this country to ever really succeed imo, and would take incredibly strong leadership to sort this crap out in what is a highly political and fractured landscape. Anyone remotely talented would not want to take on the poison chalice that is head of the ARU, hence will get only mediocre appointment for the next Head of ARU.

 

[Quick Hands]

I think Pulver was more the imbecilic henchman. I think it was clearly driven by Clyne for various reasons including his longtime association and thus loyalty to Victorian Rugby.

Pulver was installed in the role by his best mate (Hawker) to a role he was both ill-suited to and unqualified for. There's no doubt he loves rugby and he's probably a very nice guy too. Clyne would certainly appear to have taken the reins of late.

Personally, I've never forgiven Pulver for the "pissing it up against the wall" comment and his ongoing war with club rugby.