Australian Rugby / RA

[Inside Shoulder]

Hard to believe given the events of last season but reading the posts between here and my last post has made me even more disheartened by the state of the game.
This is unsustainable in the medium term and the only question is how close is it to unsustainable in the short term?
Presumably the RA move to leased premises means - as with most of the rugby clubs in Sydney - they have sold their only major fixed asset, the proceeds of which they will now dip into to stay afloat from year to year: am I being too pessimistic? Come on Braveheart you usually come in at this point to say all is not lost. I really need you tonight!

 

[Hawko]

almost certainly, but as Tex posted on the Rebels thread, they had half a roster to fill and clearly either they or the Force were going to be the big beneficiaries of the culled team. You could argue that, so far, from the Rebels, only Hanson and Cummins have been directly forced (boom-tish) overseas. i strongly suspect there will be other casualties as well however.

That doesn't include the Force players who have no gig anywhere. There are 5 or 6 of them. Apart from TPN they are journeymen, I know, but they shouldn't be forgotten. They put their heart and soul in last year only to get shafted.

 

[Boof1050]

Hawks it wasn’t only those players that put their heart and soul in. Mate there’s a couple thousand behind the scenes who put theirs in before them to give those guys a chance. What I’m scratching my head about is how do I explain to the 13-15 yr olds that were coming through that some pea heart pencil pushing wanker has just removed a major step in the process to play professionally. Off to the afl you go.

 

[swingpass]

That doesn't include the Force players who have no gig anywhere. There are 5 or 6 of them. Apart from TPN they are journeymen, I know, but they shouldn't be forgotten. They put their heart and soul in last year only to get shafted.

I did say from the Rebels. There are as you say many Force casulties.

 

[lou75]

What I’m scratching my head about is how do I explain to the 13-15 yr olds that were coming through that some pea heart pencil pushing wanker has just removed a major step in the process to play professionally.

If you must use technical terms you may lose your audience. I would have thought c*&k s%&king s&%m bag would be more appropriate.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Hawks it wasn’t only those players that put their heart and soul in. Mate there’s a couple thousand behind the scenes who put theirs in before them to give those guys a chance. What I’m scratching my head about is how do I explain to the 13-15 yr olds that were coming through that some pea heart pencil pushing wanker has just removed a major step in the process to play professionally. Off to the afl you go.

If you work out how to explain it there are rugby playing teenagers in many corners of this country who wold like to hear it - this is the RA and this is how they roll

 

[Forceright]

Well, well, well-the net is finally closing in. Have a great first day at work Raelene.
Australian Securities and Investment Commission to examine Melbourne Rebels dealings
Nick Taylor | PerthNow
January 14, 2018 12:34PM
SENSITIVE information has been handed to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission as it investigates Rugby Australia’s dealings with the Melbourne Rebels before axing the Western Force from Super Rugby.

The detail, that was not publicly revealed to the Senate inquiry into the culling of the Force, was requested by the corporate watchdog.

And in another twist it can be revealed the Victorian Government guaranteed Rugby Australia $4.5 million to channel to the Rebels if they promised to keep the club in Melbourne.

It is understood information sent to ASIC raises questions about RA board decision-making and whether it was able to make informed choices with the information presented.

It suggests the board may not have been given all information about deals with New Zealand businessman Andrew Cox before he was sold the licence for $1 three years ago and his sale of the club to the Victorian Rugby Union in August last year for the same price that effectively ended the Force's future.

ASIC is also assessing whether the board was fully informed of a rival offer led by former Rebels foundation member Alan Winney.

Meanwhile The Sunday Times has obtained the Special Funding Agreement between RA and the Rebels that handed them $4.5 million over two years.
The confidential document, signed by RA’s outgoing chief executive Bill Pulver and chairman Cameron Clyne, and Rebels chairman Tim North and director Owen Stone, is dated October 6, one month after the Force was chopped. It says ARU (now RA) had negotiated a funding agreement with Visit Victoria in support of Test matches in Victoria from 2020-2025.

“Further, the VV Agreement provides additional funding for the ARU in the amount of $4.5 million in connection with the continued participation of the Melbourne Rebels as a Victorian-based team in the Super Rugby competition.

“ARU will pay the Rebels Funding into a bank account owned and controlled by MRRUL (Melbourne Rebels Rugby Union Ltd) as nominated by MRRUL to ARU.

“ARU will pay the Rebels Funding to MRRUL in the following instalments:

(i) $3,000,000 on execution of this Agreement;

(ii) $1,000,000 on the first anniversary of the execution Agreement;

(iii) $500,000 on the second anniversary of the execution of this Agreement.”

It was revealed in The West Australian last September that a submission was given to the Senate inquiry detailing secret talks between RA and the Victorian Government.
The submission said RA planned to use money from Visit Victoria to buy and then close the Rebels but the Victorian Government put pressure on RA to pull out of the deal, saying they would not receive any money if they did not back away from the plan.

ASIC would not comment on the status of investigations. RA said there would be no comment.

The Rebels and VRU did not return calls when asked for comment.

 

[TOCC]

$4.5million won’t go far, a conservative estimate would be that the Rebels will post a $1million operating loss this year, and unless they sign a major sponsor it will be significantly more. Bloated management and consultancy fees plus and a player bill exceeding the salary cap.

Australian Rugby can’t afford to have clubs and states operating at unsustainable levels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Quick Hands]

Hawks it wasn’t only those players that put their heart and soul in. Mate there’s a couple thousand behind the scenes who put theirs in before them to give those guys a chance. What I’m scratching my head about is how do I explain to the 13-15 yr olds that were coming through that some pea heart pencil pushing wanker has just removed a major step in the process to play professionally. Off to the afl you go.

Shafting people at the grassroots is the one thing at which the ARU/RA excel. In fact it's probably the only thing that they are best in the world at.

 

[Quick Hands]

$4.5million won’t go far, a conservative estimate would be that the Rebels will post a $1million operating loss this year, and unless they sign a major sponsor it will be significantly more. Bloated management and consultancy fees plus and a player bill exceeding the salary cap.

Australian Rugby can’t afford to have clubs and states operating at unsustainable levels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

As it stands, I think that the whole super rugby operation in Australia is unsustainable. We're talking the levels of subsidy from head office to super rugby like the car industry received for decades. Only thing is the ARU/RA don't have 25 million taxpayers to slug, they've only got an ever diminishing pool of club juniors and subbies players to hit with a levy.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Australian Rugby can’t afford to have clubs and states operating at unsustainable levels.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

By definition no one can

 

[TOCC]

By definition no one can

No they can't.... I know it was stating the obvious, which is what makes it harder to watch it occur

 

[Quick Hands]

The whole thing is a bit like watching a train crash in slow motion. The tragedy is that most of it has been forseen and forseeable - in fact a number of us have been predicting/warning of the current state of affairs for some time. We've hit stage four of a dramatic tragedy (catastophe). All that remains is stage 5 - The recognition or catharsis ends the tragedy. The playwright leaves the audience with a lesson as the remaining characters review the the tragic hero's fall from grace. The lesson told onstage reinforces the tragic nature of the loss and the events leading up to the disaster.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The whole thing is a bit like watching a train crash in slow motion. The tragedy is that most of it has been forseen and forseeable - in fact a number of us have been predicting/warning of the current state of affairs for some time. We've hit stage four of a dramatic tragedy (catastophe). All that remains is stage 5 - The recognition or catharsis ends the tragedy. The playwright leaves the audience with a lesson as the remaining characters review the the tragic hero's fall from grace. The lesson told onstage reinforces the tragic nature of the loss and the events leading up to the disaster.

Wish I’d known about that for my HSC. On a more positive note it appears that RA may no longer be a certainty for the annual NEPOTISM AUSTRALIA (NA) AWARD, with this from AFR: “Well, now that Tancred is gone (he was cleared of the bullying allegations), the AOC last month appointed his replacement. And they turned to none other than Strath Gordon who, before a decade with NSW Police, was the head of media and comms for the Australian Rugby Union. And who is the CEO of the AOC these days? Since May, it's been Matt Carroll, who is a former deputy chief executive of the ARU and spent much of his career there in various roles. So, clearly the old mates' network is dead and buried ...

Read more: http://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window/boys-club-alive-and-well-at-aoc-20180115-h0ilid#ixzz54Hf8nPO6
Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook”

 

[Quick Hands]

Wish I’d known about that for my HSC. On a more positive note it appears that RA may no longer be a certainty for the annual NEPOTISM AUSTRALIA (NA) AWARD, with this from AFR: “Well, now that Tancred is gone (he was cleared of the bullying allegations), the AOC last month appointed his replacement. And they turned to none other than Strath Gordon who, before a decade with NSW Police, was the head of media and comms for the Australian Rugby Union. And who is the CEO of the AOC these days? Since May, it's been Matt Carroll, who is a former deputy chief executive of the ARU and spent much of his career there in various roles. So, clearly the old mates' network is dead and buried .

Read more: http://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window/boys-club-alive-and-well-at-aoc-20180115-h0ilid#ixzz54Hf8nPO6
Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook”

These guys know no other way to operate.

 

[Rebels3]

Rugby Insider twitter handle (even if you agree with his opinions or not, hes normally on the mark with announcements or rumours) just tweeted not all Aus super coaches will make it to round 1 if money can be found. Well its not going to be the 3 new coaches id say.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

strange timing

 

[Strewthcobber]

Membership sales must be pretty awful for some of these teams.....

 

[TOCC]

Rugby Insider twitter handle (even if you agree with his opinions or not, hes normally on the mark with announcements or rumours) just tweeted not all Aus super coaches will make it to round 1 if money can be found. Well its not going to be the 3 new coaches id say.

Dunno, Thorn has been in the job for 2 months now... must be about time the Reds consider a new coach?? On a more serious note he must be referring to Gibson, although strange timing indeed, even more ridiculous then the QRU's decision on Stiles/Thorn.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Dunno, Thorn has been in the job for 2 months now. must be about time the Reds consider a new coach?? On a more serious note he must be referring to Gibson, although strange timing indeed, even more ridiculous then the QRU's decision on Stiles/Thorn.

Maybe cutting some of the assistant coaches if money is tight? edit re-read - says if money can be found, not if money can't be found! So yeah, head coach