The Canberra rugby union community is bracing for the biggest war since the start of the professional era as officials ready themselves for a fight to ensure the ACT Brumbies remain in the capital.
Rugby Australia lobbed a grenade at Super Rugby franchises on Wednesday, announcing its plans for a long-discussed centralised model that would see the governing body control all five Australian teams.
On the surface it has been mooted as a game-changing moment for the sport and the "historic strategic reset" rugby needs after continued decline over the past decade.
But it set off alarm bells in Canberra, with some fearing it was the beginning of what they described as a "hostile takeover" and an eventual plan to either relocate the Brumbies, or make them a feeder franchise for bigger states.
Rugby Australia sources insisted the centralisation push would not include relocation or raiding the Brumbies player stocks to improve NSW or Queensland.
Instead, the sources suggested they wanted to tap into what the Brumbies were doing and had plans to grow the club's reach beyond its existing boundaries in the ACT and southern NSW.
Several Brumbies officials and Canberra club figures were reluctant to comment when contacted by The Canberra Times. The Brumbies board is still discussing the best approach to Rugby Australia's proposal and wants more details before deciding whether it is a plan the directors are willing to support.
Their fears stem from the way Rugby Australia is using the structure of Irish rugby as a cornerstone for the transformation in Australia. In Ireland, Leinster and Munster are the two powerhouse clubs, with the rest viewed as more second-tier operations.
In Australia, NSW and Queensland are considered the most influential states given their populations and participation numbers.
The Brumbies have been Australia's most successful team since the start of Super Rugby in 1996, but there have been continual pushes from interstate to move the team.
Given the Western Force is now backed by billionaire Andrew Forrest and Rugby Australia has persisted with a team in Melbourne despite financial losses and poor results, the Brumbies have the most to lose.
Rugby Australia would seek to take ownership of the Brumbies' licence. Officials have privately reassured club bosses they have no intention of moving the club away from Canberra, or reallocating players to NSW or Queensland, but trust between organisations appears to be eroding.
Rugby Australia published its intentions on Wednesday morning, with each Super Rugby team adding a statement to the plan. The input from Brumbies chairman Matt Nobbs was the most lukewarm of all.
"The Brumbies will explore the process of helping shape the structure and direction of Rugby in Australia," Nobbs said.
"This club has a proud history of innovation and success in Australian rugby, and we see this as an opportunity to drive rugby forward in the ACT and Southern NSW."
Brumbies scrumhalf Nic White's move to the Western Force was one of the first indications centralisation was imminent.
The Brumbies have been accused of stacking Wallabies talent on their roster, despite rejected players from other states coming to Canberra to make a name for themselves.
White didn't want to leave the capital, but because the Brumbies have the highly-regarded Ryan Lonergan on their books it's understood Rugby Australia was keen to find a way for both of them to maximise their playing time.
The centralised model would see ACT rugby continue to administer community competitions and pathways, with Rugby Australia assuming control of all professional assets.
It is no secret the Brumbies have struggled financially for several years, with Rugby Australia reducing funding by 30 per cent when the Force was reintroduced to Super Rugby.
The Brumbies made a modest profit in 2021, but reported a financial loss at the annual general meeting last year.
Crowds at all Super Rugby games - both in Australia and New Zealand - have dwindled from the halcyon days, with rugby struggling to compete with rugby league and Australian rules.
WHAT'S THE CENTRALISATION PLAN?
Rugby Australia has been talking about a potential centralisation model for more than a decade, but finally decided to pull the trigger in an attempt to reverse the downward trend leading into the British and Irish Lions series in 2025, a home men's World Cup in 2027 and a home women's World Cup in 2029.
Rugby Australia sources conceded the powerbrokers knew centralisation would be a touchy subject, particularly in Canberra, but the leaders were adamant it was the right move.
Queensland has expressed some resistance to the move, but NSW, the Rebels and the Western Force are all on board.
As part of the changes, Super Rugby clubs will continue with the operational deliver of the men's and women's competitions and be aligned to a national high-performance plan.
It's understood Super Rugby coaching and player contracts would move into Rugby Australia's hands, as well as the Wallabies, Wallaroos and sevens programs.
Rugby Australia said the alignment was designed to improve results, commercial performance of Super Rugby teams and "streamline the governance of professional rugby".
Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said the move needed to be made now to be chase success over the next six years.
"Together, we need to change our collective approach to ensure that rugby in Australia can prosper, on and off the field - from the heartbeat of our game at the grassroots right through to our Wallabies, Wallaroos and sevens teams," Waugh said.
"We firmly believe that strategic structural change is required if we are to deliver success for the game in the future - particularly with the pipeline of major Rugby events happening in our backyard through to 2032.
"This is a significant project and needs to be done through a spirit of partnership across Australian Rugby, motivated by the collective desire to ensure we are winning on the field and ensuring that we are sustainable, and able to grow off it.
"The implementation of this model cannot be a one-size-fits-all model, and needs to reflect the specifics of each Super Rugby Club, Member Union and their markets.
"It will take time to successfully deliver this project, however we intend to formally commence work on rolling it out over the coming weeks, with a plan to methodically work through the process with our many stakeholders.
"With the many exciting events on the horizon for Australian Rugby, it is important that we take this opportunity to really set up our system, and our Clubs to be more successful, and drive the game forward at all levels."
NSW quickly jumped on board. They loom as one of the states who will benefit the most given Sydney is the biggest market in the country.
Chairman Tony Crawford said: "The reset of professional rugby in this country is long overdue. We are committed to RA's new strategic direction which will give the Waratahs an even better opportunity to develop, attract and retain the rich seam of talent that we have, and to grow our game from grass roots, at every level."
The Rebels and Force said they were supportive of structural reform, while Queensland chairman Brett Clark indicated the Reds were not fully committed.
"The Queensland Reds will be behind measures that will lead to more successful Super Rugby clubs and Australian sides on and off the field," Clark said.
"There is a lot of detail to work through, and we are supportive to start on what the model will look like in Queensland and how we can contribute to ensure sustained success on-field at all levels."
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