Where to for Super Rugby?

[Boomer]

Looks like Twiggy will be clocking up the time in Courts over the next few months.

Did you go on and read the report? I'd suggest not. Most grown ups don't fall for clickbait.

 

[Mr Doug]

I said it before I'm not a lawyer but obtaining the license under faulse pretence isn't exactly above board and I'm sure that's just the tip of the ice berg

It's a bit like a company 'trading whilst insolvent'. It becomes a case of 'who knew what, and when'?!

 

[Jon]

Interim ARU Board should be set up with the Presidents of each of the Member Unions plus one RUPA and Stookes can be the interim Chairman .
1. Bring back Force
2. Bring in investigative accountants to trawl through financials
3. Bring in ASIC for complete governance overhaul
4. Appoint new CEO with vision to grow the game

Shit that's not a bad idea or format!


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[Jon]

I can't wait for Stooke to tee off on the ARU I feel what he has said is just the beginning.

Here's hoping. But unfortunately it wouldn't surprise me if he's bound by NDAs from here until tomorrow


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[GaffaCHinO]

Here's hoping. But unfortunately it wouldn't surprise me if he's bound by NDAs from here until tomorrow


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I thought that as well until he unloaded yesterday. It could be 'what are you going to do sue me, then a the dirty laundry will be out in the open'.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

GEOFFREY STOOKE ARU BOARD RESIGNATION STATEMENT

At approximately 3.30pm (WST) yesterday afternoon I resigned from the Australian Rugby Union Board.

I did this as a consequence of the Australian Rugby Union Board’s decision to remove the Western Force from the Super Rugby competition. I did not participate in this decision, as over the past two months I had been recused from all Board meetings, teleconferences & discussions on the Super Rugby ‘culling’ process. Yesterday I advised that I would no longer recuse myself but the Chairman believed I couldn’t do that & agreed to provide me legal advice supporting his opinion. It was never forthcoming.

I joined the Board in 2012 as the Director nominated by the ‘Other Member Unions’ & I was subsequently reappointed as an Independent Director when the major governance reform occurred. I would like to sincerely the ‘Other Member Unions’ for their early support & all Members of the Australian Rugby Union for their ongoing support.

Whilst I always acted in the best interests of all Australian rugby, my background has enabled me to also offer contributions with a perspective that included the needs & issues relating to the community game, Super Rugby & non-heartland Member Unions.

Over the five & a half years I have been on the Board, there have been times when I have had very different views on issues to those of some of my fellow Board members & those of management. However, I always believed it was better that I be ‘inside the tent’ rather than offering commentary from ‘outside the tent’. Importantly, whilst I expressed my views within the Board, once decisions were taken I then supported them privately & publicly. As was my fiduciary responsibility!

Recent events have been difficult for me & I have fought strongly to retain five Super teams, to honour various commitments to players, fans, governments, sponsors & others, to maintain a national footprint for our game & to avoid possible expensive & brand damaging legal actions. It was not simply me trying to save the Western Force because of my previous association with that team. I strongly believe it is not strategically sound to remove a team, particularly given recent positive financial initiatives with the two ‘at risk’ teams.

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.

Today’s decision means that over sixty players & staff will lose their jobs, have their families disrupted, a Member Union will lose its elite rugby team & the pathway to elite rugby for Western Australian players will be lost. I believe they all deserved better. We can talk about investing in this & that but just remember, we are not talking about a corporate overhead but a team that is made up of hardworking & committed people!

This decision is not about the financial viability of teams but an opportunity to reallocate financial resources in what I believe is in response to pressure & demands from various vocal rugby interest groups in relation to community rugby funding. Unfortunately, the demands were not fact base but the damage is now done. Of course, we would like to invest more in grassroots & other areas but removing a Super team to do this is not the answer.

I was opposed to the inclusion of an Argentinian team & a Japanese team in Super Rugby. Without doubt, the failure of such an unwieldy, unattractive & more expensive competition has contributed to the demise of an Australian Super Rugby team & the future demise of rugby in Western Australia. They did not deserve this!

Opportunistically, concerns regarding the competition structure provided the leverage to negotiate the removal of an Australian team! Removing a Super team & retaining the same level of broadcasting revenue was attractive to some.

When the Rebels were experiencing significant financial issues prior to private ownership, the need for a national footprint for our game & the avoidance of reputational damage were high priorities. Significant financial assistance was provided. This has certainly changed now, with the loss of our national footprint & the players, fans & supporters in Western Australia being denied the opportunity to watch live or play elite rugby in Perth.

I never wanted to throw any team under the ‘bus’ but to create a situation that considers retaining a team that has lost almost $30million (including nearly $17.5million additional cost to the ARU) since 2011 at the expense of a team that has incurred additional cost to the ARU of only $5.5million since 2005 is outrageous! We should be rewarding success not failure. To introduce financial criteria that have nothing to do with the financial viability of each term is less than appropriate.

An appropriate consultation process was never in place & in my view the Western Force was always being targeted for removal. This was simply because they were seen to be the easiest to remove contractually but they were not the team that deserved to be removed. The process lacked due diligence & contained significant levels of bias.

My passion & love for the game goes back over sixty years & has never diminished- & will not diminish! It has been a long journey with over 50 years playing, over 40 years coaching & over 30 years as an administrator. However, without a doubt today is my all-time low point in the game.

However, my thoughts are with the people who will be impacted by this decision today. I wish them all the best in what I know is a difficult time. They may only be a ‘desk top study’ at St Leonards but they are real people, they are many & they deserved so much better.

The Australian Rugby Union is the custodian of the game of rugby in Australia, not simply the custodian of the business of rugby.

In conclusion, all the best to RugbyWA in their future efforts to address the very difficult events of today.

Kind regards,

Geoffrey Stooke OAM

 

[Moono75]

I am sure the resignation letter by Geoff Stooke is the tip of the iceberg. He has kept it civil and highlighted a few of the financial inequities in the level of support dished out by the ARU. Hopefully the lies of the ARU are brought fully into the open and exposed.

 

[oztimmay]

Did you go on and read the report? I'd suggest not. Most grown ups don't fall for clickbait.

Did you? I wouldn't associate Fairfax, especially the Age, with click bait. Other organisations are far better at clickbait than The Age.

I understand and appreciate this is a significant problem, and I applaud anyone that can help try and address the issue. However, lines like this are not helpful, and potentially libellous.

"I have to hold the Greens accountable here; the Greens might as well be the party for paedophiles, the party for child sex abusers – you're the party of human rights and you've forgotten the human rights of children, just call yourself the party for paedophiles."

Even if you take a just a slight interest in politics, you would understand they Greens possess strong values in social justice. I would not associate as the "party for paedophiles and sex abusers". I'd imagine it would be quite offensive to anyone who supports or works in/with the Greens party. I wouldn't even call my worst enemy of a being a paedophile. or sex abusers.

Now, perhaps his passion for the top manifested itself in this form, but if you choose to offend or insult, you are likely to be held to account. Let's hope his good work with indigenous communities s not undone with a silly comment.

 

[Mr Doug]

Reading comments from a bloke like Geoff Stooke (OAM) confirms just how weak, incompetent, and pathetic the "under-achievers" like Pulver, Clyne and some of their fellow Board members are!
We need to rid the ARU of the 'infection' that is contaminating our wonderful game! There are good people 'out there' who can run the game at a level which encompasses the 'grass roots', through to the National teams (both male and female)!! We just have to convince them to 'step up to the plate'!!

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Comments from Stooke and in view of what has transpired means in time over the next 12 months at the minimum all the ARU board members need to be removed. They are a stain on rugby in this country and whilst they are in office after what has transpired in recent times and over the last few years means they need to be held directly accountable.

The Australian rugby fraternity has completely lost confidence in the executive and board of the ARU and we surely cannot justify any of them staying in office. What a pity they are not elected by the general public as all of them would be gone imo and deservedly so.

Good luck getting me to any Wallaby or Super Rugby games whilst these muppets remain in office.

 

[D-Box]

Wonders aloud if the rugby centre will be given to the AFL or maybe used as a carrot to get the NRL to set up a team.

I can't see it being left in the hands of WS Rugby.

Currently sharing with Perth Glory

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[tragic]

 

[Scooter]

Unfortunately it was a witch hunt against the Force from day one or even before then. The 48-72 hour consultation process was just a load of rubbish. Jamie Pandaram was even writing about the Force being cut well before official announcement of cutting a team.

Realistically any reasons given by the ARU are just rhetoric and main reason for the Force is legally it was the easiest to cut.

Very disappointing, with all the Aussies playing overseas there are enough players to field 5 teams. Need to increase sponsorship and interest. A year or so ago there was a deal done to have one match replayed on Channel Ten each Sunday. Did that eventuate? I didn't see much of it in Melbourne (but I have Foxtel so didn't go actively looking for it). If it did happen surely it needed better promotion.

 

[ACT Crusader]

I am sure the resignation letter by Geoff Stooke is the tip of the iceberg. He has kept it civil and highlighted a few of the financial inequities in the level of support dished out by the ARU. Hopefully the lies of the ARU are brought fully into the open and exposed.

I apologise in advance for my cynicism and perhaps it's because I spend time around politicians and carpet baggers, but that resignation letter is a well crafted PR document for Stooke and his own face saving exercise. I don't know the man but I've seen a thousand "letters" like this that go public rarely for "the good of the people" reasons. To me he is trying to clear his name, but he has skin in the game big time. And what's with the overuse of exclamation marks?

 

[Moono75]

I apologise in advance for my cynicism and perhaps it's because I spend time around politicians and carpet baggers, but that resignation letter is a well crafted PR document for Stooke and his own face saving exercise. I don't know the man but I've seen a thousand "letters" like this that go public rarely for "the good of the people" reasons. To me he is trying to clear his name, but he has skin in the game big time. And what's with the overuse of exclamation marks?

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.

 

[Quick Hands]

Reading comments from a bloke like Geoff Stooke (OAM) confirms just how weak, incompetent, and pathetic the "under-achievers" like Pulver, Clyne and some of their fellow Board members are!
We need to rid the ARU of the 'infection' that is contaminating our wonderful game! There are good people 'out there' who can run the game at a level which encompasses the 'grass roots', through to the National teams (both male and female)!! We just have to convince them to 'step up to the plate'!!

Pulver has one achievement to his name. He seems to have achieved the impossible and toppled JON from his position as the most despised official in Australian rugby.

 

[Killer]

I apologise in advance for my cynicism and perhaps it's because I spend time around politicians and carpet baggers, but that resignation letter is a well crafted PR document for Stooke and his own face saving exercise. I don't know the man but I've seen a thousand "letters" like this that go public rarely for "the good of the people" reasons. To me he is trying to clear his name, but he has skin in the game big time. And what's with the overuse of exclamation marks?

Geoff Stooke has given us an insight into the workings of that board. I think that is entirely appropriate when Clyne has made numerous claims about the situation with zero evidence. These claims have been engineered to smear the WF and anyone who supports them, including Geoff Stooke, IOT achieve their desired outcome and quieten dissent.
If you want to have a glass half empty view it is easy to be critical, my suggestion is for people to try putting themselves in others position.

 

[Killer]

Pulver has one achievement to his name. He seems to have achieved the impossible and toppled JON from his position as the most despised official in Australian rugby.

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.

 

[moa999]

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

 

[Slim 293]

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