Where to for Twiggy Rugby?

[ForceFan]

The Stockmen have been around for a while. Sort of a 50-50 between invites and apply for a position. You usually travel at you own expense from memory but I'm assuming the force is picking up the tab on this one.

G'day Sully, this has has some coverage on the Force thread.
It's the usual set-up with players being asked to pay $2,000 which I assume is to ensure commitment rather than just go on a rugby holiday.
However, I would expect that Minderoo will be assisting The Australian Stockman org in other ways.

Wallabies, Nathan Charles and Mark Gerrard have confirmed that they will be playing for the Stockmen.
Wallaby, Nic Henderson will be coaching the team.

More info at: https://www.westernforce.com.au/force-play-country/

Good lead-up game to help the broader WF squad get some game time before the start of the NRC.
I would expect that some of the 1st XV will need a break after what should be a cracker of a game against a full-strength Panasonic Wild Knights side the week before.

 

[ForceFan]

Yesterday attended a good game of rugby - Wests v Soaks.
Good to chat with the WF coaching group watching the WF players in action.
Watched highlights of the the 2 Super Rugby finals.
Unusual, almost uncomfortable, indifference towards Super Rugby Finals and outcomes.
So pleased that 3 good games planned for the WF over the next month.
Can't wait for announcements about World Series Rugby in 2019 - hopefully in August.

 

[chibimatty]

Hopefully some integration of the NRC season into the next rounds of Force games; would be good to see some advertising

 

[dru]

Yesterday attended a good game of rugby - Wests v Soaks.
Good to chat with the WF coaching group watching the WF players in action.
Watched highlights of the the 2 Super Rugby finals.
Unusual, almost uncomfortable, indifference towards Super Rugby Finals and outcomes.
So pleased that 3 good games planned for the WF over the next month.
Can't wait for announcements about World Series Rugby in 2019 - hopefully in August.

It is probably time to start a proper thread.

 

[ForceFan]

It is probably time to start a proper thread.

G'day dru...it's probably worth waiting until after the expected announcement in August.

 

[ForceFan]

Seems like WSR 2019 is starting to take shape.....

Andrew Forrest’s bankrolled World Series Rugby set for expansion
Nick Taylor - The West Australian - Saturday, 4 August 2018

Western Force could battle as many as seven teams for a $1 million purse in an expanded World Series Rugby competition next year.

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest has already caused the biggest shake-up in Australian rugby since it turned professional 23 years ago by bankrolling WSR and the Force.
Initially designed to keep the Force afloat after they were axed from Super Rugby last year, WSR has established a foothold.
Forrest is getting ready to roll out a new five-year plan after the Force finish their seven-exhibition game series. Two of the new sides are believed to come from Japan.

Former Force captain Matt Hodgson, now the club’s head of elite performance, has just returned from talks with high-profile Japanese clubs.
One of the leading contenders will be the Robbie Deans-coached Panasonic Wild Knights, who the Force play at nib Stadium on August 17.
It is hoped one team will play out of New Zealand and other options include sides based in Fiji, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Clubs could be owned by companies, individuals, national unions or current management and will not be tied to a salary cap for their 30-man squads.
Twelve parties have already expressed interest about securing an initial five-year licence and at least two more teams may be added within five years.

The competition would be played between March and June next year over a 14-week home-and-away season.
The top four sides would then go into a three-week sudden-death finals series.

Discussions are also being held with broadcasters throughout the regions where games will be played.
A WSR spokesman said the 2019 competition “remains a work in progress” but announcements could begin within the next few weeks.

The tournament would need a tick of approval from Rugby Australia before being put to international governing body World Rugby for ratification.
However, WSR shapes as a vehicle to grow the game in Asia and the Pacific Islands, regions that could become strongholds for the sport.
World Rugby is likely to take a dim view if RA did not work with WSR, but it is understood the relationship between Forrest and the national body has improved slightly since the initial fallout over the axing of the Force, who finished 15th, 16th and 12th in their final three seasons of Super Rugby.
They didn’t qualify for finals in any of their 12 seasons.

WSR has morphed from Forest’s original plan for a six-team Indo Pacific Rugby Championship and will be run by an independent board with Forrest as chairman. There will be a commission of clubs.

https://thewest.com.au/sport/wester...-series-rugby-set-for-expansion-ng-b88916977z

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Seems like WSR 2019 is starting to take shape...

Andrew Forrest’s bankrolled World Series Rugby set for expansion
Nick Taylor - The West Australian - Saturday, 4 August 2018

Western Force could battle as many as seven teams for a $1 million purse in an expanded World Series Rugby competition next year.

Mining magnate Andrew Forrest has already caused the biggest shake-up in Australian rugby since it turned professional 23 years ago by bankrolling WSR and the Force.
Initially designed to keep the Force afloat after they were axed from Super Rugby last year, WSR has established a foothold.
Forrest is getting ready to roll out a new five-year plan after the Force finish their seven-exhibition game series. Two of the new sides are believed to come from Japan.

Former Force captain Matt Hodgson, now the club’s head of elite performance, has just returned from talks with high-profile Japanese clubs.
One of the leading contenders will be the Robbie Deans-coached Panasonic Wild Knights, who the Force play at nib Stadium on August 17.
It is hoped one team will play out of New Zealand and other options include sides based in Fiji, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Clubs could be owned by companies, individuals, national unions or current management and will not be tied to a salary cap for their 30-man squads.
Twelve parties have already expressed interest about securing an initial five-year licence and at least two more teams may be added within five years.

The competition would be played between March and June next year over a 14-week home-and-away season.
The top four sides would then go into a three-week sudden-death finals series.

Discussions are also being held with broadcasters throughout the regions where games will be played.
A WSR spokesman said the 2019 competition “remains a work in progress” but announcements could begin within the next few weeks.

The tournament would need a tick of approval from Rugby Australia before being put to international governing body World Rugby for ratification.
However, WSR shapes as a vehicle to grow the game in Asia and the Pacific Islands, regions that could become strongholds for the sport.
World Rugby is likely to take a dim view if RA did not work with WSR, but it is understood the relationship between Forrest and the national body has improved slightly since the initial fallout over the axing of the Force, who finished 15th, 16th and 12th in their final three seasons of Super Rugby.
They didn’t qualify for finals in any of their 12 seasons.

WSR has morphed from Forest’s original plan for a six-team Indo Pacific Rugby Championship and will be run by an independent board with Forrest as chairman. There will be a commission of clubs.

https://thewest.com.au/sport/wester...-series-rugby-set-for-expansion-ng-b88916977z

This is what I've been hoping to see more of. Actual news from the organisation. If I were WR (World Rugby) I'd be on the phone to RA emphasising the importance of the region in regards to future growth and suggesting that they don't screw it up.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Sounds good - pity we are talking about 2 Japanese sides in wsr and not 2 oz sides.


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[Aurelius]

Sounds good - pity we are talking about 2 Japanese sides in wsr and not 2 oz sides.


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Technically there still could be. Two from Australia, two from Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Fiji and one from New Zealand could be the eight.

It could be a pretty good opportunity for Rugby Australia, too. Endorse the new comp as long as Forrest promised to include an Australian Barbarians team, made up of promising NRC players with a few marquee names, based in say Western Sydney and bankrolled (at least initially) by Twiggy. All it would require on their part would be a little humility and fors-

Oh, forget I mentioned it.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Technically there still could be. Two from Australia, two from Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Fiji and one from New Zealand could be the eight.

It could be a pretty good opportunity for Rugby Australia, too. Endorse the new comp as long as Forrest promised to include an Australian Barbarians team, made up of promising NRC players with a few marquee names, based in say Western Sydney and bankrolled (at least initially) by Twiggy. All it would require on their part would be a little humility and fors-

Oh, forget I mentioned it.

If that were to occur I'd actually prefer it to be Adelaide based.

 

[Aurelius]

Sure, but you'd like to be able to stage your matches at night.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

WCR too early to have a team based in Adelaide in WSR.....future expansion team yes...but not for next year

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Interesting that article on wsr moots that will be 14 week Comp with 3 weeks of finals for those in top 4 positions.

Raises importance of pro team being involved in other comps where for 2 Japanese sides that works with their involvement in top league. While for force and Fiji that would work potentially with nrc.

Point being nrc could equally be more important vehicle for all re get to mitre 10 type quality. You could potentially also have other pacific island sides also involved in wsr also invited to nrc which would be win win for both comps and strengthen the pathways for all involved.

Interesting times. Looking forward to seeing plans for wsr as making rugby stronger across the Asia pacific can only be good for oz rugby as will create more progressional opportunities closer to home, and hopefully growing interest in rugby in oz.


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[Rugbynutter39]

On another matter hopefully we see with wsr going back to call teams by their city they play out of Eg perth Force - as been one big criticism of super rugby


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[kiap]

On another matter hopefully we see with wsr going back to call teams by their city they play out of Eg perth Force - as been one big criticism of super rugby

I hear what you're saying.

Still, I don't think that a strict formula of "X-city Y-nickname" should be pursued with Brad Thorn-like puritanism.

Firstly, it's not a case of "going back" to the perth Force; unlike the Auckland Blues, there never was a Perth Force. The formula is not a hard and fast rule in any case. The names Auckland Blues, Canterbury Crusaders, and Western Province weren't based on cities anyway. The criticism came when they dropped all geographical locators to become nicknames only.

BTW, speaking of puritans, take the New England Patriots – no city name there for one of the most successful NFL teams.

The name 'Western Force' is already well established and bedded in. You don't throw away a decade and a half of hard-fought history lightly, with all the branding and name recognition that goes with it.

The game of rugby union is invisible enough to the public in this country as it is.

That's also a big reason why I don't support renaming the Queensland or New South Wales sides. Everyone in rugby knows they're really only Brisbane and Sydney teams, but ditching 100-plus years just to meet an arbitrary "X-city Y-nickname" formula? It's a mad idea.

 

[dru]

Still, I don't think that a strict formula of "X-city Y-nickname" should be pursued with Brad Thorn-like puritanism.

Personally I think this sort of puritanism should be pursued rarely, if at all.

 

[kiap]

Personally I think this sort of puritanism should be pursued rarely, if at all.

Agreed, but I'll hang on to that word "rarely" for the moment. I'm prepared to see Big Bad Brad get another shot next year. Firstly because it's going to happen anyway and secondly because the Reds have needed a clean up for a while and probably still do. That might not be a popular view, but fuck it. Does that mean Thorne also needs to pick up his game? Yes it does.

But I digress (and admittedly left the puritan hook in there). Back to WSR.

 

[Aurelius]

The name 'Western Force' is already well established and bedded in. You don't throw away a decade and a half of hard-fought history lightly, with all the branding and name recognition that goes with it.

Yes, and extending that across WSR by using existing teams with existing brands, facilities and brand names basically acquires free goodwill instead of having to start from scratch.

Western Force vs Panasonic Wild Knights may sound a little clunky, but having existing fan bases to support both sides makes up for it.

 

[The Honey Badger]

If that were to occur I'd actually prefer it to be Adelaide based.

Rugby is in Dire Straits, in case you didn't know.

Expansion to Adelaide would IMO, be doomed.

Time now more than ever to go back to the base. Sydney or Brisbane or surrounds has to the target for any new expansion.

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[wamberal]

Adelaide. FMD.