News surfaced over the weekend of the impending doom surrounding the finances of the Western Force, with a report suggesting it was on track to lose some $2.8M dollars this year. At its most hysterical, there were even suggestions the franchise may not be viable and was in danger of going bankrupt.
How much of this story is a bargaining gambit to persuade the WA government to shell out the required funds to upgrade Perth’s only semi-suitable rectangle stadium remains to be seen, however it is clear there is no shortage of red ink in the West.
As part of a co-ordinated assault from both the WARU and the ARU, John O’Neill, described the ARU’s commitment to WA rugby as ‘unambiguous,’ but I wonder if that support may change should the totally ‘ambiguous’ SANZAR negotiations fall through and the Jappies are no longer part of Super 14 rugby.
Only three days earlier the ARU’s Little Prince was extolling the virtues of a new Trans-Tasman, Asia-Pacific competition, should the current impasse with the South Africans fail to be resolved.
So how does this brave new Super rugby proposal reconcile with O’Neill’s total support for a team on the outer limits of the trans-Tasman region? Simply, it doesn’t.
O’Neill is keen to control costs, and one thing that would scare him is the costs associated with having a rugby team in the West. With dwindling crowd figures and memberships and corporate support for the team all heading South, there is no way the Force can be self sufficient financially and so, they would represent an on-going burden for the ARU.
There is no doubt that Australia needs a fourth Super rugby team but there is sufficient doubt as to whether it needs five – enter Melbourne. Melbourne has long been an untapped rugby market and one that could be run at a substantially lower cost than the geographically isolated Perth in the new competition format.
The only really successful team to come out of the defunct ARC was the Melbourne Rebels. The Melbourne based team consistently had good crowd figures and they were able to mobilise plenty of corporate financial muscle to lure a decent group of players who very nearly won the competition.
With the Force in disarray both on and off the field, falling gate receipts and the drying up of the mining dollars, it maybe time for the ARU to cut the struggling franchise loose and make the move East.
Ominously, John O’Neill was recently quoted as saying.
“We’ve got to get the Force in the black as soon as possible. The ARU is not a lender of last resort”
Perhaps there will be a few more than just Gits and Drew Mitchell packing their bags next year.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2648 https://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/?p=2648">15 Comments
It’s looking like a “perfect storm” out west. More results like the last couple of weeks seem a lifeline?
There is still one obstacle: the VRU. I am convinced that they need some real improvement (unless there has been some in the last two years when I have paid less attention!).
But Gagger’s right imagine if they are our only semi-finalist; consider also their (or is it Mitchell’s?) contribution to the development pipeline, particularly rejuvenating East Coast rejects (Sharpe Mitchell Shepherd), not to mention Brown Pocock JOC Ioane Cross, and maybe soon Cummins, plus their scrum has been more than reasonable this year.
I think there is significant doubt Australia needs a 4th Super team, myself.
Having been connected with the Melbourne Rebels the fact of the matter is that the VRU blew the ARC out of the water for everyone with their mismanagement. Hopefully they will get their act together and get it happening down here as this place is crying out for a Super 14 franchise. There is a huge contingent of Kiwis and Irish down here who love their rugby. There is a fairly strong club base of players. Last years Wallaby v Ireland game meant nothing but still drew 40+ thousand.
This was the case during my experience of them slightly earlier as well. They are a disaster as it stands, as is indeed attested to by the fact that the franchise went to Perth in the first place. My mate works in marketing and has worked at Cwth and Olympic games, the VRU were only intersted in hiring him as a sort of glorified PA when he went to see if he could help with the S14 bid. It was less than two years from d-day and they weren’t ready to engage seriously with the idea.
I think that the stadium upgrade will help the force get alot back of what they have lost here in Perth. Having been to a few rugby games at Subi, the ground does the club absolutely no favours. I think many people did not renew memberships held in the inaugural year primarily because of this. The facilities are poor, and of course the shape of the ground means the views are terrible. There is no comparison with the atmosphere, view, and access to beer you get from a stadium like Suncorp. There are still plenty of rugby fans here, I just think they are just waiting for the right decision to be made on the location.
Prior to the inaugural season, Force memberships were much high than expected and there was a real buzz about the new franchise. The follow year memberships went south along with many voicing their disapproval of the sub-standard stadium and facilities, I guess its going to take some tough talk to get things to change along with a fellow state making it clear that they would welcome a S14 team to get things done. For the sake of Perth fans and their junior rugby players I hope they can work it out, Perth people are extremely competitive and have a long history of success in all their team sports and I believe rugby will be no different given a fair go.
the whole story you are refering to was, as you put it, a “bargaining gambit”.
the state budget is coming up in May, and we suddenly have this report released. you must see a pretty strong correlation with the report (forcasting doom and gloom if a stadium upgrade is not undertaken), the state budget and a push for ME funding?
you seem to have bought pretty heavily into the WARL, Glory and RugbyWA’s efforts to scare the state govt into a stadium upgrade.
Not at all Marty, it is a fairly transparent arguement they are running.
My point is that if Sth Africa plan to pull out of the Super 14 and the comp essentially becomes one that is focused on the between the Eastern States of Aust, NZ and maybe Japan, what incentives are there to keep the Force in Perth?
In their current situation, not many. Why not move them to Melbourne as a way of reducing costs and getting a foothold in Aust’s second biggest city.
Sounds almost like American sport, where teams are infamous for threatening to move a franchise to another city unless the local municipality or state comes up with more funds for new and improved stadiums.
Nursedude’s last blog post..Silver Reflections…
exactly right Nursedude. Excellent point. We (Australia and basically most of the western world) have followed the US in most aspects of the pro sport.
Perhaps this will be another? Over there franchises do move town, and I don’t mean like South Melbourne Swans moving to Sydney. I mean the Houston Oilers becoming the Tennessee Oilers (eventually the Titans). And the Charlotte Hornets becoming the New Orleans Hornets.
And you’re right, stadium availability (and commercial maximisation) are ALWAYS the driving reason.
Very interesting.
Stadium upgrade needs to happen immediately because all reports coming out of the west seem to be that this is devastating attendances and membership. The Force need to be locked in and strengthening their foothold because an NRL team is on its way. If the Perth Whatevers are launched with some good fanfare and while the Force are in the headlines for bad player behaviour or management chaos, it will do them no favours. The West Australian rugby community was tremendously supportive of the Force when they were launched and the treatment given to them with regard to the stadium upgrade and facilities is a travesty; no wonder they stopped renewing their memberships and they won’t until some respect is returned. Moving the franchise to melbourne would be a disgrace — and I don’t care what Financial Difficulties they claim, it would be a disgusting way to treat the people there who did support the team until respect was not returned, and especially those who have still stuck with them for another season.
Anyway, even if memberships and attendances are falling, aren’t they still the highest of any Aus S14 team?
Cameron, that has not been our experience here in the States. There has been precedence of teams who have been doing well on the field and drawing well who still moved-in those cases, another municipality would offer a sweetheart deal, and the team will follow the money and move the team.
Nursedude, with all due respect comparing the US to Australia is like comparing night to day. Sport in the US is a career path that is stopped after collage if athletes aren’t picked up in the draft, in Australia its a passion that many Aussies continue until they are physically unable to do so. As a proud Aussie living in the sates I find it disturbing that we would follow your example of greed, bling bling, me myself and I attitude. Where sportsman are loyal to their sponsors and advertisers, not to their team or teammates!
Lets not forget why the Force was formed, it was out of need by the ARU to have more than three provincial teams feeding the Wallabies, to build breading grounds for youth and to allow more players to get the needed game time at S14 level. They did this because of the thin numbers that they have at the highest level, unlike the NZ or SA who could both field 2-3 national teams with out any problems. For the ARU to see return on this investment they will need to stick with the Force being in Perth and find a suitable stadium to facilitate its success. They stand to lose their current investment and the time it takes to build strong club infrastructure along with youth feeder systems that are the foundations of strong franchises that stand the test of time. The decision to leave Perth in my opinion will have much greater negative affects on our national team that many pundits are not yet talking about and maybe need to start paying some attention to. Quitting is the easy thing to do and never has any reward, making a stand and fighting to be successful has untold amounts of reward that can not always be imagined. This is bigger that individual states, this is about the betterment of Australian rugby and I for one would like to see some good old fashion Aussie sprit, where we come together not to allow this franchise to fail for the betterment of our great game.
100% Agreed
I really really don’t like that the idea of the western force failing. Its feels like a massive step backwards