Tuesday’s Rugby News is all ARU news, baby! We’ve Cameron Clyne talking about cutting teams, we’ve got Clyne and Ross Xenos talking no more contract ban, and we’ve got an EGM date.
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~4-5 teams, Pt. 1
Clyne has also not totally ruled out a cut to the number of Super teams, but has reiterated his support of the culling idea.
“We’ve made it quite clear that we think the game is not financially sustainable,” Clyne told the Daily Telegraph.
“There has been a long-term trend over the last couple of years of declines in crowds. That has continued this year, that’s not about uncertainty, that is the continuation of a long-term trend. Given the teams that are under threat … they’ve not had the crowds there either.
“I know there’s a lot of emotion and passion around this, but we’ve got to strip that back and say the game is struggling.
“I know it’s really disappointing to players and fans that it is taking so long, but we’ve also got to consider if we don’t have a financially stable competition, that is not in the interests of players and fans going forward.”
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~4-5 teams, Pt. 2
Meanwhile, rugby.com.au has Clyne wondering aloud about what the ARU has gotten up to.
“We remain confident that will result in the process coming to a potential change but it’s hard to speculate,” he said.
“Every roadblock that could be thrown in front of us, has been thrown. When you get into a legal process it all becomes different. We’re going down that process and hopefully we’ll make ourselves as available as possible to try and get it resolves as quickly as possible.”
“Could we have anticipated they would’ve commenced legal action?,” he continued on. “Well, perhaps yes. We have talked for many years at the ARU about the challenge of the financial game.
“We’ve indicated that in the last 10 years we’ve had to provide financial assistance on no less than 10 occasions. In the last four years the Super Rugby tier of the game, we’ve spent 28 million over and above the budget of what we’re spending.”
“So, we’ve continually highlighted this is not sustainable.”
When asked about the Melbourne Rebels thing, Clyne said:
“I mean one there’s been speculation that we’re bandying extraordinary amounts of money around to buy a Super Rugby franchise.
“That’s just utter nonsense. If we had that sort of money we wouldn’t be in this situation. We’re in this to save money.”
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Contract Ban Goneskies
The ARU has announced it’s going to lift the contract ban it had imposed on all five Australian teams. Since February there has been a freeze, but with the talk of players being approached by both Australian and overseas clubs getting rampant, the ARU have decided to roll back the ban.
The ARU have also said that, in the case one of the Force or Rebels get cut, they’ll either honour that player’s contract (in moving him to another team) or pay it out in full.
“If the process does result in a team leaving the competition, all player contracts will be honoured,” ARU chairman Cameron Clyne told AAP.
“The best we can do in terms of certainty is to say to players, ‘no matter what the outcome you’ll have the certainty of having your contract honoured’.
Clyne also added that any early releases may also be negotiated on an individual basis, and players will be offered a “maximum degree of flexibility”.
Meanwhile, RUPA CEO Ross Xenos has told rugby.com.au:
“We don’t believe that lifting the moratorium is a panacea that will take away all the anxiety that players are facing in the current climate.
“Lifting the moratorium at least gives players the opportunity to plan 2018 and beyond with slightly more certainty than they currently have and to ensure that Australian rugby can put its best foot forward in retaining the players that we value for our future rather than just allowing those players to seek certainty through foreign deals.
“What we don’t know is how many players have sought the certainty of foreign contracts in the three months the moratorium has been in place. I hope that number is not any larger than it has been in previous years but I’m not hopeful the moratorium has worked in Australian rugby’s best interests for the period it’s been put in place.”
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EGM Set
The Emergency General Meeting called by RUPA and the VRU is set to take place during the June series, specifically Tuesday 20 June. That’s on the week that ends with the test against Italy in Brisbane.
rugby.com.au reports that the EGM, which has to be given with 21 days’ notice, will take place 22 days after RUPA and VRU made their move. All the action will be happening in Sydney.
“While there is not believed to be an immediate threat to the board, after the key directors were voted back in at a recent AGM, there is still that option,” says the report.
“The VRU or RUPA could put a vote of no confidence on its agenda, or another voting member could potentially table the notion at the end the meeting.
“When the meeting was initially voted for, RUPA President Dean Mumm said he was confident any developments wouldn’t overshadow the Wallabies Tests.
‘I’d like to think those guys that are involved in a Wallabies campaign and a Wallabies jersey can put anything aside and represent their country with the pride that it deserves,’ he said.
‘I don’t think it should take a shine off the Test series'”
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