Australian rugby facing mutiny after top secret document spells end for Western Force

PAYTO & PANDA: The Western Force have been left out of a 15-team Super Rugby proposal, and now Australia’s professional players are mulling strike action.

A TOP secret proposal has been drafted by the ARU that summarises how a 15-team Super Rugby tournament would work next year, and it does not involve the Western Force.

The document has only been seen by a handful of the most influential powerbrokers in Australian rugby and signals that if South Africa cut two teams, the Force will be axed.

SANZAAR partners agreed in London last month a 15-team competition for 2018-19 would be a far better model than the confusing 18-team, four-conference system being used now that is losing viewers by the truckload.

The Western Force are not in the ARU’s proposal.

But it all hinges on South Africa dropping two teams, and every day confidence grows that this will be the case when they hold a meeting on April 6.

In the meantime, the ARU cannot afford to sit on its hands and only start to analyse which team it can lose after SARU hands down its decision.

STATISTICS: the case for Aussie Super cull

The Australians must be ready to move quickly for the sake of all affected parties, and so have devised a 15-team model that results in their Perth team being dropped.

Force players heard about their club being on the chopping block well before the Daily Telegraph revealed the story on Monday.

The team held several discussions after the loss to the Crusaders last weekend about the situation and the mood is glum.

It’s understood all Australian contracted players are considering strike action during this year’s National Rugby Championship if the ARU decides to cull a team.

Players cannot take industrial action during Super Rugby because under their collective bargaining agreement they’re prevented from doing so until December 31.

However, that CBA does not apply to the NRC, of which the Force-affiliated Perth Spirit are defending champions and would be severely affected by the axing of their Super franchise.

SHUTE KICK-OFF

THE Shute Shield season kicks off this weekend but Eastern Suburbs have been more frantic than most teams in getting ready after a major hiccup with their home ground.

Woollahra Oval was ripped up over summer and replaced with a new hi-tech, synthetic pitch similar to the 4G all-weather fields being used by huge English clubs like Saracens.

But subsistence problems below the surface emerged and the field has to be pulled up for repair. That’s left Easts without a home ground and they’re not expecting to be able to be back at Woollahra Oval until mid-June.

The Shute Shield captains. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Club president John Murray said they had struck agreements with most teams to swap any home games for an away fixture pre-June, and make the same swap post June.

“I have to say the rugby community has really come to the fore. People are ringing up out of the blue saying how can we help?” Murray said.

Meanwhile, Sydney Rugby Union boss David Begg said a decision on the location of the Shute Shield grand final would be made “much earlier” than last year, when a shift from Concord Oval to North Sydney Oval was made at the 11th hour.

The grand final was a big success but as the main source of SRU revenue, much of the benefit from a 10,000-strong crowd was eaten up by a hiring agreement with North Sydney Council.

Begg said the decision to not allow Tim Simona to play for West Harbour was a simple matter of following ARU protocol, and then the Pirates had actually never even formally approached the SRU.

WILL’S ON WAY OUT

STAND by for an announcement that Will Skelton will be heading to Saracens at the end of the season.

REDS RAVAGING REBELS

Sean McMahon to the Reds?

THE Reds appear to be planning a massive crack at luring Wallabies flanker Sean McMahon back to Queensland from the Rebels.

In a further potential blow to Melbourne, the Queenslanders are firming to claim the prized signature of Will Genia.

The Wallabies halfback has been talking to the Rebels but it seems Nick Stirzaker will extend his tenure at the club, leaving Queensland in the box seat to regain their 2011 premiership hero.

ED’S MILESTONE

CONGRATULATIONS to Aussie sevens stalwart Ed Jenkins, who will bring up his 50th tournament at Hong Kong this year. Jenkins is the first Australian to reach the milestone and it’s tiring just thinking about it. At six games every tournament, Jenkins has played 350 games (give or take a few rests) of sevens for Australia.

Originally published as Australian rugby facing mutiny after top secret document spells end for Western Force