Ed Quirk hails Sunwolves fans after team is cut from Super Rugby by SANZAAR

The Sunwolves’ longest-serving foreign player, Australian Ed Quirk, is shattered for the club’s fans after it was announced the team will be cut from Super Rugby in 2021.

Ed Quirk in action for the Sunwolves. Picture: Getty Images

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The Sunwolves’ longest-serving foreign player, Australian Ed Quirk, is shattered for the club’s fans after it was announced the team will be cut from Super Rugby in 2021, and said whoever is on the roster next year will be playing for enjoyment.

There are serious concerns about the competitiveness of the Sunwolves next year when most of their best players, including Quirk, will instead be playing in Japan’s domestic Top League.

SANZAAR has cut the Sunwolves because Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) could not financially support the franchise beyond 2020. But at this stage, SANZAAR will keep them in the tournament next year to fulfil the terms of the broadcast agreement that ends at the conclusion of 2020.

Ed Quirk in action for the Sunwolves. Picture: Getty Images

“I think it can work, from my experience with the team, whoever is there next year would be playing for pure enjoyment,” Quirk told The Daily Telegraph.

“I got my love of rugby back when I joined the Sunwolves, so the mindset of those players would be to enjoy the moment of that last season.

“It is disappointing, I have seen the team grow over the last four years, commercially and with the players getting better.

“It’s sad, I had this vision that after I retired, they would be a team I would be watching.”

Super Rugby will revert to 14 teams from 2021, which means the convoluted conference system will be scrapped and instead there will be a round-robin tournament with every side playing each other once before a six-team finals series.

Ed Quirk takes a selfie with Sunwolves fans.

Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said SANZAAR had not discussed cutting the Sunwolves next year.

“They’re under contract to deliver a Sunwolves team for next year and we’re confident, they’re very proud people, that they’ll want to make sure the Sunwolves team is competitive, and they’ve got players that are contracted to that time period as well,” Castle said.

For Quirk, who’ll play for Canon Eagles next year, the greatest shame will be the loss of the Sunwolves supporters.

“I have never encountered fans like them anywhere in the world, they are so incredibly passionate and generous,” Quirk said.

Sunwolves fans show their support for Ed Quirk.

“They give us gifts every week; I receive gifts twice a week after training sessions, and also after games.

“People send me photos with notes on the back thanking me for playing for the team. I get happy socks every week, hand decorated chocolates, food from the regions we play.

“I’ve injured my knee and I have received bath salts to help me heal. They are a very special group of supporters and it will be rugby’s loss when they don’t have a Super Rugby team to support anymore.

“I can’t thank the franchise enough for getting me to Japan, I love rugby for what the Sunwolves have given to me.”