ARU 'surprised' at government interference after Force axe
Thursday 7 September 2017 07:53, UK
The Australian Rugby Union say they are surprised they are subject to a parliamentary inquiry after its decision to axe Western Force from Super Rugby.
The Perth-based franchise were cut from the division after SANZAAR, the governing body of Super Rugby, reduced the league from an 18-team model to 15. Two South African sides the Cheetahs and Southern Kings were also omitted.
The ARU will be investigated after Western Australia senator Linda Reynolds tabled a motion in the national Senate on Wednesday.
The government will look into the ARU's decision-making process and transparency surrounding it.
ARU chairman Cameron Clyne said: "It is a highly unusual step for government to single out a national sporting organisation for this type of process.
"Throughout, the government has made it abundantly clear that it does not want to interfere with the way in which sports operate and make decisions.
"But it appears this stance has now changed -- this is a concern for the entire industry. Certainly there will be questions asked as to whether an inquiry like this is a suitable use of public funds."
Force were informed they were being axed from Super Rugby last month and on Tuesday their appeal to the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney was dismissed.
The move to axe the Force has angered supporters and the club's parent body RugbyWA. Billionaire backer Andrew Forest has questioned the rationale and demanded Clyne to hand in his resignation.
Clyne said the ARU had been in talks with the government through Sports Minister Greg Hunt during the process, discussing the reasons for moving from five Australian Super Rugby teams to four.
"Following Tuesday's result in the NSW Supreme Court, we were able to address this to a significant degree by providing a detailed record of the process via a statement and supporting documentation, Clyne added.
"ARU has absolutely no concerns about the integrity of the process that has been run."
The inquiry is due to report on November 13. RugbyWA are evaluating its legal options and whether to take the matter to a higher court.
In the meantime, Forrest has announced plans for a rival Indo-Pacific league with six teams initially involved, including the Force, but he is yet to reveal further details.
