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Grimmace
06-09-06, 04:48 PM
Third tier comp given go-ahead
Guy MacGibbon
Wednesday, September 6, 2006



A proposed new eight-team Australian provincial competition will go ahead despite passionate opposition from clubs that believe the competition would damage the grassroots of club rugby.

The Australian Rugby Union board today approved the eight-team competition, which would involve the amalgamation of club sides, to start next year.

Powerhouse clubs including Randwick and Sydney University have been among the opponents.

Each of the state unions as well as the Rugby Union Players Association have agreed to the competition.

Last week the NSW Rugby Union had said it would not support the competition unless the ARU underwrote it.

There have even been estimates that the tournament could run at a loss of up to $5 million a season for the first three years. NSWRU last week provided the ARU with its financial figures, which indicated that the tournament was liable to involve a "substantial loss".

Yesterday, ARU chief executive Gary Flowers was not making any predictions as to which way the board would vote but was confident his model was the right choice.

"Why this model?" Flowers said. "Because it's a model that was actually developed and created by the stakeholders.

"The whole process was geared towards that and that's been the outcome.

"This has always been about player development and giving opportunity to those aspirational players to be involved in the competition and follow a pathway through to the next level ... [and] we would argue this has the ability to strengthen club rugby across the board [as well]."
Source:smh

lonegull
06-09-06, 06:28 PM
i wonder who the three clubs from NSW are i hope they give the country ****atoos a run

Hoppy2007Dragons
06-09-06, 08:15 PM
this could be a dangerous gamble.

Titanium_BD1103
06-09-06, 10:17 PM
this could be a dangerous gamble.

A very dangerous Gamble, considering most of the Sydney teams don't like the idea, in particular Club stalwart giants Sydney Uni, Easts and Randwick... :(

Could get ugly if they can't all agree, and I don't know whether I'd support it as such, unless the team could be as big as the Waratahs... as I support them and I support Eastwood cause its park rugby and mates play sometimes and you can go and jump on the field at the end of a match and Hi 5 your favourite player.. that is why I go to club rugby, because I get to see Wallabies for next to nothing and get to shake their hands... ;)

I do agree we need to improve the level between Super 14 and the next tier, but not sure if this is the option.... especially consider Club Rugby is already shonky as it is, this will signal its death IMO... and that would be a shame.. :(

Darren Lockyer
13-09-06, 07:11 AM
that's good news for union as it continues to grow

zacaroo
18-09-06, 02:29 PM
qld beat nsw in the provincial championship..39, 17 or something :D