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Force, Rebels facing Super Rugby axe

Melbourne Rebels’ Reece Hodge

Western Force and Melbourne Rebels are the Australian clubs facing the axe from Super Rugby.

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) confirmed one of Force or Rebels would be dumped when the competition reverts to a 15-team, three-conference format in 2018.

Brumbies, two-time winners, were also considered for cutting before being eliminated from the process.

“At the request of the board, ARU management completed an exhaustive analysis on three of our teams – the Brumbies, Western Force and Melbourne Rebels,” ARU chairman Cameron Clyne said in a statement on Monday.

“The purpose of the analysis was to assess each of those teams on their financial sustainability, high performance and commercial factors, examining a range of metrics, with a view to identifying which of those three teams to remove from the competition.

“After reviewing management’s findings, the board made the decision to eliminate the Brumbies from the process and identified that consultation is required with both the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels to further understand their financial position.

“We don’t anticipate this final consultation period being a drawn-out process and expect to be able to deliver an outcome in the very near future.”

Clyne stressed that the decision to remove an Australian team was made by the ARU, not SANZAAR.

He also said the ARU backed the decision to move back to 15 teams, with two South African sides also set to be axed.

“Since the ARU expanded to five Super Rugby teams in 2010, the economy we operate in globally has changed dramatically,” Clyne said.

“With the incentives on offer in Europe, the player exodus has been significant in Australia and indeed across our SANZAAR partners. Based on recent performance trends, it is evident that we do not currently have the playing depth in Australia to service five teams in Super Rugby.

“Performance declines by our teams since the expansion of Super Rugby has had a direct correlation with declines in revenue across their businesses.”

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TI 4 hours ago
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy | Autumn Nations Series

Rieko took literally years to turn from a defensive liability at 13 into a guy, who’s defensively sound as it befits the position. And it all came at the cost of him being much less of an offensive threat, than what he used to be. Proctor is a natural 13, he handles, passes, and kicks way better than Rieko ever will, he just isn’t as fast.


It’s unfair to judge Tupaea on the handful of games he’s had in 2022 before he got nearly crippled by a Wallaby lock. What could Tupaea/Proctor pairing be, if they got the same amount of chances as Jordie/Rieko?


Because no matter how you spin it, playing a player outside of his natural position is a poor asset management. No matter how talented he is, he still competes against players who had years and years of practice at the position. And if said guy is so talented that he actually CAN compete against specialists, imagine how much better still he could have been, if he had all those years to iron the toothing issues at the position. It just drives me mad.


Two things I hate in rugby union beyond description: aping after league, and playing players outside of their natural position. Especially considering, that they all admit they hate it, when they’re allowed to speak freely. Owen Farrell spent 80% of his international career at 12, saying every time when asked, that he is a 10 and prefers to play at 10. Those players are literally held at a gunpoint: play out of position, or no national jersey for you.

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