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The Force receive word on their Super Rugby axing appeal

Axed Super Rugby side the Force

The Force are still set to be axed from Super Rugby after their appeal to the Supreme Court of New South Wales was dismissed.

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The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) announced its intention to cut the Force from the competition, which is returning to a 15-team format, last month.

RugbyWA challenged the decision, arguing the ARU had broken a commercial contract which gave the Force a Super Rugby spot until 2020, but justice David Hammerschlag dismissed the appeal on Tuesday.

He ruled a renegotiation of the broadcast agreement meant the ARU could reduce the number of teams, while also saying the governing body had the authority because it owned the Force.

In a statement, RugbyWA said: “This now means the ARU have the ability to remove the Western Force from the Super Rugby competition.

“Based on previous correspondence we are expecting the ARU to confirm the termination of the Western Force’s participation in the Super Rugby competition.

“We understand that the ARU intend to continue with the Perth Spirit in the National Rugby Championship.

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“Since it was announced in April that one Australian team would be removed from the competition, it has been apparent that the ARU fully intended to discontinue the Western Force, a decision that disregards the nation’s third largest rugby playing community and destroys rugby union’s national footprint.”

RugbyWA said it would consider appealing to the NSW Court of Appeal.

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Nickers 38 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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