Billionaire backer Andrew Forrest has vowed to launch a rebel rugby competition after the Western Force lost their Supreme Court appeal to stay in Super Rugby.
The Force’s future in Super Rugby appears over after NSW Supreme Court Justice David Hammerschlag on Tuesday dismissed an appeal by RugbyWA against an arbitration decision which backed the Australian Rugby Union’s move to axe the Perth-based franchise.
Forrest said he had already briefed lawyers to seek leave to appeal to the NSW Court of Appeal or the High Court of Australia.
But the chances of winning that appeal are slim, with Forrest now turning the bulk of his attention towards launching a rebel competition taking in the Indo-Pacific region.
Forrest hasn’t revealed many details yet, but said the competition would feature six teams, with the Force one of them.
Teams from Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, and Tonga could be part of the competition.
Forrest wanted to make the competition so strong, that other Super Rugby franchises would eventually want to join.
“This is the beginning of the new Indo-Pacific competition. And I am delighted to be an instigator of it,” Forrest said on Tuesday.
“I think SANZAAR has been a very clear mistake for Australian rugby – shrinking the game as opposed to growing it.
“I would not be surprised, and I would be encouraging South Africa and New Zealand and the other (Super Rugby) teams to come across.
“The Indo-Pacific region is broad. Broadcasters need huge populations, and huge economies.
“They are not represented in SANZAAR necessarily with NZ, Australia, and South Africa dominating it.
“But if we get up to the Indo-Pacific region, that’s where all the world’s economic growth is.
“That’s where the world’s population is. And that’s where the game of rugby will be very powerful and centred from Western Australia.”
Force great Matt Hodgson broke down in tears before the media on Tuesday.
He vowed to help Forrest launch the new competition.
But Force players may now leave the franchise in droves in order to join a rival Super Rugby franchise.
Forrest urged them to hold fire for at least a few days until he unveils more details of his grand plan.
Devastated Force coach Dave Wessels was unsure whether he would remain.
Wessels, who would be in high demand elsewhere, said he would talk with his family before making a decision.
Following Tuesday’s court decision, RugbyWA said it expected the ARU would now confirm Force’s axing from the Super Rugby competition.
Forrest again called on ARU chairman Cameron Clyne to resign, saying the former NAB chief executive should have stuck with running a bank.
The ARU initially moved to axe the Force from the Super Rugby competition last month after winning an arbitration case against RugbyWA.
RugbyWA argued that the ARU had no power to axe the Force because the governing body signed an “alliance” deal guaranteeing the franchise’s future until the end of the broadcast deal in 2020.
But the ARU successfully argued in arbitration that the deal no longer stood because the TV rights have since been renegotiated to accommodate a reduced 15-team competition.
Force fans have threatened to boycott Saturday’s clash between the Wallabies and South Africa in Perth.
But Hodgson has urged them to rattend wearing their blue Western Force jersey.
“Or probably black – a day of mourning,” Hodgson added.