'It's just completely ridiculous, unfair, un-Australian'
Billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest has blamed the leadership of Rugby Australia for the Wallabies’ failings at the recent World Cup, saying he will barrack hard for “other people” to take over.
The Wallabies were thumped 40-16 by England in the quarter-finals, continuing a bleak period for rugby in Australia both on and off the field.
Forrest has been scathing of Rugby Australia’s management team, lead by chairman Cameron Clyne, ever since the Western Force were booted out of Super Rugby’s ranks in 2017.
Calls are growing louder for Clyne and chief executive Raelene Castle to quit immediately in the wake of the disastrous World Cup campaign.
Forrest will launch a new competition called Global Rapid Rugby in March next year, and he’s confident it will breathe new life into rugby in Australia.
The six-team competition will feature experimental rule changes designed to promote attractive rugby.
The Force is set to be joined by a team from New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Hong Kong, and Malaysia for the first season, with expansion planned for later years.
Forrest is excited about the ways Global Rapid Rugby can change the landscape, but he was scathing of the negative influence the RA board has had on the Wallabies.
“I put everything down to leadership,” Forrest replied when asked about the Wallabies’ failings at the World Cup.
“I’m surprised they did as well as they had with the decisions that the Rugby Australia chairman and board have made.
“I was really sad, I was hoping for a miracle of course but life is like that.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B32Wy9vgVU7/
Forrest is still filthy about the decision to axe the Force from Super Rugby.
“It’s just completely ridiculous, unfair, un-Australian. But who cares – Global Rapid Rugby is here and it’s going to be super strong,” he said.
“Without us, it (Australian rugby) would be really on its tail. We are the brightest good news story on Australian rugby in the Southern Hemisphere.”
When asked whether he would be interested in taking over as chairman from Clyne, Forrest replied: “I’m a busy bloke, but I’m a passionate supporter of rugby and WA.
“I’ll be barracking for other people.”
Break-ups are hard to do…#RWC2019 https://t.co/VZQtQphBbf
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 23, 2019
The Force will be back in action on Saturday when they host the Canberra Vikings in the NRC grand final at UWA Sports Park in Perth.
Forrest will donate $100,000 to charity Telethon for each try the Force scores.
He will also donate $25,000 for each try the Vikings score.
Forrest revealed he knocked back the chance to have lunch with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Saturday in order to attend the match.
The decider could be a high-scoring affair if the semi-finals are anything to go by.
The Force beat Brisbane City 42-38, while Canberra beat Fijian Drua 28-27 courtesy of Noah Lolesio’s conversion after the final siren.
Rugby Australia have moved quickly to replace Michael Cheika:
Comments on RugbyPass
Geez plenty of time to come right before test season starts. Dont panic mr Mannering!!!!!
1 Go to commentsGreat read Nick. The Reds really have been great to watch this year, and the improvement of not only the players you mention, but the squad in general has been obvious. The Reds 10/12 play making axis is a nice counterpoint to the 10/15 partnership at the Brumbies and Rebels. If Schmidt was to pick say, Lolesio, Paisami and Wright / Kellaway, would this be too many play makers? I notice in a lot of those clips Tim Ryan playing across the field in support of Vunivalu. Is this a feature of Kiss’s structure?
2 Go to commentsSo sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
2 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
6 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
6 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
6 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to comments