ARU gives Western Force a financial lifeline

A deal to alleviate the Western Force's financial problems has been struck between the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and Rugby WA, allowing the team to continue to operate.

Under the agreement, the ARU will take over the Western Force's training program, bringing it under the control of its high performance unit.

The deal comes after several weeks of planning between the ARU and Rugby WA to address financial concerns at the Force.

The ARU was concerned about the changing economic climate in WA and its impact on the Western Force's bottom line.

In a statement ARU Chief Executive Bill Pulver explained "Rugby WA and the Western Force are not alone in their challenges to remain viable as a professional sports entity in Australia.

"Numerous teams across several codes are facing the same economic environment across professional sport and the ARU has been looking at ways to create a more efficient and effective way to run our Super Rugby businesses.

"The ARU and Rugby WA have collectively created a model which we believe will be more sustainable for our Super Rugby organisations in Australia.

"Ultimately the alliance aims to deliver financial sustainability and improved high performance outcomes for the Western Force."

Image of Western Forces' 2016 squad courtesy of Western Force/Facebook.

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