Western Australian Premier threatens to bankrupt ARU over axing of Western Force

With an estimated 10,000 Western Force fans rallying in Perth over the weekend against the Super Rugby club’s axing, the Western Australian Government has threatened to bankrupt the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) if the team are not reinstated to the competition.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan says the State Government is getting legal advice and the options include suing for restitution of more than $100 million, which would bankrupt the ARU, or suing for reinstatement.

Speaking today, Premier McGowan advised “my ultimatum to the ARU is this - reinstate the Force or we’ll use every tool at our disposal to get our money back and if that means the ARU goes bankrupt, so be it.”

Premier McGowan said the ARU had acted with great disrespect to Western Australian taxpayers, writing to ARU Chief Executive Bill Pulver saying rugby union is considered to be an integral part of Western Australian sport.

He also emphasised the support that the Western Australian Government had given to the Western Force citing the spending of $17 million on new training headquarters for the Force in Mount Claremont and $1.5 million for an annual Road Safety Commission sponsorship deal.

He added that $95 million had also spent on nib Stadium, shared with A-League club Perth Glory.

Premier McGowan said the investments were made with an expectation and understanding that the Force would continue to participate in the Super Rugby competition, telling Pulver that the decision to axe the Force was a breach of the ARU’s commitment to Western Australia.

Thousands of fans rallied in Perth on Sunday, with billionaire backer Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest again slamming the ARU’s decision to cull the Force as lacking financial merit and even hinting the club could play elsewhere if unsuccessful.

RugbyWA is expected to learn on Wednesday whether it will be granted the right to appeal the ARU’s decision in the NSW Supreme Court. The other two teams culled from Super Rugby for next season, South Africa’s Cheetahs and the Kings, have survived by joining Europe’s Pro 14 competition.

With AAP.

Image: Western Force fans rally in Perth over the weekend.

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