Western Force to launch rebel rugby competition after court upholds ARU Super Rugby plan

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. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

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 arbitrator's decision which backed the ARU's move to axe the Force.

Forrest said he had already briefed lawyers to seek leave to appeal to the NSW Court of Appeal and 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 details yet, but said the competition would probably feature six teams, with the Force to be one of them.

"We're not giving up, even remotely," Forrest told reporters on Tuesday. "Out of great disappointment there comes great opportunity." Force great Matt Hodgson broke down in tears when he fronted the media on Tuesday.

He vowed to help Forrest launch the new competition.

But Force players may now leave the franchise in their droves in order to join a rival Super Rugby franchise.

Force coach Dave Wessels is also unsure whether he will remain. Wessels, who would be in high demand elsewhere, says he will talk with his family first before making a decision.
RugbyWA said it expected the ARU would now confirm termination of the Western Force's participation in the Super Rugby competition.

"The ARU had formed the view in February this year that the Western Force were the only team that could legally be removed from the competition," RugbyWA said. "For the ARU to suggest there was an objective and transparent process, evaluating the merits of both the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels, was misleading and disrespectful to both RugbyWA and the Victorian Rugby Union."

"This has caused significant damage to both the game and the Super Rugby competition and reflects poorly on the ARU's own values of honesty and integrity." 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.