ARU grant Melbourne 10 foreign players

[MunsterMan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

The new Melbourne team will be allowed up to 10 overseas players in its inaugural roster for next year's Super Rugby season under new player concessions announced by the Australian Rugby Union on Monday.

The ARU board has eased its existing foreign player policy so the fifth Australian team can be competitive for the 2011 season, a spokesman said.

Previously Australian provinces were allowed only two overseas players in their respective squads.

They allowed for one "marquee" signing who has already qualified for another nation, and a development player who could qualify for Australian selection under the International Rugby Board's three-year residency regulation.

The ARU said to ensure Melbourne had a competitive squad for its inaugural year in a revamped 15-team Super Rugby competition, and to provide a level of protection for the current Australian Super Rugby teams, its board had decided to relax its foreign player policy for the fledgling franchise.

"Melbourne will have the right to contract two overseas players as per the conditions of the existing foreign player policy covering all Australian teams in Super Rugby," the spokesman said.

"However, the Melbourne foreign player concession will also allow the new Super Rugby team to sign a further eight foreign players."

The ARU said all eight players could be overseas internationals who would not be eligible to play for Australia along with overseas "development" players.

The spokesman said the new concession would be gradually rolled back so that by 2015 Melbourne would have the same number of overseas players as the other four Australian teams - the Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Western Force.

"It is important to ensure Melbourne can recruit a team that is competitive from day one," ARU managing director John O'Neill said.

"The concessions we have put in place provide Melbourne with every opportunity for immediate success, while also ensuring there is ongoing sustainability moving forward."

Melbourne beat off the Southern Kings from South Africa in November to take their place in an expanded Super 15 competition in 2011 following an arbitration panel review.[/b]

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,1...5830274,00.html

 

[MunsterMan]

Who can they recruit? If they have the budget they should go after the better Australian players in the NH. While I'd hate to see him leave, Paul Warwick would be a great signing, Chris Latham, Brock James, Mark Gasnier, Karmichael Hunt etc.

Should look towards amateur players in Argentina too, some great talent there who have been playing international rugby.

 

[feicarsinn]

Well they were always going to have to do something like this just to survive the first few seasons. The most likely course of events would be for them to focus on them bringing the top Argentinian talents such as the Lobbes and Leguizamons as no doubts they're dying to get south before Argentina get into the Tri/Four Nations. I'd also expect to see them try bring back a few ex-pats to steady the ship and recruit a few league players in as well. There's alot of talent out there but they have a big job getting the right men in.

 

[Maccaweeny]

They've been spouting a lot about going after all codes, even AFL, which is stupid considering how many Australian RUGBY UNION players are overseas and could get a good look in- which they would be stupid not to do. It's a good option allowing this quota though, will stop a player exodus from other Australian teams that would further weaken spots where we don't have all that much depth (props and locks).

 

[MunsterMan]

There really isn't too many top class Australians playing overseas, would be much easier to make a PI/ARG/RSA/NZ XV out of players playing in the GP,ML and T14 than Australian players.

Argentina is the place to look to, there is also a possibility of Cheika bringing a few Leinster players with him Although that is unlikely.

 

[feicarsinn]

That said, any backline with the likes of Paul Warwick, Brock James, Mark Gasnier, Sam Norton-Knight (eh not at outhalf), Peter Hewat, Chris Malone, Lote Tuqiri and Shaun Berne available to it wouldn't be half bad.

 

[Steve-o]

Why the hell did they get the franchise if they don't have (1) player depth, and (2) money.

 

[feicarsinn]

Well, lots of reasons, none of which I'm fully convinced of:

1) Super rugby has once again grown stale. SANZAR reckoned a change was needed to keep the punters from turning away so confrences, ensuring more local derbies, were introduced. Having a South Afrcian team in the Oz franchise would be pointless toward this end. Will it work? maybe. they still have to address the problem that many people don't identify with the francises in the same way they identify with their local clubs/provinces.

2) Australian rugby has a serious lack of depth as well all know. While in South Africa and New Zealand players who are on the fringes of the S14 squads can play and improve with their provinical sides in the Currie cup and ANZ respectively, there is no second tier in Australia. Instead of perservering with the ARC, the ARU, with SANZAR backing, decided the best way to get matchtime and experiance for their players was to introduce a 5th franchise.

I can't see it being a success to be honest. There's going to be a lack of fans, money and quality players and it will probably weaken the other franchises further. Oh well, we might as well give it a chance.

 

[monkeypigeon]

Someone said on the forum before that there's lots of very good players in the Amatuer Aussie Shield thing that weren't being noticed...perhaps try some of them?

Or was that a lie.

 

[feicarsinn]

I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one really. Unless they're given the chance they can't prove themselves but Super 14 really isn't the place to see whether a player is up to being a pro player. They really were muppets for not giving the ARC more of a chance than one season.


It's the Shute Shield btw MonkeyPidgeon

 

[MunsterMan]

Obviously they will look to the Shute Shield, They have room for 10 foreign players, if they can get 3-5 Australians playing in the NH they will be doing extremely well, and then 3 or 4 poaches from other Australian teams, would give them 16-18 players, they would want about 30 for a S14 squad. I'm very interested in how this goes, the Reds are the Australian team I cheer for, depending on how this new team goes I can see that changing.

 

[feicarsinn]

I'll support them anyway. Nothing like a good hopeless cause

 

[Woldog]

Chris Latham will come back to the Reds, play one game get his 100th cap then retire.

 

[gingergenius]

If you were from Melbourne, why would you get excited about a team that plays a maximum of 8 home games every year when you can watch the Storm play every week.

Australia really suffers from not having a Currie/ ANZ Cup. They're competitions that have a high standard and actually last the whole season.

The Aussies need to make a choice.

1) They reintroduce the domestic competition (ARC) and invest in it. Even if they have to recruit weaker players to make up the numbers. Standards and crowds will improve over time - look at rugby in England (which isn't as popular as it may seem).

or

2) They do what Scotland did, and admit that player and supporter numbers aren't enough to support too many teams.

Either way, I really hope this franchise does work out. But I think they should be called Victoria, not Melbourne, so they actually fit with the other teams' names.

 

[Wally]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (feicarsinn @ Jan 5 2010, 09:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I guess we'll have to wait and see on that one really. Unless they're given the chance they can't prove themselves but Super 14 really isn't the place to see whether a player is up to being a pro player. They really were muppets for not giving the ARC more of a chance than one season.


It's the Shute Shield btw MonkeyPidgeon [/b]

Mate what do you know? Like most national administrations the ARU just could not afford to lose millions of dollars every year to prop up a league that was never going to work as long as the Super 14 continued to operate as the showpiece of the sport at domestic level. Unfortunately it is one or the other, and right now the later is going to make a lot more revenue than a stand alone national competition in such a convoluted sporting market. Investing in the amateur grass roots is another matter, and is something that should continually be encouraged.

If the Melbourne/Victorian franchise can emulate the relative success that the Western Force has been able to generate I will be happy. Melbourne also has a much greater rugby tradition then Perth, and with 10 international imports it should more competitive from day 1.

 

[Woldog]

Get some Ivory Coast players in their team

 

[stormer2010]

Argentina makes the most sense. Well, actually.. AUS investing more time and effort in their own domestic comp and a smaller super series (4 teams each) makes more sense to me but this does give the more experienced Pumas player a route into the super series if Argentina is serious about joining the TriNations. The pumas are apparently going to use the Vodacom cup (a tier below Currie cup) to blood more inexperienced players.

Some Aus players based overseas I would pay a lot for is Mark Gerrard and Hugh McMeniman in Japan. Then there is always Shute shield, other Aus franchises and other codes; a fine Aussie rugby tradition.

 

[Olyy]

Wonder if Latham will head back down south for this/another team, as his contract's up at the end of the season. Will be a big blow for Worcester if he leaves

 

[Woldog]

He has already bought a house in qld. so bye bye worchester.

 

[Wally]

How old is Latho? Would be good cover for that ex league player who was forced into retirement. Forgotten his name.