The Australian Rugby Union’s (ARU) decision to cut the Western Force from its Super Rugby competition is set to devastate grassroots clubs like the Mandurah Pirates.
The Force was axed from the competition last week following months of speculation, with the ARU winning its arbitration case against RugbyWA and discontinuing their Super Rugby licence.
While RugbyWA has been granted an injunction order that buys them valuable time in the fight, speculation is mounting that it will simply delay the inevitable.
Without a professional team to aspire towards, Mandurah Pirates president Kevin Williams said it would become extremely difficult for local clubs to attract junior players.
“Who do our kids aspire to be now?” he said.
“You can compare it to the AFL turning around and saying ‘we’re cutting the Eagles and the Dockers’, and then who do the kids look up to? They have to start looking at teams over east.
“Reality-wise in rugby that’s not going to happen – the kids are probably going to turn to another sport.”
Major progression pathways for junior rugby players coming through grassroots clubs like the Pirates have previously included playing with the Perth Spirit, a team designed to feed directly to the Western Force, and going through the Force’s own junior academy.
The ARU’s decision to cut the Force will close those avenues, leaving players aspiring to reach professional levels the main option of moving interstate.
But Williams said an interstate move would be unfeasible in most circumstances.
“It’s a hard decision for an aspiring player to say ‘well, do I up and leave Western Australia to go over east and play at the club level?’ just so they can hopefully get recognised,” he said.
“It’s a massive decision and I think you would have to be super talented to take the chance.”
The ARU’s announcement comes at a time when Mandurah rugby is arguably at its strongest point.
Both the Pirates A and B-grade sides have just charged into championship grade grand finals and the club’s relationship with the Force was the strongest it had been in years.
“They (the Force) had been down four times this season to visit us and the kids got to know some of the personalities,” Williams said.
“Now to not be able to see those professional players – it’s anger more than anything.”
But despite the initial shock and outrage following the decision, Williams said it now became vital for the Pirates to continue developing local players.
“We’ve still got ambitions,” he said.
“The club is committed more than ever to growing rugby in Mandurah and we’ll continue to do what we can to help our game.”
The Pirates are encouraging Mandurah residents to show their support for WA rugby by cheering on their local sides as they look for wins in their grand finals this weekend.
The B-grade kicks off at Meadow Springs Sporting Complex, 1.45pm, with the A-grade set to follow at 3pm.