Wednesday's Ruck & Maul

To Be the Best You Have to Beat the Best

This week CW welcomes UBCOB Ravens, recent worthy winners of the inaugural Canadian Club Championship.  Last weekend they were somewhat brought back to ground by the Varsity TBirds, reversing last season’s Premiership Final.  Going into this week CW has a definite claim to a chance of putting two-in-a-row in the loss column for the Ravens.  CW is the only undefeated team in the league at this stage, at 3 – 0 and sitting in second place behind UBC.  The Ravens at 1 – 2 sit in sixth spot.  Both teams won home ground encounters last season, CW at home, 37 – 15 and Ravens with a dominant lineout display at Jericho, 31 – 22.  The Reserves of both clubs are also very equally matched; CW at 2 – 1 on 11 points and the Rippers at 2 – 1 on 10 points, so the curtain-raiser is also very promising.  Spread the word and plan to be there.  The Club’s Premier Women host a return match against Nanaimo at 11:45 a.m.  Each week sees our women gain greater confidence and provide a more cohesive, quality performance.  Check out the women’s match, pop up to our sponsor’s Penny Farthing for a pint and sandwich and make a day of it!

From the Anything’s Possible file we inform readers that Usain Bolt is pulling the crowds in in Australia, having donned soccer cleats for the Central Coast (NSW) Mariners (“semi-pro”) team.  Somewhat of a “comedown” from the heady days of triple gold medalist in Rio two years ago!  Also from the Antipodes, we bring readers the following story about a newly proposed World Rugby Competition.  Billionaire, Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest has been so touched with the loss of the Western Force in Super League that he has gone out on a limb.

“Western Force could battle as many as seven teams for a $1 million purse in an expanded World Series Rugby competition next year.  Mining magnate Andrew Forrest has already caused the biggest shake-up in Australian rugby since it turned professional 23 years ago by bankrolling WSR and the Force.

Initially designed to keep the Force afloat after they were axed from Super Rugby last year, WSR has established a foothold.  Forrest is getting ready to roll out a new five-year plan after the Force finish their seven-exhibition game series. Two of the new sides are believed to come from Japan.  Former Force captain Matt Hodgson, now the club’s head of elite performance, has just returned from talks with high-profile Japanese clubs.  One of the leading contenders will be the Robbie Deans-coached Panasonic Wild Knights, who the Force play at nib Stadium on August 17.

It is hoped one team will play out of New Zealand and other options include sides based in Fiji, Hong Kong and Singapore.  Clubs could be owned by companies, individuals, national unions or current management and will not be tied to a salary cap for their 30-man squads.  Twelve parties have already expressed interest about securing an initial five-year licence and at least two more teams may be added within five years.

The competition would be played between March and June next year over a 14-week home-and-away season.   The top four sides would then go into a three-week sudden- death finals series.  Discussions are also being held with broadcasters throughout the regions where games will be played.  A WSR spokesman said the 2019 competition “remains a work in progress” but announcements could begin within the next few weeks.  The tournament would need a tick of approval from Rugby Australia before being put to international governing body World Rugby for ratification.

However, WSR shapes as a vehicle to grow the game in Asia and the Pacific Islands, regions that could become strongholds for the sport.  World Rugby is likely to take a dim view if RA did not work with WSR, but it is understood the relationship between Forrest and the national body has improved slightly since the initial fallout over the axing of the Force, who finished 15th, 16th and 12th in their final three seasons of Super Rugby.  They didn’t qualify for finals in any of their 12 seasons.  WSR has morphed from Forest’s original plan for a six-team Indo Pacific Rugby Championship and will be run by an independent board with Forrest as chairman. There will be a commission of clubs.”