After "months of uncertainty," the future of Super Rugby side Western Force is "set to be decided upon this week by the New South Wales Supreme Court," according to FOX SPORTS. It has been "147 days since the Australian Rugby Union announced its intention of culling" one of its five Super Rugby franchises. Last month, the ARU won its arbitration hearing against RugbyWA. ARU Chair Cameron Clyne and CEO Bill Pulver then immediately announced that they were "discontinuing" the Western Force on Aug. 11. But on Aug. 22, NSW Supreme Court Judge David Hammerschlag gave RugbyWA "leave to appeal against the ARU’s decision." RugbyWA argued the ARU had "broken a commercial contract giving the Force a place in Super Rugby" until the end of the '20 broadcast deal. The RugbyWA's Supreme Court challenge has the financial backing of mining magnate Andrew Forrest, who has since offered the ARU A$50M ($39.7M) to "keep the Western Force afloat" (FOX SPORTS, 9/3). In Sydney, Tom Decent reported if RugbyWA's appeal is successful, "it is unlikely the ARU will challenge the decision," meaning it will have to go back to SANZAAR and let it know it is "unable to chop a team." If the appeal is unsuccessful, RugbyWA and Forrest have signaled their intent to "fight the matter in the NSW Court of Appeal before potentially going even further up the chain to the High Court of Australia." Even if RugbyWA continues to fight until its "last breath," should the appeal be unsuccessful, it "cannot guarantee players will stick around given how long the court process might take." Wallabies player Adam Coleman said that Force players all had "back-up options should the club cease to exist next year." Coleman: "Everyone's got a plan B put in place" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 9/4).
