The Lazarus-like survival of the Western Force becomes a reality this Friday when the WA club makes its debut in a new competition. The man behind the resurrection, Andrew Forrest, today reveals to Nick Taylor the inside story on how he was able to keep rugby alive in WA

RUGBY Australia clearly had no idea what they were about to unleash when they kicked over the hornet’s nest that is Andrew Forrest.

Whether it was arrogance or downright stupidity to refuse his mind-blowing offer to pour $70 million into the RA purse to save Western Force from their Super Rugby axe will only ever be known to them.

But on neutral territory in Adelaide last August that is exactly what Cameron Clyne, chairman of cash-strapped RA, former Wallaby captain John Eales and fellow board member Brett Robinson did.

They snubbed the WA mining magnate.

He was not happy and not about to take it lying down.

A month earlier, on a momentous Saturday night, the Force had just walloped the Waratahs 40-10 at nib Stadium in their last game of season — and their last ever Super Rugby match.

It was supposed to be all about sending captain Matt Hodgson off in style in his final and 140th game for the side. He scored a try and kicked his first ever penalty in the victory.

But then Forrest sent a stir through the ground.

Striding on to the ground he asked Hodgson if he could address the circle of Force players. He told them he would back them all the way in their battle for survival with the Melbourne Rebels.

But after a messy court battle the axe still fell on the Force and the Rebels were saved. It has since been revealed by The Sunday Times that the Force never stood a chance.

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Rugby Australia probably expected — or at least hoped — that was the end of it.

Wrong.

Forrest was on a mission to give rugby a heartbeat in WA and the game is now on the verge of the biggest shake-up since it turned professional 23 years ago.

The Forrest-bankrolled World Series Rugby, featuring seven Force games at nib Stadium, kicks off against Fiji on Friday. They also play international sides Samoa, Tonga and Hong Kong, Super Rugby clubs Rebels and Crusaders and a top Japanese team.

There will be law changes to turbo-boost the game including quicker scrums and line-outs, and more points for long range tries and kicks.

Cynics said Forrest was talking a good game – probably a better one then he played in Hale School 1st XV. But could he match his words with actions?

Incredibly, in just three months, Hodgson, now the Force head of elite performance, chief executive and former Perth Wildcats managing director Nick Marvin and a small team from Forrest’s Minderoo group have assembled a squad of former Force players and recruits from around the world.

Game on.

Camera Icon Andrew Forrest has come good on his pledge to revitalise the Force. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper

THE MEETING

The Australian Rugby Union, now Rugby Australia, continually knocked back Forrest’s invites for a meeting to try and work out a deal. He got his wish on August 22 last year but probably wondered why he had wasted his time.

Forrest and former RugbyWA chairman Geoff Stooke, who resigned from the RA board in disgust when the Force was culled, had a lunchtime meeting with Clyne, Eales and Robinson.

Former Wallaby John Welborn, Forrest’s then rugby adviser, was also at the meeting that was held on the first floor of the Adelaide Hilton hotel.

He laid a $70 million deal on the table after RugbyWA board member David Vaux was told by Clyne, and later detailed in the Senate inquiry into the future of Australian Rugby, that it would save the Force. They backflipped.

“The meeting itself was a charade,” Forrest said this week.

“They came to the meeting with a pre-destined outcome.

“The selection was an utter charade and the removal of the Western Force was the only choice that they were going to make. The fact that there was a record philanthropic contribution to any sport in Australian history on the table, that they barely even looked at it let alone considered it, was to me dealing with people who were not there to have a meeting.”

THE BACKING

Forrest has been a supporter and sponsor of the Force from day one. He played for the Hale 1st XV – hooker, breakaway, centre — anywhere he could get a game. Although not very well, he once admitted.

As the groundswell of support to save the Force began, Forrest decided to step in.

“When my family started to reflect the views of the wider community it showed there was genuine grief about what appeared to be happening,” the billionaire founder of Fortescue Metal Group said.

“The word was getting out that there appeared to be an unfair contest. That the die had been cast, that there was no selection process.

“It was just a charade to eliminate the Western Australian side.

“I remember saying to my wife and kids, ‘Let’s go and see the game. I want to feel the energy of the crowd and if rugby has got a passion then we’ll see what we can do’.

“As I walked through the crowd before the game the outpouring of support for the Western Force was so strong.

“I contacted the chairman of RugbyWA and said I’d like to meet with him and the players. I was flying out the following day so the only time was after the game.

“I said, ‘I’m going to stand financially behind the Force’.

“Our performance, our crowd strength, our community purpose were all criteria in the selection (to cut a side) and we ticked every box.

“Only financing could be a question so to remove that I said I would personally stand behind the Force. I said I would put my guarantee behind the Force.

“The chairman said I could go out and tell the players. That’s when I walked out on the field.”

Camera Icon Western Force legend Matt Hodgson. Credit: Steve Ferrier

THE NEW FORCE

Forrest said dealing with Rugby Australia was like a “glacial movement”.

Team Twiggy, that includes former Wallaby great Michael Lynagh, has re-launched the Force in just three months.

To put that into perspective, the inaugural Force kicked off their first Super Rugby match against the Brumbies at Subiaco exactly 14 months to the day of hearing they had won the race ahead of the Rebels.

“Hodgo (Hodgson) has been as big a champion off the field as he was on the field,” Forrest said.

“Nick Marvin and his team have done a fantastic job. They have been together only a few weeks but when something is true, right and just, you have an immediate strong tailwind to sail on.

“People clearly believed us. The cat is out of the bag and the world of rugby is watching this closely. This is a new era of rugby and rugby across the world is excited by that.”

THE COST

Forrest is unlikely to reveal what the project will cost him but there are suggestions he is prepared to invest at least $10 million to ensure the success of the inaugural World Series Rugby season.

There will be bigger costs when the plan moves into stage two — the Asia-Pacific competition set for next year and likely to involve sides from the Pacific Islands, Fiji, Japan and others.

“Personal cost is time and energy but it’s hard to pronounce a cost,” Forrest said. “Whether it’s going to be a profit or a loss I don’t know. I think the fact that I’m going to underwrite everything means that all the jigsaw pieces have fallen or are falling into place and I don’t expect this to be a draw on my other philanthropic initiatives.”

THE FIRST GAME

Forrest said more than 10,000 tickets have already been sold for Friday’s opening fixture against Fiji at nib Stadium. A lowly 5500 were reportedly at the last Rebels Super Rugby home game at AAMI Park when they were beaten by the Jaguares.

“It’s not what people say it’s what they do, Super Rugby struggles to get several thousand to a game,” Forrest said.

“The support from the community could not be stronger. We are going to make Friday a WA community celebration. A highly entertaining family event. A celebration of sport.

“This is much more than about a game, the whole aura around the afternoon and evening is not just about rugby, but about building a stronger, happier, prouder WA community.”

THE FUTURE

Super Rugby must change dramatically or become a distant memory as it heads into the last two years of its current broadcast deals.

Fans are voting with their feet.

Force marquee signing Jaque Fourie says stadiums in the South African heartlands are empty. The two South African sides chopped from Super Rugby with the Force are now playing in Europe’s Pro 14 competition, and other teams are rumoured to want to join them.

Two leading SARU officials, chief executive Jurie Roux and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, have joined the Pro 14 board. New Zealand Rugby is also said to be unhappy with the present Super Rugby format.

Forrest diplomatically says he hopes Super Rugby will continue but when asked about a future of the two competitions, he says: “I have to let them approach us on that.

“I would like to see World Series Rugby complement Super Rugby and the competitors and audience grow in their strength of numbers.

“I would like to see all States in Australia be competitive. Rugby itself in our region of the world needs the World Series so we can be competitive against other sports.”