Shake-up for Perth rugby
Perth rugby has been forced into a major overhaul because of the new National Rugby Championship.
RugbyWA is reviewing future seasons and has already scrapped the traditional September finals series because the competition must be completed before the opening NRC games on August 23.
Clubs have been given five options that include an earlier start to the competition and cutting the finals series from three games to two.
The new domestic competition will include teams from Perth, Canberra and Melbourne, with as many as seven sides from NSW and Queensland.
Planning for the Perth team is in its infancy, but one major decision will be where to play home games because RugbyWA cannot afford to make a loss.
Grounds will need to be secure and have suitable spectator, broadcast and lighting facilities, ruling out local rugby clubs.
The cost of the Force home ground, nib Stadium, could be restrictive unless a deal is worked out, raising the prospect of Australian Rules and local soccer venues being used.
Size could be a problem at soccer grounds because pitches for rugby should be 100m long and 70m wide, with in-goal areas at least 10m deep.
The Perth side will be closely aligned to the Force Super and extended player squads, its wider training group and academy. Local fringe players will also be given an opportunity.
Super Rugby players not in the Wallabies squad will be expected to play.
The side will not be called Western Force A.
RugbyWA could revert to WA Gold, the traditional representative team name, or Perth Spirit that was used in the ill-fated Australian Rugby Championship that lasted just one season in 2007 before it was scrapped by the ARU.
