Rugby bosses ignore AFL fixturing pleas
Test matches are likely to be played at both rugby-friendly nib Stadium and outdated Patersons Stadium when the State Government finalises a new agreement with the Australian Rugby Union.
A three-year deal with the ARU ended with Saturday night's Test against the Springboks at Patersons Stadium, but the ARU has signalled it will not take a step back over AFL demands that games are not scheduled in September at Patersons Stadium or the new Burswood complex.
ARU national operations manager Andrew Fagan was in Perth last week for discussions on future matches.
"We are involved in an international calendar and it is not easy to change a Test match schedule around other competitions. We'll meet that challenge," Fagan said.
The ARU was disappointed with Saturday night's 25,718 crowd that saw the Wallabies snatch a last-gasp 24-23 win. Bad weather deterred many and the crowd was down on the 34,500 that watched the same fixture two years ago.
No Tests will be played in Perth in 2015, a World Cup year.
The Rugby Championship resumes in 2016 and England will also play three Tests against the Wallabies. Scotland, Italy and possibly Samoa are due to tour in 2017 with Ireland inbound the following year.
Fagan said both Patersons Stadium - abandoned by Western Force because of the cost and the poor viewing - and nib Stadium could be used depending on which games were hosted.
"There are a number of issues to work through including stadium and teams," Fagan said.
Force prop Pek Cowan thought he’d scored for the Wallabies but a teammate was penalised for obstruction. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Meanwhile, Western Force prop Pek Cowan could still smile despite being denied his first ever Test five-pointer when he barged over in the second half only to see it wiped out when Rob Simmons was penalised for obstruction.
"I'll chalk it down. I can claim it. I got over the chalk and that's all that matters," he joked.
"I've seen that picture unfold many times at the Force. You get close to the line, you notice there aren't any feet in front of the ruck so you pick it up and dive over the try line. Unfortunately it wasn't to be but we still got the result."
Cowan and Force captain Matt Hodgson came off the reserves bench in the second half and in almost his first touch Hodgson won an important turnover with the Springboks deep in attack.
Coach Ewen McKenzie told Hodgson to work on his natural game.
"Hopefully I did enough and can push for more game time," Hodgson said.
