Union in for fight

Dilemma over Force

THE Rugby Union Players Association has signalled it would oppose the ARU telling Force players which franchise to join next year in the event an Aussie team is axed.

News Corp Australia revealed on Monday the ARU has earmarked the Force as the Aussie franchise to get cut if SANZAAR’s preferred 15team Super Rugby model is agreed upon in coming weeks.

The ARU and partners are waiting on South Africa to return with an answer on whether they’re prepared to cut two teams.

Shutting down the Force will see almost 20 contracted players without a place to play next year and though ARU boss Bill Pulver has given assurances all contracts will be honoured, the ARU wants to find new homes in Australia’s four other franchises.

Given they run the Force, the ARU plans to direct players to specific clubs.

That could yield problems, however, if the player is not keen on their assigned club/ coach/ state and legal action may even be a possibility.

RUPA boss Ross Xenos said while still a hypothetical scenario, the players’ union believed the ARU did not have the contractual authority to direct players to certain clubs.

“All Australian rugby contracts are signed by the club and the ARU and there are provisions within the contract to second players for the purposes of Wallaby duty, but it is our view that there is no capacity … for the ARU to unilaterally direct them to relocate to another city and to play for another team,” Xenos said.

“The standard player contracts and the CBA were never drafted with these circumstances in mind but as with any employment contract with an employee and an employer, the context of that contract is that employer will not have the right to direct the employee to work for another employer.

“As we understand it, there will be consultation between the ARU and any player contracted to a team that has been removed from the Super Rugby competition in order to determine where that player will continue to fulfil the obligations of his contract.”

Having sat uneasily beneath the SANZAAR cone of silence so far, the ARU issued a watery statement yesterday attempting to explain why there was nothing yet to say regarding Super Rugby’s future.

“We also wish to confirm for the public record that no decision has been taken on the removal of one of Australia’s Super Rugby teams,” Pulver said.