New league takes shape

– Australian and Indo-Pacific rugby chiefs are working to collaborate on a new league initiated by mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest that will allow Super Rugby stars to feature, it was announced yesterday.

Plans for the competition were flagged by the billionaire founder and chairman of Fortescue Metals this month after the Force lost an appeal against their controversial axing from Super Rugby.

Forrest said the new league, due to start next year, would initially feature six teams, with the Perth-based Force one of them.

The other five would come from either Singapore, Hong Kong, Samoa, Fiji, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Tonga or Kuala Lumpur.

In a breakthrough, Forrest revealed he was in negotiations with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) to ensure players who compete in his league will also be eligible to play Super Rugby and represent the Wallabies.

This would involve the Indo-Pacific Rugby Championship selecting its schedule to avoid direct clashes with Super Rugby.

The plan is to allow ARU contracted players to sign up to the Indo-Pacific league for four months each year, encouraging Australians playing in Europe, or those considering leaving, to instead join the new competition and still be eligible to play for Australia. – AFP