Victoria Promises ARU Big Dollars

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Victoria Promises ARU Big Dollars

Post by Beaussie »

Victorians promise big bucks
By Roy Masters and Ben Kimber
Tuesday, December 7, 2004
http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/articles/
2004/12/06/1102182225811.html



Australian Rugby Union heavies dined with the Governor of Victoria yesterday and travelled back to Sydney with $7 million in promised sponsorship, propelling Melbourne into favouritism for Australia's fourth Super 14 franchise. They also toured Melbourne's Olympic Park, where a $100m renovation will proceed to ready a stadium for the start of the 2008 season should Melbourne win the bid over Perth.

The bulk of the guaranteed sponsorship comes from construction company John Holland and Crown Casino. They have each pledged $1m a year for three years.

The bid team has confirmed a further $1m in 2006, the first year of the expanded competition, and is confident of generating $4m annually.

Seven hundred foundation members of the proposed new club - principally supporters of the Weary Dunlop luncheon group - have paid $700,000 in fees.

ARU commercial operations manager Brian Thorburn and high-performance manager Brett Robinson toured Olympic Park with its CEO Gareth James before joining Governor John Landy and Sports Minister Justin Madden for lunch at Government House. An ARU spokesman confirmed the visit of the two officials "to ask more questions", unaware of the bounty enjoyed, including Government House cucumber sandwiches.

Madden made a powerful impression on the ARU assessment team in Sydney last week when he said: "Imagine how relieved the AFL would be if you award the team to Perth."

Insofar as Madden is a former AFL player, his prediction of success for rugby union in a city that takes its sport only slightly more seriously than it takes itself was a stunning message.

Madden also impressed the assessment team with his understanding of rugby politics when he said: "And imagine how soccer will welcome the announcement of Perth. It will guarantee them No.2 spot in Melbourne."

He was alluding to the architect of the Australian Soccer Association's battle for bragging rights, CEO John O'Neill, a former boss of the ARU who was encouraged to move on after the World Cup.

The ARU board will meet at 9am on Friday to decide between Melbourne and Perth and will make its announcement shortly afterwards.

Rugby WA's chairman Geoff Stooke claims he has been underwhelmed as reports of the rumoured dollars on offer for a Victorian team have filtered out of Melbourne in the past fortnight.

"I guess we'd say well done Melbourne, but to our way of thinking it doesn't change anything," Stooke said. "We have our business model with sponsorship up to $3.5 million already, equivalent hospitality of up to $2 million, and we have 5000 people ready to take up membership. It doesn't change our business case at all."

Stooke is confident Perth can offer a solid financial base and suggested the promised platform was swiftly established. "We went out into the Perth business community asking for, I suppose you'd say expressions of interest, and we've found that to the tune of around $3.5 million, and we've had those businesses sign expressions of interest, so they are signed up," he said.

"I don't know whether [news coming from Melbourne] is strategic or whatever but it doesn't really matter. We keep hearing about this and that as things come out, but at the end of the day you have to provide a good business and rugby case, a complete package, and we've got a great package.

"We haven't looked at being ahead or behind in certain areas, we've looked at the whole thing and we don't think you could make a better offer.

"In the end it'll just come down to a 50-50 decision, and we believe we have a strong case because our bid is about certainty and sustainability."




The bidding parties are certainly making things interesting.
crocodileman
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Post by crocodileman »

Nothing like a bit of pork barrelling to secure the licence.

I think if I was involvd in this process on the Perth or Melbourne bid I would promise visitations from the Virgin Mary in the city just to seal the deal.

I once knew an old Irishman called Charlie and his motto in life was thus:-

"Lie, lie like fukk, then lie some more!"

Best corporate advice I can give.
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