ARU endorse Forrest's league

After Western Force's Super Rugby axing, the mining billionaire Forrest has been in the process of developing an Indo-Pacific Rugby Championship (IPRC).

The league will consist of six teams, which includes teams from either Singapore, Hong Kong, Samoa, Fiji, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Tonga or Kuala Lumpur and obviously the Force.

Last week, Forrest even met up with Wallaby head coach Michael Cheika, who stated that the league has the ability to improve rugby in Australia, but will only excel if the mining billionaire works with the Australian Rugby Union.

Thus far, talks between ARU and Forrest have been going well.

ARU released a statement on Friday, stating they have established a board – headed by Wallabies flank and current Vice Chairman of the ARU Board, Brett Robinson and representatives from the ARU management team – to help develop the league.

ARU Chairman, Cameron Clyne said: "The ARU is making a serious commitment to work in collaboration with Andrew Forrest’s team to develop the IPRC concept and will assign a small management team led by Brett Robinson to assist with the core elements of establishing the competition.

"There is a significant amount of detail to work through and it is critical for ARU to be able to fully understand how it can support the IPRC and ensure it plays a constructive role in building the game across the country and producing successful Wallabies and national teams.

"We understand the urgency of getting alignment on the key issues of calendar alignment, player contracting and player eligibility, which is why we have committed ARU resources to work through these elements as soon as possible.

"Ultimately the most important outcome is to find a solution that creates a stronger Australian Rugby. We will also consult with others outside the management team, including coaches, to ensure that we are working towards the best outcomes from a High-Performance perspective,"