Super Rugby franchise Western Force have launched a public ownership model in a bid to boost the finances of the Perth based club.
The decision made by RugbyWA is said to be in direct response to speculation that the Australian Rugby Union is planning to cut one of the five Australian Super Rugby franchises at the end of the 2017 season due to financial pressure.
This has thrown into doubt the future of either the Force or Melbourne Rebels.
The new ownership model will give fans the chance to purchase one of 5,000 ownership certificates for $1,000 each, for a period of twelve months.
If successful up to $5 million could be raised for the Force.
For fan owners they would be entitled to voting rights plus power of approval of the reappointment of key positions within the Force.
Fans would also be entitled to have a say into match day and team activities as well as receiving discounts on both Force memberships and RugbyWA player registration fees.
President of RugbyWA, Hans Sauer, said: “The introduction of the Western Force into the Super Rugby competition took the profile and interest in the code in Western Australia to a whole other level. We hope that Western Australians will join us once again as we fight to save the Western Force.”
The club will be releasing further details of the ownership prospectus and constitution in the coming weeks.
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