Mining magnate Andrew Forrest has announced a new international rugby competition with six teams after WA's Western Force was cut from the Super Rugby competition.
Earlier today RugbyWA lost its appeal against the Force's axing from the Super Rugby competition, although the organisation is weighing further legal avenues to challenge the ruling.
In a direct challenge to Super Rugby governing body SANZAAR, Mr Forrest said the new competition would include teams from across the Indo-Pacific.
"I can assure all of you that in the hottest fires is forged the strongest metal," Mr Forrest said.
"This is the beginning of the new Force, this is the beginning of the new Indo-Pacific competition and I am delighted to be an instigator of it.
Mr Forrest said the new competition would target a region he said was poorly served by the existing competition.
"We will include strong and deeply powerful players, broadcasters and fans of rugby all across the Indo-Pacific region, where some 60 per cent of the world's people live on our time-frame right here in Western Australia," he said.
"Indo-Pacific is a massive economy, broadcasters need huge populations and huge economies.
"They are not represented in SANZAAR necessarily with New Zealand, South Africa and Australia dominating it. But if we get up into the Indo-Pacific region, that's where all the world's economic growth is, that's where the world's population is and that's where the game of rugby will be very powerful and centred from Western Australia."
He said the competition would be extended to seven-a-side teams to encourage women and girls in rugby.
"I will be releasing details immediately of the initial administration structure and can assure all of you that discussions have commenced across the world and within our own state and country to ensure this competition starts and starts strongly and continues strongly," he said.
Mr Forrest said it was a poor financial decision by the ARU to turn down an offer of $50 million to keep the Western Force alive and again called on ARU chairman Cameron Clyne to resign.
He said he would be encouraging South Africa and other teams to "come across" from SAANZAR, the existing southern-hemisphere governing body, to his new league.
However, Mr Forrest could not give a firm date on when the new competition would begin.
