Ex-Wallaby Welborn disgusted by ARU board

Former Wallaby John Welborn has welcomed the Senate inquiry into the Australian Rugby Union, saying he is disgusted by the leadership of the rugby governing body.

West Australian Liberal senator Linda Reynolds's motion was carried on Wednesday - a day after RugbyWA lost its battle in the NSW Supreme Court to retain the Western Force.

Senator Reynolds was critical of the decision-making process used by the ARU to axe the Force, and also the governing body's lack of transparency.

The Community Affairs References Committee will put the ARU under the microscope and report by November 13.

"As a stakeholder in rugby ... I am disgusted at the lack of leadership sport has in Australia," Welborn said.

"The Super Rugby competition will be poorer for the absence of the Western Force.

"Andrew Forrest has been quite public in saying he offered the ARU $50 million, and they turned him down. I was in the room. I was stunned.

"I mean if that's not a breach of director's duties, I'd be surprised."

Welborn said the ARU's decision to axe the Force was short sighted.

"What the ARU have done is executed a Rugby Union. They've taken a side out and shot it in the head," Welborn said.

"And if you ask them, 'What's your plan for the Western Force?' They don't have one.

"The plan is to take that $6 million and regurgitate it into the defunct unions they're currently propping up on the east coast of Australia.

"They have absolutely no plan whatsoever."

Welborn has joined forces with Forrest to launch a new Indo Pacific rugby competition.

Exact details of the competition are yet to be revealed, but Welborn is confident it will be a success.

The six-team competition could feature clubs from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, and New Zealand.

Forrest is yet to decide whether to appeal the NSW Supreme Court's decision to the High Court of Australia.