A billionaire's phone call gives Tim Sampson the Force for a revival

"But I was three beers deep at the Vikings community sport function. I can still remember it. I had to explain to one of Andrew's assistants that I couldn't talk then, but I certainly wanted to first thing the next morning," Sampson recalls with a grin.

The ensuing conversation between Sampson and Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest led the Tuggeranong and Canberra Vikings coach down a path towards his career goals.

Almost three years later that path will lead to Super Rugby when a domestic competition is launched, with the Force last week invited to join the four other franchises.

It could have been so different if not for Forrest, who has plunged his own money into the Force and Global Rapid Rugby after they were exiled from Super Rugby at the end of 2017. Forrest saved the Force, then called Sampson to be the man to lead the revival.

"Maybe the beers eased my nerves a little bit. In all honesty, we spoke for about an hour and Andrew really focused on life in general, what life means to me and asked about my family," Sampson said.

"Rugby wasn't necessarily the priority, it was just a deep and meaningful chat. My wife said to me: 'You must be nervous taking a phone call like that'. But I wasn't. I think if you be yourself, there's no issues.

"It was an easy decision. It was difficult because the Vikings had been so good to me ... I'm very loyal. That was the toughest part, leaving three weeks before [Tuggeranong's] first trial. But it was the right decision."

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So Sampson left Canberra after a successful stint with the Vikings, making the John I Dent Cup grand final in two of his three seasons and winning the title in 2016.

He led the Force to victories in Forrest's inaugural Global Rapid Rugby campaign and beat the Canberra Vikings in the National Rugby Championship grand final last year.

Now he's setting a forgotten Force to play against the ACT Brumbies, NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels in a new coronavirus championship, scheduled to start on July 3.

The Brumbies are set to launch their season at home with a clash against the Rebels, but Canberra Stadium is yet to receive a detailed plan from Rugby Australia about coronavirus protocols.

Sure, the existing Super Rugby rivalries are great. But the injection of the Force adds another layer particularly in Canberra.

There's the NRC grand final hangover, the Force's triumph over the Brumbies in the World Club 10s in Mauritius in 2016, the Brumbies beat the Force in their final Super Rugby game in 2017, Matt Giteau's defection to Perth and eventual return to Canberra, and David Pocock's Force exit to link with the Brumbies.

"And I played against Tim through all the age groups in Queensland as well," says Brumbies coach Dan McKellar.

"The Force are going to be highly motivated and desperate to show they belong at this level. They've got strong backing with Andrew Forrest and I think it's exciting.

"There's a genuine following for rugby in the west. We always enjoyed it there ... yeah, there's been a Brumbies-Force rivalry and respect for a long time. I think it's just good for the game that we've got them back involved again.

"It was a tough period when it all happened, you couldn't help for feel for the players, staff and supporters. To have it taken away, it was hard to watch."

The pain is still being felt in the Perth, particularly the way their downfall played out over several months. It won't be forgotten, but Sampson says it won't be a burden, either.

"It will be special in many ways. There are eight guys who were here in 2017," Sampson said. "I'm sure they'll have their own motivation - that's natural and you can't ignore it.

"But it's special for everyone. This year is a great opportunity. We're going to be playing against Wallabies, that's exactly what we want."