‘No one really likes it’: brutal rule change breaks hearts in World Surf League

A new rule introduced for this year’s World Surf League has proved as brutal as expected, with several big-name Australians falling victim to the mid-season cut during competition at the Margaret River Pro.

Emotions have run high in Western Australia this week as Sally Fitzgibbons, Owen Wright and Morgan Cibilic all lost their Championship Tour status due to the rule change, which has delivered on Tour organisers’ promises to provide more drama and increased pressure.

Tokyo Olympian Fitzgibbons dropped off the main tour for the first time in 14 years and 108 consecutive events after failing to progress beyond the round of 16, while Cibilic, who finished fifth in the world last year, was also demoted to the second-tier Challenger Series.

Fitzgibbons was visibly upset after falling to Frenchwoman Johanne Defay, who was also in tears as she consoled the Australian in the water.

“The unconditional love that comes with putting on my jersey #89. Everything about this sport, the surf community and my dream keeps me coming back for more,” Fitzgibbons wrote on social media afterwards.

“I felt every one of those cheers and hugs from you yesterday and hope I can reciprocate when we cross paths in your big moment.”

The fate of Wright, the Olympic bronze medallist, was finally sealed on Wednesday when Matthew McGillivray beat Miguel Pupo in their round-of-16 match-up. A day earlier, the prospect of dropping off the tour for the first time in 12 years had left a devastated Wright apparently considering his future in the sport.

“I know I’m surfing really well, but I’ve got a lot of life outside of the tour – kids and wife and what not,” Wright said. “Whatever I do will be a family decision. We’ll kind of go through the motions of