Rugby Union

[2750Papyrus]

A pleasure to watch a successful England team run and pass the ball.  Also a pleasure to have commentators content to describe the action rather than arguing amongst themselves about past "triumphs" and this week's  interpretation of the Laws of the Game. 

[tigerburnie]

Well the Tigers v Exeter game had it all, record score, try record score for Chris Ashton, controversy with cards and the best team won, what's not to like.

[whart57]

The Guardian has some thought provoking articles on the future of the Championship, one of them reporting some pretty bitter accusations from Coventry RFC's chief executive that the Premiership and RFU are deliberately running the Championship into the ground so that it would be easier to get rid of. It is suggested that the RFU sees a future where there are only ten professional clubs in a ring-fenced competition and the rest of the clubs play in regionalised leagues with no opportunity to win promotion.

[tigerburnie]

2 hours ago, whart57 said:

The Guardian has some thought provoking articles on the future of the Championship, one of them reporting some pretty bitter accusations from Coventry RFC's chief executive that the Premiership and RFU are deliberately running the Championship into the ground so that it would be easier to get rid of. It is suggested that the RFU sees a future where there are only ten professional clubs in a ring-fenced competition and the rest of the clubs play in regionalised leagues with no opportunity to win promotion.

Sadly that has been in general knowledge for sometime, the RFU are judge, jury and executioner it seems, rules are made but only apply to those clubs that are not their mates. I think the current investigations in the Scottish and English governments are a mere shadow of what seems to be going on at the old cabbage patch.......allegedly.

[tigerburnie]

Well crunch time for some this weekend in the English Premiership, we could well know who is in the semi finals for the title, a point to be made though. Last year Saracens were top of the league, lost in the final and had nothing to show for a great season, this is wrong on every count. Now if you want to have some payoffs(no that is not a spelling mistake), fine, but that should be for a separate trophy. I fancy Tigers just might be the form side to win again, but the Sarries deserve something.

[tigerburnie]

So the final four are upon us, Sarries will play Northampton and Tigers visit Sale, but there's still a couple of games to play next week before the semi finaals.

[tigerburnie]

Afro-Euro cup this weekend, I can see it being an all French final unfortunately, Tigers are sending a second team to Northampton for a friendly match arranged to fill gaps in the fixtures caused by Wasps and Worcester going belly up, in the spirit of the game Northampton are fielding an almost full first team as they are up against Saracens in the league playoffs semi final in a couple of weeks. Be embarrassing for them if our cubs turn them over lol.

[whart57]

Following on from Championship clubs thinking the Premiership and RFU are hanging them out to dry, National League clubs are also asking for clarification on what the plans for the semi-professional game are. One thing, apart from promotion and relegation, that concerns them is the proposal to have a different tackle law in the semi-pro and community leagues from that in the Premiership and Championship. League One clubs, many of whom provide game time for young players from Premiership clubs, say this would mean players having to adjust to different laws depending on the competition they are playing in.

[tigerburnie]

My old club Leicester Lions have just won Nat2 West and will join Nat 1 for the first time, exciting, but they are not quite sure what they are going into.

Good luck to the Red Roses today.

[rockershovel]

On 28/04/2023 at 20:49, whart57 said:

Following on from Championship clubs thinking the Premiership and RFU are hanging them out to dry, National League clubs are also asking for clarification on what the plans for the semi-professional game are. One thing, apart from promotion and relegation, that concerns them is the proposal to have a different tackle law in the semi-pro and community leagues from that in the Premiership and Championship. League One clubs, many of whom provide game time for young players from Premiership clubs, say this would mean players having to adjust to different laws depending on the competition they are playing in.

Personally, I'd say the dividing line more properly belonged below NL1. There's a considerable step in the standard of play, in that NL1 is the lowest level at which players have any prospect of playing at Representative level. 

 

So, Prem, NL1 and Representative (County, Region, whatever, including Barbarians) sides play to full international rules. The rest play to "community" rules. 

 

Doubtless schools and Universities, which provide a disproportionate number of Representative players will go on doing their own thing as they already do. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by rockershovel

[tigerburnie]

Leicester Lions have an international payer, played in National 2 North, South and West this season, plays for Estonia.......................................

[whart57]

I was mildly surprised that Lebanon had an international rugby league side competing in the RL World Cup. Until I recalled that there was a sizeable Lebanese expat community living around Sydney and that these players were lesser lights in the NRL who happened to have a Lebanese parent or grandparent.

[tigerburnie]

Pleased for Jersey, not too sure that they actually want to be bothered with promotion, just highlights the stupidity of the PRL system, good enough to beat everyone in the league but not allowed into the closed members club. Just watch them let Wasps straight back in, even if they don't have a ground, though if the gossip is true, Wasps are dead and buried.

[whart57]

I'm pretty certain that if the promotion and relegation between Premiership and Championship were as automatic and treated as the normal rewards for success and failure as they are in round ball football that Jersey would be excited about having the top sides come down to play them. As would Ealing and Cornish Pirates. But I suspect you are right, they would be breaking into a clique that doesn't really want them there, and that can be toxic.

[tigerburnie]

The Times wrote:London Irish are at risk of following Worcester Warriors and Wasps into financial meltdown after players and staff failed to receive their salaries for the month of April.

The American consortium involved in takeover talks with the Gallagher Premiership club informed all employees in a meeting on Friday that their money would not be paid on time.

A follow-up email was sent on Sunday with assurances that confirmation of payment would be received by Monday evening in the UK, once the banks in the United States had opened for business.

But it was an empty promise. The Times understands that no payments were made overnight, raising an all-too familiar red flag for stressed employees.

London Irish, who have £30 million of debt, are the third Premiership club this season to find themselves in this situation. Worcester and Wasps both went bust before Christmas and dropped out of the Premiership.

Worcester’s players and staff faced months of broken promises over unpaid salaries and potential takeovers before the club collapsed. They are all still out of pocket and some have found employment hard to come by.

The new owners of Worcester have refused to revive the club in the Championship because that would require them to pay back all rugby creditors, which would cost up to £8 million.

Wasps are due to return in the Championship next season, having passed the RFU’s initial criteria, but the club are understood to have major funding issues. They have no coaches, no players and no home ground.

London Irish do not have the tax office chasing them, which is ultimately what triggered the collapse of Worcester and Wasps, but they are deemed to be at “high risk” because of their debt and low annual turnover.

Although the club has a training facility that has been used by NFL teams and international rugby teams, London Irish does not own a stadium that can be used to generate non-matchday income.

There were fears last month that London Irish would be unable to pay their players but the American consortium covered the March payroll, but it has failed to do so this time.

London Irish refused to comment over the weekend. A spokesperson for the consortium deflected questions back to the club, even though the players and staff were addressed by a representative of the American investors on Friday. They were told that a deal is close.

Premiership Rugby and the RFU have been approached for comment.

The financial crisis across the league has deepened in recent years. According to a parliamentary investigation, Premiership clubs each lose, on average, £4 million a year. Premiership Rugby failed to secure an uplift on its broadcasting deal with BT Sport. Every club is now saddled with government debt of between £10-15 million after taking out loans to stay afloat during the pandemic.

Premiership Rugby is working to relaunch the league in 2024 as a ten-team competition, removing clashes with Test matches to ensure the England players are available more often.

Promotion and relegation is due to return at the end of next season, via a play-off between the bottom side in the Premiership and the Championship winners, but that is now highly unlikely to happen.

There is an acceptance around the Premiership that something radical needs to change if the league is to attract more investment and avoid sinking further into the financial abyss.

[grandadbob]

Looks like Quins are another club in trouble.

 

https://www.ruck.co.uk/concerning-financially-troubled-harlequins-confirm-12-summer-departures

Edited May 2, 2023 by grandadbob

[tigerburnie]

Tough times Bob.

[tigerburnie]

Pay off semi finals this coming weekend with Saracens hosting Northampton whilst Leicester travel to Manchester to play Sale, could see a repeat of last years final again, but after the 14 man defeat, I don't share as much confidence as Ben Youngs does about Tigers defending their title, but anything is possible in sport.

[tigerburnie]

I think the phrase I am looking for is turdeycurses, we had an opportunity and  a couple of poor kicks for touch cost us the chance, you cannot spurn chances, they don't come along that often. Not too bad  an outcome for the season after the chaos  we were plunged into.

[Dave Hunt]

1 minute ago, tigerburnie said:

I think the phrase I am looking for is turdeycurses, we had an opportunity and  a couple of poor kicks for touch cost us the chance, you cannot spurn chances, they don't come along that often. Not too bad  an outcome for the season after the chaos  we were plunged into.

 

😖😖😖

 

Dave

[tigerburnie]

Wasps gone.....................

Wasps: RFU withdraws offer of Championship place for 2023-24 season - BBC Sport

[whart57]

Where does that put Wasps? National 2 or the regional leagues, and which region of the several Wasps has bounced around in these last years?

[tigerburnie]

Right at the bottom, depending on where they get a ground it could be level 10

[tigerburnie]

Seems London Irish are to be suspended from the Premiership according to the Torygraph, looks like the ten team league will arrive a year early

London Irish to be suspended from Premiership as offers made for Henry Arundell and Tom Pearson (msn.com)

[whart57]

15 hours ago, tigerburnie said:

Seems London Irish are to be suspended from the Premiership according to the Torygraph, looks like the ten team league will arrive a year early

London Irish to be suspended from Premiership as offers made for Henry Arundell and Tom Pearson (msn.com)

 

5pm deadline this evening for London Irish to demonstrate they have the wherewithal to complete the next Premiership season.

 

The players are already looking for new clubs, but the salary cap means there will be few opportunities at other Premiership clubs, few will want the pay cut inevitable if they drop down to the Championship so most will probably head abroad, America if not closer to home.