Mid season break?

[trendylfj]

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/rugby/ ... 67576.html

I don't know about anyone else but if they are going to create a mid season break the easiest way is to bin the Anglo-Welsh and reduce the Autumn internationals to a 3 games in a 4 week period. If you just bin the A/W you don't create much extra time off for the International players who don't tend to play in the A/W until semi and finals. The difficulty in reducing fixtures is that it also reduces income and we do not have many clubs running at even break even finances. Players seem not to want to extend the season therefore if there is only one way to have a mid season break and that is to reduce the fixtures and the governing bodies to stump up more money to the clubs to off set reduced income

[JP14]

Therefore that limits oppurtunities for developing players and and then they leave the academy and so no clubs will have anyone coming through and that will hurt the game domestically and in the national teams

[trendylfj]

Therefore that limits oppurtunities for developing players and and then they leave the academy and so no clubs will have anyone coming through and that will hurt the game domestically and in the national teams

Agreed but if the powers that be are intent on a mid season break and the players don't want an extended season what is the alternative - a reduced number of teams in the prem?/champions cup?/internationals? Something has to give if that is the solution to player burn out/injuries.

[JP14]

Or just don't extend the season and prevent a potential strike from players and bouts of controversy. If senior players/internationals want breaks then maybe the RFU should put a senior player limit on a AW Cup game and that's the period when a national squad member who isn't playing and other first team regulars can rest

[watsonjm]

Enforced Xmas break. Sack the LV cup off and get a full and proper A league set up.

[Cardiff Tig]

Or just don't extend the season and prevent a potential strike from players and bouts of controversy. If senior players/internationals want breaks then maybe the RFU should put a senior player limit on a AW Cup game and that's the period when a national squad member who isn't playing and other first team regulars can rest

This is practically the case already though. Look at the Exeter team that played the final last year in the AWC. A proper break for players would require a real break in the season.

[mol2]

Bin the AW cup.

Oblige every premiership team to have an A-league side. These would play each other once per season.

Players who only play A-league games salaries do not count to the salary cap providing they play enough (say 5 or 6) matches, are not first team regulars and are England qualified.

This give opportunities for up and coming youngsters to get competitive games as well as dissuading some of them from playing for the land of a grandparents at junior levels when they are really products of Tigers (or their respective club's) academy.

Let Scotland produce their own players and give these up and coming players the chance to be professionals at premiership clubs, but get the message that this is dependent on allegiance to England as it is English clubs that are paying them.

[tigerburnie]

Bin the AW cup.

Oblige every premiership team to have an A-league side. These would play each other once per season.

Players who only play A-league games salaries do not count to the salary cap providing they play enough (say 5 or 6) matches, are not first team regulars and are England qualified.

This give opportunities for up and coming youngsters to get competitive games as well as dissuading some of them from playing for the land of a grandparents at junior levels when they are really products of Tigers (or their respective club's) academy.

Let Scotland produce their own players and give these up and coming players the chance to be professionals at premiership clubs, but get the message that this is dependent on allegiance to England as it is English clubs that are paying them.

You are joking of course??????
Tigers keep cancelling their "A" league games as the squads aren't big enough.
A lot of Tigers players(this applies to all the Premiership clubs) from the academies are playing every week in the National leagues.
How many English players have Tigers got on the books? You cannot stop players from playing wherever they want, subject to the laws regarding qualification. England are as bad as anyone at picking up players from all over the place, just behind New Zealand.

[mol2]

Not joking at all.
This would allow for larger squads and a meaningful A league.

I don't approve of players electing to play for the country of a grandfather.

Parents yes - many children are born abroad because parents are working abroad, the forces being a prime example.

I don't have a problem with players opting to play for a country through residency although for me the existing 3 year qualification is too short and the proposed 5 years is a better sign of commitment to a country, rather than a flag of economic convenience.

English clubs support England by providing players and ultimately English clubs are beneficiaries of junior players coming through English schools and clubs. As a club we should be discouraging English players from playing for other countries. We should be encouraging our youngsters to play for Tigers and England. Tigers don't benefit from their players playing for Scotland, Italy and so on.

I appreciate we need to sign players of the highest calibre to compete and that means foreign internationals. However we should not be encouraging English kids to become foreign internationals because it's easier to get into the Scotland side than England.

[tigerburnie]

Not joking at all.
This would allow for larger squads and a meaningful A league.

I don't approve of players electing to play for the country of a grandfather.

Parents yes - many children are born abroad because parents are working abroad, the forces being a prime example.

I don't have a problem with players opting to play for a country through residency although for me the existing 3 year qualification is too short and the proposed 5 years is a better sign of commitment to a country, rather than a flag of economic convenience.

English clubs support England by providing players and ultimately English clubs are beneficiaries of junior players coming through English schools and clubs. As a club we should be discouraging English players from playing for other countries. We should be encouraging our youngsters to play for Tigers and England. Tigers don't benefit from their players playing for Scotland, Italy and so on.

I appreciate we need to sign players of the highest calibre to compete and that means foreign internationals. However we should not be encouraging English kids to become foreign internationals because it's easier to get into the Scotland side than England.

So you want to force the likes of Luke Hamilton and Jim Hamilton to refuse to play for a country they wish to play for because you don't approve? Even though they were asked to? and one presumes they said yes please, but you wish to stop them?