RFU halves Championship funding.

[Mark62]

I have restrained from commenting on here for a while, whilst all the Sausages have had their say.

Can someone please explain to me why professional players should have to prop up clubs the majority of which have been operating outside their means, and would not have achieved their current levels without this subsidy from the RFU.
You may as well say that Jeff Bezos should be supplementing all the small shops that have closed down due to Amazon..
I have seen lots of players mentioned but have yet to see any multi capped internationals who started their career at a championship club, excluding those such as Dan Cole who spent some time at Bedford developing but was always dual registered.
There was a list of players mainly those that have ended up at Exeter, but this completely ignored the fact that Exeter almost act as a franchise for those junior clubs that are South and West of them.

IMHO the only thing the RFU have done wrong and it is a large thing, is to announce this without any consultation and not giving the championship clubs 18 months to get their house in order

[BFG]

I have restrained from commenting on here for a while, whilst all the Sausages have had their say.

Can someone please explain to me why professional players should have to prop up clubs the majority of which have been operating outside their means, and would not have achieved their current levels without this subsidy from the RFU.
You may as well say that Jeff Bezos should be supplementing all the small shops that have closed down due to Amazon..
I have seen lots of players mentioned but have yet to see any multi capped internationals who started their career at a championship club, excluding those such as Dan Cole who spent some time at Bedford developing but was always dual registered.
There was a list of players mainly those that have ended up at Exeter, but this completely ignored the fact that Exeter almost act as a franchise for those junior clubs that are South and West of them.

IMHO the only thing the RFU have done wrong and it is a large thing, is to announce this without any consultation and not giving the championship clubs 18 months to get their house in order

I would've thought that a South sausage might get it after what's happened!

[Mark62]

Completely different scenario. RFU funding was cut to junior clubs a few seasons back.
The situation at South was caused by a dictatorial club chairman, don’t believe me look at the club website, and how many positions he holds, and the withdrawal of the 1st teams main sponsor due to the way the senior section of the club was being run.
I’d point out that the family of the sponsor has been associated with the club for over 60 years and is the reason South own their current ground.
I know for certain that were the current committee to clear out the sponsor concerned would be more than happy to return and help rebuild the club’s fortunes

[BFG]

Completely different scenario. RFU funding was cut to junior clubs a few seasons back.
The situation at South was caused by a dictatorial club chairman, don’t believe me look at the club website, and how many positions he holds, and the withdrawal of the 1st teams main sponsor due to the way the senior section of the club was being run.
I’d point out that the family of the sponsor has been associated with the club for over 60 years and is the reason South own their current ground.
I know for certain that were the current committee to clear out the sponsor concerned would be more than happy to return and help rebuild the club’s fortunes

The bottom line is that a good community club suffers.
Championship clubs will also suffer.
Every step of the pyramid is equally as important.
The sense of community is being lost and that to me is very sad.

[Grimlish]

It’s the RFU that cut the funding not the Premiership.

It’s more that the RFU is taking the decision not to allow the money coming into the game via the 6 Nations and HQ ticket prices/TV money/sponsorship to filter down to the level where clubs need support ie the Championship and further to grass roots. The fully professional clubs have access to their own TV rights money, CVC etc.

[Mark62]

Completely different scenario. RFU funding was cut to junior clubs a few seasons back.
The situation at South was caused by a dictatorial club chairman, don’t believe me look at the club website, and how many positions he holds, and the withdrawal of the 1st teams main sponsor due to the way the senior section of the club was being run.
I’d point out that the family of the sponsor has been associated with the club for over 60 years and is the reason South own their current ground.
I know for certain that were the current committee to clear out the sponsor concerned would be more than happy to return and help rebuild the club’s fortunes

The bottom line is that a good community club suffers.
Championship clubs will also suffer.
Every step of the pyramid is equally as important.
The sense of community is being lost and that to me is very sad.

I totally agree with you, though the days of players families attending the game and the bar still being full 3 hours after the game disappears long time ago. Fortunately for South their mini and junior section is thriving.

[Mark62]

It’s the RFU that cut the funding not the Premiership.

It’s more that the RFU is taking the decision not to allow the money coming into the game via the 6 Nations and HQ ticket prices/TV money/sponsorship to filter down to the level where clubs need support ie the Championship and further to grass roots. The fully professional clubs have access to their own TV rights money, CVC etc.

Again I agree but you mention money coming into the game, last time I checked the RFU was losing money season on season

[BFG]

Completely different scenario. RFU funding was cut to junior clubs a few seasons back.
The situation at South was caused by a dictatorial club chairman, don’t believe me look at the club website, and how many positions he holds, and the withdrawal of the 1st teams main sponsor due to the way the senior section of the club was being run.
I’d point out that the family of the sponsor has been associated with the club for over 60 years and is the reason South own their current ground.
I know for certain that were the current committee to clear out the sponsor concerned would be more than happy to return and help rebuild the club’s fortunes

The bottom line is that a good community club suffers.
Championship clubs will also suffer.
Every step of the pyramid is equally as important.
The sense of community is being lost and that to me is very sad.

I totally agree with you, though the days of players families attending the game and the bar still being full 3 hours after the game disappears long time ago. Fortunately for South their mini and junior section is thriving.

That's good to hear and here's hoping more Cole's can come through in the future.

[jgriffin]

Thanks for the PM Mark62, let's share it:
"Pathetic you are no doubt one of the old codgers that makes this forum a laughing stock, don’t know why I bother".
I don't know why you bother either.

[BFG]

Thanks for the PM Mark62, let's share it:
"Pathetic you are no doubt one of the old codgers that makes this forum a laughing stock, don’t know why I bother".
I don't know why you bother either.

Welcome to the club jgriffin.
I've been a member since June last year.

[Hot_Charlie]

At £25k per player per game for England when they are already being paid very well by a club I reckon there is plenty of money going somewhere!

There is, but that’s the going rate for an international rugby player after 25 years of professional rugby. We might not like it, but again it’s the reality and what keeps England players playing in England. When you do the maths it’s not a “game changing” sum that could go to the Championship. Cut the individual England match fee by 60% per player and you still might still struggle to find an extra £500k for each club. That won’t turn it around from the dysfunctional league it is now.

My maths isn't the best in the world but £25k per player per game for 23 players comes out at £575k per match.
I'm assuming £25k is if they win and will assume it's £20k if they don't win.
This is for players who already get paid extremely well by their clubs.
So in 2019 (World Cup year) they played 15 matches with 11 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses so a total of about £8,165,000.
In 2018 they played 12 matches, 6 wins and 6 losses so about £6,210,000.
If the Championship funding is cut by about £200k per club then that's £2,400,000 over all 12 clubs.
England players are being overpaid.
The match fee should be much smaller in fact when they are already the top paid club players I would suggest that the match fee should be no more than £5k per match win lose or draw.
In 2018 £5k per match would've equated to about £1,380,000 in match fees leaving £4,830,000 extra for the RFU to invest into the professional and community game.
In 2019 £5k per match would've equated to about £1,725,000 in match fees leaving £6,440,000 extra the RFU to invest.
The pay gap between England players, the rest, and the supporter base has grown way out of proportion and this is why they are starting to get so much stick when they don't perform to the inflated levels that are now being expected due to the massively overinflated pay.

But the unfortunate truth is the fact that there’s probably more chance of a moon landing tomorrow than cutting international match fees (and ensuring English top talent stays in England).

Financial assumptions and “what ifs” are all very easy to put on the forum/Twitter/Facebook, but the just aren’t going to happen.

[Mark62]

Thanks for the PM Mark62, let's share it:
"Pathetic you are no doubt one of the old codgers that makes this forum a laughing stock, don’t know why I bother".
I don't know why you bother either.

Glad to see you’re happy to share. Bit like the silver fox doesn’t that feel better now. .

Sort of thing worthy of a sausage

[Soggypitch]

Very interesting article by Brian Moore in this morning's DT;

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... mpionship/

[BFG]

There is, but that’s the going rate for an international rugby player after 25 years of professional rugby. We might not like it, but again it’s the reality and what keeps England players playing in England. When you do the maths it’s not a “game changing” sum that could go to the Championship. Cut the individual England match fee by 60% per player and you still might still struggle to find an extra £500k for each club. That won’t turn it around from the dysfunctional league it is now.

My maths isn't the best in the world but £25k per player per game for 23 players comes out at £575k per match.
I'm assuming £25k is if they win and will assume it's £20k if they don't win.
This is for players who already get paid extremely well by their clubs.
So in 2019 (World Cup year) they played 15 matches with 11 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses so a total of about £8,165,000.
In 2018 they played 12 matches, 6 wins and 6 losses so about £6,210,000.
If the Championship funding is cut by about £200k per club then that's £2,400,000 over all 12 clubs.
England players are being overpaid.
The match fee should be much smaller in fact when they are already the top paid club players I would suggest that the match fee should be no more than £5k per match win lose or draw.
In 2018 £5k per match would've equated to about £1,380,000 in match fees leaving £4,830,000 extra for the RFU to invest into the professional and community game.
In 2019 £5k per match would've equated to about £1,725,000 in match fees leaving £6,440,000 extra the RFU to invest.
The pay gap between England players, the rest, and the supporter base has grown way out of proportion and this is why they are starting to get so much stick when they don't perform to the inflated levels that are now being expected due to the massively overinflated pay.

But the unfortunate truth is the fact that there’s probably more chance of a moon landing tomorrow than cutting international match fees (and ensuring English top talent stays in England).

Financial assumptions and “what ifs” are all very easy to put on the forum/Twitter/Facebook, but the just aren’t going to happen.

The so called top English talent (which is highly debatable as they very rarely deliver anything often with the same dross and from the same players over and over again year on year) are being very highly paid by an English professional club and then also being paid for by the sports governing body (RFU) on two occasions.
1x club pay.
1x international pay.
1x compensation payment to club.
Add in that many are coaches and former players sons and you don't have to be Columbo to work out that the sports governing body isn't currently supporting a sport for all as well as it should be which is ultimately a sporting governing bodies main responsibility.
Also factor in this whole scenario that the international women should by now be receiving equal pay.
Far too much money is going in one direction in my opinion.