Ringfencing NOW upon us ?

[Tigerbeat]

Super League (Rugby League) is more or less ringfenced with teams wanting to come up to the League. They are required to meet certain standards and then have a play off game against the bottom side for the right to be part of Super League the following season.
If a play off was introduced between the Championship winners and the Premiership bottom Club, I would expect the Premiership Club to win 9 times out of 10.

[johnthegriff]

For those that have not visited Saracens recently they were still reliant on portacabins whenn we last played them in the Premiership, furthermore they had roped off portaloos because that corner of the ground was being used for players to exit the pitch and I would not be surprised to learn that on that occasion toilet facilities did not meet the required number. They do have plans to build a stand similar to their one excellent main stand on the opposite side of the pitch but that is for the future, having said that apart from it usually being cold and wet and losing Allianz park is not an unpleasant place to visit. Saracens apart from the financial misdoings are actually trying to improve conditions for the fans but that does take time and investment. Other clubs may have similar ambitions and people willing to invest, we must keep the door open, this in time will help our fellow fans supporting Championship clubs as facilities are improved when wealthy owners pursue a dream of their club entering the Premiership.
Old Hob referred to the visiting support outnumbering the home fans at London Welsh, they unfortunately had moved away from their traditional base and away supporters had less far to travel than their own fans and being on the outskirts of Oxford there was no easy way to get there, a big mistake!

[Nofrontteeth]

It's a pro game and league table positions affect entry to other money sources but it's also supposed to be entertainment. No promotion and where will the fresh entertaining inivitive clubs rise.

If it's a closed shop will it be like the 'good old days' but with more £'s going in the boot.
Remember playing Bedford 7:15pm Tue night 400 and a dog moving up and down the Crumbie terrace? Without the Baa Baa's match we had the ground but not the audience.
Keep promotion to allow the talent to rise.

[Old Hob]

Old Hob referred to the visiting support outnumbering the home fans at London Welsh, they unfortunately had moved away from their traditional base and away supporters had less far to travel than their own fans and being on the outskirts of Oxford there was no easy way to get there, a big mistake!

I did indeed. It was a gamble by Welsh that didn't pay off. However, Wasps - another itinerant club - have built a fan base. Saracens were also wanderers. I watched them in Watford that joyless place. I think there is some venom and spite directed at Saracens but there always has been. They were unpopular in the amateur days for their thuggery so they have always had a bad smell for some.
(Me, for one.)

[ourla]

Keep promotion to allow the talent to rise.

The only "talent" to rise out of the 2nd tier since the Prem was properly established is Exeter.

And I can't see anything that looks like that currently.

By all means let's have a route to becoming an expansion team but I don't think automatic promotion/relegation is necessary.

[LE18]

For those that have not visited Saracens recently they were still reliant on portacabins whenn we last played them in the Premiership, furthermore they had roped off portaloos because that corner of the ground was being used for players to exit the pitch and I would not be surprised to learn that on that occasion toilet facilities did not meet the required number. They do have plans to build a stand similar to their one excellent main stand on the opposite side of the pitch but that is for the future, having said that apart from it usually being cold and wet and losing Allianz park is not an unpleasant place to visit. Saracens apart from the financial misdoings are actually trying to improve conditions for the fans but that does take time and investment. Other clubs may have similar ambitions and people willing to invest, we must keep the door open, this in time will help our fellow fans supporting Championship clubs as facilities are improved when wealthy owners pursue a dream of their club entering the Premiership.
Old Hob referred to the visiting support outnumbering the home fans at London Welsh, they unfortunately had moved away from their traditional base and away supporters had less far to travel than their own fans and being on the outskirts of Oxford there was no easy way to get there, a big mistake!

I have only been to Sarries ground a couple of times but I think its awful, its an athletics ground, lacks decent stands except main stand, standing spectators have to stand far from the pitch on flat ground, useless if you are small, very difficult to access stadium, poor parking although it's reasonably easy to find it, just off M1/A1 Junction. I don't think I want to go again.

[Nofrontteeth]

Can't argue with Ourla and the historical/current standards of play that have come up (and down) from the 2nd tier.

That said if we didn't have in/out we could still have Roslyn Park in our sat- navs. If I remember rightly they were in the embryonic profession plan.

Another concern is the possibility of ring fencing becoming a cartel within which the monied finance gamblers buy and sell clubs in a franchised manner with no thought of fans loyalty and finances, history or location. Milton Keynes Tigers?
I already fear we're heading that way..
Thoughts

[Crofty]

Can't argue with Ourla and the historical/current standards of play that have come up (and down) from the 2nd tier.

That said if we didn't have in/out we could still have Roslyn Park in our sat- navs. If I remember rightly they were in the embryonic profession plan.

Another concern is the possibility of ring fencing becoming a cartel within which the monied finance gamblers buy and sell clubs in a franchised manner with no thought of fans loyalty and finances, history or location. Milton Keynes Tigers?
I already fear we're heading that way..
Thoughts

I think the potential to move to an American style franchise model is not prevented by having relegation and promotion, see Wasps. I hope we don't see it take hold and if any hiatus on relegation and promotion is for a fixed time it definitely won't.

Even with a permanently closed shop you wouldn't see teams move around over much, the Elite Ice Hockey League is a closed shop with teams owned by rich individuals or businesses and the teams there don't move (some go bust and new ones are founded but that can happen in a league pyramid structure too, London Welsh for example).

Even in the NFL teams moving doesn't happen regularly (although too often to be palatable) but then the USA is a different market to the UK so nothing to say an English or even UK wide closed shop would see the same behaviour.

[SthrnTiger]

Imagine no one surprised by this announcement

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56044619

[Scott1]

It was obvious it was happening for this season. Great news!

[RunTigerRun]

Some sense in that for the one season. Hopefully by next season the league is back to normal for 2021/22.

Interesting to see what the addition of a bye-weekend for the odd team out makes for team selections, rotations and injuries etc.

Ealing to be the 13th team next year anyone?!

[Scott1]

Some sense in that for the one season. Hopefully by next season the league is back to normal for 2021/22.

Interesting to see what the addition of a bye-weekend for the odd team out makes for team selections, rotations and injuries etc.

Ealing to be the 13th team next year anyone?!

Hope so!

[TigerFeetSteve]

Some sense in that for the one season. Hopefully by next season the league is back to normal for 2021/22.

Interesting to see what the addition of a bye-weekend for the odd team out makes for team selections, rotations and injuries etc.

Ealing to be the 13th team next year anyone?!

Hope so!

Well they've beaten Sarries in their last two outings.

Have the Championship said what their plans are for any covid cancellations, is it 4-2 points like the Prem?

[Scott1]

Some sense in that for the one season. Hopefully by next season the league is back to normal for 2021/22.

Interesting to see what the addition of a bye-weekend for the odd team out makes for team selections, rotations and injuries etc.

Ealing to be the 13th team next year anyone?!

Hope so!

Well they've beaten Sarries in their last two outings.

Have the Championship said what their plans are for any covid cancellations, is it 4-2 points like the Prem?

That’s a good question,I’m not sure.

[OakhamTiger32]

Relegation from the Gallagher Premiership will be scrapped for the current season after an RFU Council vote.

The governing body's council voted with a "strong majority" on Friday for the moratorium on relegation, which will also extend to the Championship, with no side from the second tier facing relegation to National League One.

As long as the winner of this season's Championship is eligible for promotion under the RFU's current Minimum Standards Criteria, the 2021/22 season will consist of 13 teams in the Gallagher Premiership and 11 in the Greene King IPA Championship.

An RFU statement read: "Council members considered the impact Covid-19 has had on all areas of the game, including the earlier decision to suspend promotion and relegation in the community game and the Gallagher Premiership cancelling a significant number of matches in the 2020/21 season. These cancellations have resulted in a material impact on league positions which could mean relegation based on cancellation not on field merit.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union ... owing-rfu/