Relegation 20/21

[TigerFeetSteve]

I know there's talk of ringfencing next season, but lets assume that doesn't happen.

With Covid at current levels where we're seeing teams putting out depleted teams/conceding

What is the chances that any relegated team this year has a case to say they were relegated by Covid.

If a team concedes a game due to a covid outbreak or if the team that escapes relegation had a game conceded against them and these points prove the difference between staying up or going down, it could mean that Premiership rugby is opening itself to legal issues with clubs feeling hard done by if relegated.

In some ways I think Ringfencing will have to be forced in place to protect from legal implications. Lets face it in the space of the last 3 weeks 2 clubs have had outbreaks, that shows how widespread the virus is currently, there's no way we'll go through a season with no more outbreaks.

[Crofty]

The other half of that question is promotion; if, as seems possible at this point, the Championship cannot be played this season, who would get promoted? I know the obvious answer is salarycheats but, given that they went to the brink on legal options over Newcastle's promotion when the Falcons were miles ahead, had won all their matches and had bested them at least once already, I have a feeling Richmond would challenge this. Of course if the Championship doesn't get played and salarycheats are effectively ring-fenced out for an extra year, will Nigel Wray take that lying down? 2019-20 could end up looking like a calm and orderly affair compared to 2020-21...

[Tiglon]

It could be that over the winter the premiership standings will be decided by who can best prevent their players getting covid.

Forget attacking play and a solid line out, we just need to make sure we covid-forfeit fewer games than everyone else!

I feel the coming season will be as disrupted and uncomfortable as the last.

[johnthegriff]

I completely disagree with ringfencing but the thought that relegation, Premiership title or even European qualification should be decided by who forfeits most games due to Covid horrifies me. Every effort should be made to play fixtures, games should be postponed unless it can be shown that a team is unable to fulfill a fixture due to it's own actions or those of a group of players deliberately or stupidly flouting regulations, in that case the penalty should be to forfeit the cancelled match plus fines for club or individuals.

[Tigerbeat]

Given that the games are not guided by a very tight timescale, there may be opportunity to reschedule matches. If the rescheduled match cannot proceed to Covid, then enforce the 20-0 result against the team with Covid.

[SthrnTiger]

It could be that over the winter the premiership standings will be decided by who can best prevent their players getting covid.

Forget attacking play and a solid line out, we just need to make sure we covid-forfeit fewer games than everyone else!

I feel the coming season will be as disrupted and uncomfortable as the last.

Given its likely that people get some sort of immunity from having had COVID Sale are actually in a pretty good place going into next season on this front!

[jgriffin]

Not likely given COVID mutation that there will be any immunity without vaccine.

[fentiger]

It could be that over the winter the premiership standings will be decided by who can best prevent their players getting covid.

Forget attacking play and a solid line out, we just need to make sure we covid-forfeit fewer games than everyone else!

I feel the coming season will be as disrupted and uncomfortable as the last.

Given its likely that people get some sort of immunity from having had COVID Sale are actually in a pretty good place going into next season on this front!

Even with immunity it's likely it would still show up in testing!

[Hot_Charlie]

The other half of that question is promotion; if, as seems possible at this point, the Championship cannot be played this season, who would get promoted?

If ring fencing happens I’d suggest two teams get promoted.

If the Championship is hit by Covid in the 20/21 season, those two teams will probably be self selecting by survival, player resource and budget; in short Sarries and Ealing. Prem Rugby missed a trick in getting it sorted between March-June. They could even have had a solution that prevented Sarries relegation to a potentially non-existent league.

[Crofty]

The other half of that question is promotion; if, as seems possible at this point, the Championship cannot be played this season, who would get promoted?

If ring fencing happens I’d suggest two teams get promoted.

If the Championship is hit by Covid in the 20/21 season, those two teams will probably be self selecting by survival, player resource and budget; in short Sarries and Ealing. Prem Rugby missed a trick in getting it sorted between March-June. They could even have had a solution that prevented Sarries relegation to a potentially non-existent league.

So no sporting punishment for Sarries years of cheating?

[WhitecapTiger]

The other half of that question is promotion; if, as seems possible at this point, the Championship cannot be played this season, who would get promoted?

If ring fencing happens I’d suggest two teams get promoted.

If the Championship is hit by Covid in the 20/21 season, those two teams will probably be self selecting by survival, player resource and budget; in short Sarries and Ealing. Prem Rugby missed a trick in getting it sorted between March-June. They could even have had a solution that prevented Sarries relegation to a potentially non-existent league.

So no sporting punishment for Sarries years of cheating?

I hope not, but if so: Presumably reinstatement would also include entrance to the Euro Challenge Cup, otherwise they'd probably claim they were being discriminated against, because they appear to be that sort of club.

[Hot_Charlie]

The other half of that question is promotion; if, as seems possible at this point, the Championship cannot be played this season, who would get promoted?

If ring fencing happens I’d suggest two teams get promoted.

If the Championship is hit by Covid in the 20/21 season, those two teams will probably be self selecting by survival, player resource and budget; in short Sarries and Ealing. Prem Rugby missed a trick in getting it sorted between March-June. They could even have had a solution that prevented Sarries relegation to a potentially non-existent league.

So no sporting punishment for Sarries years of cheating?

Unfortunately not. But it’s the balance of penalty against ensuring a squad of elite players, and a club that have an interest in PRL, have rugby. They’d be getting no Euro money anyway as that had already been decided.

It’s bloodlust against common sense solutions.

[Crofty]

If ring fencing happens I’d suggest two teams get promoted.

If the Championship is hit by Covid in the 20/21 season, those two teams will probably be self selecting by survival, player resource and budget; in short Sarries and Ealing. Prem Rugby missed a trick in getting it sorted between March-June. They could even have had a solution that prevented Sarries relegation to a potentially non-existent league.

So no sporting punishment for Sarries years of cheating?

Unfortunately not. But it’s the balance of penalty against ensuring a squad of elite players, and a club that have an interest in PRL, have rugby. They’d be getting no Euro money anyway as that had already been decided.

It’s bloodlust against common sense solutions.

It's not really common sense though, a rule that is not enforced is no rule at all..

[WhitecapTiger]

They’d be getting no Euro money anyway as that had already been decided.

Do you honestly believe that Sarries, or their drooling admirers/apologists in the press and media commentary teams, would not petition to be included, whether current Euro status is currently agreed or not? I think they'd start banging that drum straight away.

No doubt it would be billed as for the good of the Euro game to include them and 'the other' promotee.

By the way, that's just an average punter wanting to see despicable acts punished accordingly (sentence is passed, but not yet served) and for the sport to look as if it wishes to rescue some integrity where they are concerned. Their immediate re-admission to the premiership would not see that achieved. However, if 'bloodlust' is the latest badge/label to be appended to anyone with non-liberal attitudes to cheating and holding their peers in contempt, then so be it, pass the O+, or maybe in COVID times I should wish for O-

I would hold the same opinion regarding any club that did what they did, Tigers included.

[jgriffin]

If the future of the pro game is at stake, and the Championship is defunct, then the Cheetahs and the other rich man's plaything will end up in a 14 team league tout suite. Don't believe otherwise.