13 team league 21/22

[TigerFeetSteve]

With a 13 team league when we get our gap weeks may be important.

Would we prefer our gap weeks over international windows?

Which sections of the season are the Argentine, Fijian & South African lads away?

[ourla]

No idea.

You got to take the rough with the smooth.

First aim is to get in the play offs. Then if possible get a home semi.

We've no idea at the start of the season who will be picked for internationals, get injured, get suspended. Need to have as many bases covered as possible. Don't envy the coaches their job!

[Yorkshire man]

Can anyone tell me who in their right mind came up with the idea of having thirteen teams in a league. Is this going to be rectified next season by promoting one side and relegating two, or are we stuck with this for the foreseeable future.

I always looked forward in a way to the last round of games in the season where all the sides kicked off on the same day at the same time, and there was always something to play for. Next season one team will know their fate a week before the rest, and that position may influence what others do.

Is this just me being old and grumpy, or other than getting Sarries back into the fold, is there some thinking behind it that my mind cannot grasp.

[Scott1]

I like it,good for player welfare with a team getting a bye every week. And as far as I'm aware there's no relegation again and one team is getting promoted to a closed shop 14 team league being looked at every 3/5 years.

[Robespierre]

Can anyone tell me who in their right mind came up with the idea of having thirteen teams in a league. Is this going to be rectified next season by promoting one side and relegating two, or are we stuck with this for the foreseeable future.

I always looked forward in a way to the last round of games in the season where all the sides kicked off on the same day at the same time, and there was always something to play for. Next season one team will know their fate a week before the rest, and that position may influence what others do.

Is this just me being old and grumpy, or other than getting Sarries back into the fold, is there some thinking behind it that my mind cannot grasp.

Hasn't promotion and relegation been put on hold for a few seasons?

[TigerFeetSteve]

The thing I most dislike about it is some teams will gain or lose ground depending on whether they have gap weeks during international periods. So if both our our 2 gap weeks in the season fall in International periods then we could have our internationals for a greater percentage of games than our opposition.

Quins especially could be interested in where these gaps come. Having had NO internationals during the last 6N is what allowed them to start making a charge up the league. This coming season I do not see that being the case, they will have Internationals and their squad depth will be tested more so than this season.

[ourla]

Can anyone tell me who in their right mind came up with the idea of having thirteen teams in a league.

It was a forced decision because of Covid.

Not ideal but we don't live in an ideal world.

A decision needs to be made further down the line though... whether relegation/promotion resumes, 12/13/14, etc.

[johnthegriff]

Quite simply nobody in their right mind came up with the idea of a 13 team Premiership. It would have been unfair to relegate a team possibly because of games cancelled through Covid and points awarded to others and of course there was the overwhelming clamour and need to get Saracens back in the top division. Personally I like most other fans could have resisted the temptation to promote Saracens but I have seen it written that we missed them. I am just not sure how I did not know that.

[Cardiff Tig]

If it's unfair to relegate someone due to COVID, then surely it is unfair not to promote someone due to COVID.

What I want to know is if the league is going to 14 teams for 22/23, or if 2 teams are being relegated...

[JP14]

Having signed up to the new system of points allocation before the start of the 2020-21 season, Worcester would have had no legal grounds to challenge their relegation, and in fact they benefited points wise from Covid rather than being disadvantaged.

This was all a pathetic excuse from Premiership Rugby to use the pandemic to make the league a closed shop.

[sk 88]

With a 13 team league when we get our gap weeks may be important.

Would we prefer our gap weeks over international windows?

Which sections of the season are the Argentine, Fijian & South African lads away?

SA & ARG:
14th Aug - to 2nd October

All internationals:
6th November - 20th November

Premiership season:
17th September

So Argies & Saffas miss 1st three rounds in Rugby Championship, then weeks 8,9,10 of the season in Autumn games.

Without any dates for the Premiership Rugby Cup (and not enough weekends as it stands for the most recent format) it is tricky to say if that is weeks 8,9,10 of the Premiership. We know Europe doesn't start until December though, so there will be a decent block of Premiership fixtures first up.

[Scott1]

Having signed up to the new system of points allocation before the start of the 2020-21 season, Worcester would have had no legal grounds to challenge their relegation, and in fact they benefited points wise from Covid rather than being disadvantaged.

This was all a pathetic excuse from Premiership Rugby to use the pandemic to make the league a closed shop.

How do we know the points allocation system had a relegation section in? Is that document available? I personally believe that it would've had the no relegation clause in it ,no rugby sides legal team in the right mind would've signed off on it without one. But that's just my opinion

[sk 88]

England players also miss the week before the autumn internationals, plus 8 weeks in the 6N block.

Would be really quite helpful if Smith missed those weeks in the Prem rather than Ford!

[JP14]

RFU Council vote to agree to changes:

https://www.englandrugby.com/news/artic ... overy-plan

Here are some of the notable changes around promotion/relegation:

• There will be a 14 team Premiership at the start of the 22/23 season with no relegation that season

• "A 2022/23 season in which no side will be relegated from or promoted to the new 14-team Premiership"

• "A play-off in the 2023/24 season between the club finishing bottom of the Premiership and the winner of the Championship (subject to that club meeting the required minimum standards), with the result to decide which club plays in the Premiership during the following season"

• "Unless Council agrees otherwise, from season 2024/25, promotion and relegation between the Premiership & Championship will revert to being on an annual one-up, one-down basis"

[JP14]

However, the RFU are introducing "Revised minimum standards criteria for clubs wishing to be promoted to the Premiership with wider game benefits such as financial sustainability, governance, player welfare, stadium facilities, medical provisions, safeguarding and community plans", which sounds to me like spin and that the criteria is going to be hard for clubs like Ealing or Doncaster to meet, especially since the RFU have also confirmed that the shockingly low levels of funding to the Championship will be maintained until the 2024/25 season.