End of Leicester Tigers?!
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Seems to me that the RFU are trying to make excuses for England's poor performances of late.
The League structure was the same in 2003 and England managed to win the World Cup then.
The RFU can't afford to ditch so many of the big clubs.
If they did then the likely scenario is that the clubs (who are not owned by the RFU) would breakaway.
These clubs would likely get the support of the local clubs in their area. I can't see the likes of Westleigh, Market Bosworth, Leicester Forest etc supporting Coventry or bedford and I can't see the local players wanting to join those sides rather than Tigers either.
So the RFU would lose a lot of local players' membership fees which would go to another organisation (probably Premier Rugby) and the majority of their most experienced international players and coaching staff.
This breakaway would likely involve the French sides who wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of playing the likes of Tigers and Bath in a League.
So you'd have a super 10 comprising of the likes of Coventry, Bedford and Worcester, and a rival European Super league with: Tigers,Sale,Bath,Wasps,Gloucester,Stade,
Biarritz,Toulouse,Clermont Auvergne,Perpignan.
I know which one I'd watch and (whether I like SKY or not) I know which one SKY would buy the rights to.
The League structure was the same in 2003 and England managed to win the World Cup then.
The RFU can't afford to ditch so many of the big clubs.
If they did then the likely scenario is that the clubs (who are not owned by the RFU) would breakaway.
These clubs would likely get the support of the local clubs in their area. I can't see the likes of Westleigh, Market Bosworth, Leicester Forest etc supporting Coventry or bedford and I can't see the local players wanting to join those sides rather than Tigers either.
So the RFU would lose a lot of local players' membership fees which would go to another organisation (probably Premier Rugby) and the majority of their most experienced international players and coaching staff.
This breakaway would likely involve the French sides who wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of playing the likes of Tigers and Bath in a League.
So you'd have a super 10 comprising of the likes of Coventry, Bedford and Worcester, and a rival European Super league with: Tigers,Sale,Bath,Wasps,Gloucester,Stade,
Biarritz,Toulouse,Clermont Auvergne,Perpignan.
I know which one I'd watch and (whether I like SKY or not) I know which one SKY would buy the rights to.
Excuse me. Where do I get a yellow balaclava from?
I asked Gavin Henson if they sold them at Matalan but he said they didn't because they messed his hair up.
I asked Gavin Henson if they sold them at Matalan but he said they didn't because they messed his hair up.
I've felt for a long time that the "regional" appraoch will inevitably come to England as it has to Ireland and Wales.
I'll be red green and white even if they drop back to the lower leagues.
Once a Tiger always a :censored: Tiger!
I'll be red green and white even if they drop back to the lower leagues.
Once a Tiger always a :censored: Tiger!
Exile Wigstonite living in Wales.
Poet laureate of the "One Eyed Turk".
Bar stool philosopher in the "Wilted Daffodil"
Poet laureate of the "One Eyed Turk".
Bar stool philosopher in the "Wilted Daffodil"
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You forgot London Welsh, Moseley, Fylde & Waterloo.nwnreader wrote:Anyway, Ive done some research of my own and worked out where these assemblies should be established, all based on well known historical fact as to where the best players already are, and always have been :-
Blackheath
Penzance & Newlyn
Orrell
Coventry
Wakefield
Rosslyn Park
Oxford and Cambridge Universities
Bath (my keyboard won't allow Brianticle, sorry - Barissssssss....)
Gosforth
Swansea Cricket & Football Club - The First British Club Side To Beat The All Blacks, Springboks & Wallabies.
The Ospreys The First Welsh Region To Beat A Touring Side
Leicester Football Club The First Back To Back Winners of The European Cup
The Ospreys The First Welsh Region To Beat A Touring Side
Leicester Football Club The First Back To Back Winners of The European Cup
Just another fat head who doesn't understand how parochial the English can be, especially with regard to sport.
If you coexist near a neighbouring team, you don't want to join them in some cost regional assembly. You want to hate them.
In the nicest possible way, of course.
If you coexist near a neighbouring team, you don't want to join them in some cost regional assembly. You want to hate them.
In the nicest possible way, of course.
Kicks and scrums and ruck and roll.....Is all my brain and body need!
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One thing that nobody seems to realise (or at least articulate) is that we are ALREADY a "Super" club. We attract support far beyond Leicestershire, in significant numbers. We are extremely profitable. We are a truly international "brand". We have a high level of influence and power in English rugby. We need only a larger ground (nb, not a footy stadium)
Have faith, we could and will survive alone in a new "Super" league - as long as we want it to happen.
And now, in keeping with the latter part of this thread, I'll just tell myself to Foxtrot Oscar and go and sulk somewhere....
Have faith, we could and will survive alone in a new "Super" league - as long as we want it to happen.
And now, in keeping with the latter part of this thread, I'll just tell myself to Foxtrot Oscar and go and sulk somewhere....
This year I'm on the Whisky diet. It really works - last week I lost three days!
Wake up buddy - If the money is in the Super 10 clubs (which it will be as the RFU will massively bankroll this to make it work, coupled with the fact that only Super 10 clubs will be able to participate in the lucrative Heineken Cup) then there is absolutely no way that the top players will hang around clubs playing outsdie this money-spinning league - We may be sentimental about our past-time, but players have mortgages to pay and livings to make in a relatively short period of time in their lives - They are not going to put their choppers on the block for sentiment - They will go to the highest payers.IsraeliTiger wrote:There is not a hope in hell.... the only way this would possibly pass would be if the Premiership sides went off to form their own league, leaving the RFU with effectively a new league with lower class players as the high class players go to the clubs with heritage, such as Bath and Tigers.
This is just never gonna happen. The clubs, players and fans will never allow it.
The 'geographical spread' conveyed in the Times is questionable though - I have a source close to the throne who indicated to me that Bedford and other relatively non-descript Rugby towns comparable to our own were initially chosen so as not to show favouritism to one 'big gun' or another - In our case the RFU not having to choose between Leicester & Northampton but going for Bedford as the fence-sitting option that should not offend Tigers or Saints fans too much - Likewise in the West Country too.
However this sentiment of a clubs 'symbolic' home is always going to be the major sticking point with fans, so they revised their plans for this and it is supposed to incorporate a spread across the rugby towns of the region - almost a local touring type phenomenon.
Either way it is interesting times ahead.
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True I live in North Kent and quite willingly travel up to Leicester to see my favourite team in the whole world play. Then drive back on the Sunday or if I have a game on the Sunday I will sometimes go back on the Saturday after the game
Takes two hours+ to get there but boy is it worth it seeing tigers play is worth anything.
Takes two hours+ to get there but boy is it worth it seeing tigers play is worth anything.
Its not going to happen in the way it has been pitched in the Times, but I can assure you that regionialisation of the game is going to happen in one way or another in the next couple of years - Either that or our national game falls further and further behind the pack.Iain wrote:Is the fact that Francis Baron has actually come out and said that the whole story was "ludicrous", "made no sense" and that "nobody in the RFU would ever put their name to it" not enough to convince people that as I said all along this ISN'T going to happen??
Your proof that it WILL happen? None.Adroit wrote:Its not going to happen in the way it has been pitched in the Times, but I can assure you that regionialisation of the game is going to happen in one way or another in the next couple of years - Either that or our national game falls further and further behind the pack.
Fall behind? Have you seen the report on the growth of the English game? This country has no need for regionalisation.
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I agree .... but the RFU are hell bent on getting to 10 clubs. That has been on their agenda for ages. We are just waiting for the detail as to how this will be achieved.unohoo wrote:Your proof that it WILL happen? None.Adroit wrote:Its not going to happen in the way it has been pitched in the Times, but I can assure you that regionialisation of the game is going to happen in one way or another in the next couple of years - Either that or our national game falls further and further behind the pack.
Fall behind? Have you seen the report on the growth of the English game? This country has no need for regionalisation.
Leaving aside the (considerable) loyalty factor, a 10 team GP has its merits.