Heineken Cup no nearer a resolution

[Cardiff Tig]

In four years time RFU will buy Millenium Stadium at 5c on the $1


Regions will dissappear as professional clubs

Sad

The WRU isn't struggling though. They have pretty much paid off all the debt on the Millennium Stadium, and the crowds at internationals are good, and will be as good this season following the lions etc.

The regions are annoyed at the WRU because they feel that they could get more funding from them to help pay wages of welsh stars etc.

[ozwaldcopperpot]

I just cannot believe there will be no euro competition next season. If nothing else, BT are not going to be happy having got the rights for it

There will be at least one alternative plan already well-advanced I suspect. Wheeler probably at the core of it, his revenge for the ERC election swindle.

I suspect that you are right JG.

But the Celtic Nations seem determined to commit financial suicide.

how will this new BT deal (for Europe) work for the Welsh, Scottish and Ulster teams ?!

it covers all the UK if i'm not mistaken, only the English have signed up to it.....

so far

[BJ.]

I just cannot believe there will be no euro competition next season. If nothing else, BT are not going to be happy having got the rights for it

how will this new BT deal (for Europe) work for the Welsh, Scottish and Ulster teams?! it covers all the UK if i'm not mistaken, only the English have signed up to it.....so far

I thought BT only had the rights to matches involving English clubs in European competitions.

Anyway, I'm glad to see something might eventually be happening.

[tommill]

What if only the scottish and welsh teams join up to the anglo-french competition, what qualifying criteria will they impose? It cant be based on the PRO12 league if not all of the teams in the league have signed up. Seems like it would need all four nations from the PRO12 to join up

[tigerburnie]

From my view of various boards and forums, their is a view that the current Rabo sides would either be all in or all out, there is however a groundswell amongst some supporters that if, the ERC negotiations fail today and this new competition starts, the Welsh would like to see their clubs join the competition and they would be happy for the regions in the rabo to fold.

[Lutontiger]

Really hope we don't have yet another competition with two divisions. I understand the organisational benefits, but having watched Leics cricket team suffer by having promising players poached into top division, thereby condemning the side to yet another season of struggle, and spectators missing out on watching better teams, which can raise the game of weaker sides, don't want to see it again in rugby. I also miss those Moseley and Bedford matches in the days before we split rugby into two!

[Cagey Tiger]

Really hope we don't have yet another competition with two divisions. I understand the organisational benefits, but having watched Leics cricket team suffer by having promising players poached into top division, thereby condemning the side to yet another season of struggle, and spectators missing out on watching better teams, which can raise the game of weaker sides, don't want to see it again in rugby. I also miss those Moseley and Bedford matches in the days before we split rugby into two!

Agreed. However, the current system is a form of two divisions which works (sort of). Given the calls from the English and French clubs for qualifying for the top competition on merit, I would imagine that any replacement would have similar rules for qualification to the current English and French rules for qualifying for the HEC.

If some form of competition involving at least 5 of the current 6 countries (plus others?) isn't formed, I think that it will be a huge backward step for Northern hemisphere rugby. And from a personal perspective, my wife and I do not live close enough to Welford Road to make a season ticket worthwhile and we started following Tigers before the Cat stand was built. Getting tickets to home games was difficult, especially for HEC games, so we started going to a couple of HEC away games each season. We have really enjoyed our trips to Treviso, Perpignan, Monza/Aironi, Stade Francais, Toulouse, Leinster, Ospreys, Scarlets and others (we had to go to the Scarlets games as my wife comes from Llanelli - got free accomodation with the father-in-law ). Ryanair will lose out (my heart bleeds for them ) as will a lot of places with clubs that have played in the HEC and Amlin.

[ozwaldcopperpot]

I just cannot believe there will be no euro competition next season. If nothing else, BT are not going to be happy having got the rights for it

how will this new BT deal (for Europe) work for the Welsh, Scottish and Ulster teams?! it covers all the UK if i'm not mistaken, only the English have signed up to it.....so far

I thought BT only had the rights to matches involving English clubs in European competitions.

that can only be for home games, not away matches in Glasgow. Cardiff or Belfast

the English have no right to sell TV on behalf of " other invited teams " from other Unions

[yellow_balaclava_hunter]

From my view of various boards and forums, their is a view that the current Rabo sides would either be all in or all out, there is however a groundswell amongst some supporters that if, the ERC negotiations fail today and this new competition starts, the Welsh would like to see their clubs join the competition and they would be happy for the regions in the rabo to fold.

It would be very good for club Rugby if the Welsh clubs pulled a fast one and joined the English and French whilst the regions were procrastinating.

The regions have failed and the supporters want the clubs to have a chance. There is no reason why they cannot be successful and sustainable like the English clubs.

[Bill W (2)]

The Rabo "clubs" are tied into the ERC for the next 2 years.

They would need to break away from their Unions to change this.


The geography of Eorope is changing.

It will no longer include the Celtic Nations.

Their choice!

[BJ.]

And now this appears. I'm getting confused.

[fortysix]

Politics pure and simple..

Pistol Pete probably calling their bluff, Daily Male headline, banging a few heads together........

The Heineken will be broadly similar with more money for the Frenchies and the English.

IMHO

[Cardiff Tig]

From my view of various boards and forums, their is a view that the current Rabo sides would either be all in or all out, there is however a groundswell amongst some supporters that if, the ERC negotiations fail today and this new competition starts, the Welsh would like to see their clubs join the competition and they would be happy for the regions in the rabo to fold.

It would be very good for club Rugby if the Welsh clubs pulled a fast one and joined the English and French whilst the regions were procrastinating.

The regions have failed and the supporters want the clubs to have a chance. There is no reason why they cannot be successful and sustainable like the English clubs.

That view isn't exactly true. The number of fans that are still bitter about the regions is decreasing all the time, plus they are nearly all in the over 50s bracket. The Welsh regions have been around for 10 years!

Also, the welsh "regions" are clubs in all but name. I'm not sure what you think would be different if Cardiff Blues or Scarlets suddenly stopped being region. They even have salary caps lower than the Aviva clubs. Club rugby was dieing in Wales before the regions formed, there wasn't enough money to support the 8 or 9 teams.

[tigerburnie]

Neatly done there CT, the Ospreys and Dragons don't get the same support as these two. I am told club rugby in Wales is getting better support, whereas the regions only get good gates in the Heineken. Funny enough the same seems to be happening with Scotland, only Glasgow are getting reasonable crowds, where as the borders clubs are getting good support.

[Cardiff Tig]

Club rugby doesn't get the support, its less well attended than RFU Championship sides in England.
The Ospreys are as well supported as Cardiff and Scarlets, Dragons less so but that is more to do with the on field performances.