Ten team premiership

[CJ]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/64228716

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Two tiered 20 team league system with 10 teams in each tier is the way to go IMO.

[ourla]

I like the openness and honesty.

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I like the openness and honesty.

I thought that when I read it as well.

[johnthegriff]

Two games less for the season ticket holder to watch makes the season ticket of less value or more expensive depending how you look at these things. Less exposure for sponsors and fewer opportunities to sell corporate hospitality etc.
In the interest of television and the non match attending public they pitch kick off times to discourage attendance they actually drive the fan away. Recently we have played Bath, Bristol, Ospreys all evening matches with London Irish to come.
Do they really think we are going to pay what for many is a large sum of money for just 9 Premiership games and 2 European some of which will played at a time difficult for some to attend or get home from.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Two games less for the season ticket holder to watch makes the season ticket of less value or more expensive depending how you look at these things. Less exposure for sponsors and fewer opportunities to sell corporate hospitality etc.
In the interest of television and the non match attending public they pitch kick off times to discourage attendance they actually drive the fan away. Recently we have played Bath, Bristol, Ospreys all evening matches with London Irish to come.
Do they really think we are going to pay what for many is a large sum of money for just 9 Premiership games and 2 European some of which will played at a time difficult for some to attend or get home from.

IF and it's a big if, the Prem Cup is expanded to give more games AND IF you ensure that the league games have no clashes with International windows (at least England ones) so you can have your stars in all league games if fit.

I personally wouldn't see it as devaluing the season ticket (NOTE I should say here that I'm not currently a season ticket holder as since having kids, one 5yo & one 3yo, I don't have the availability to get to games in the same manner so it is somewhat easier for me to say it doesn't devalue it at the moment as I'm not currently forking out for one, but that wouldn't overly affect me becoming a ST holder again)

[Hot_Charlie]

Two tiered 20 team league system with 10 teams in each tier is the way to go IMO.

The problem is that there's still no money until they do something a lot differently. It really needs a bigger TV deal which the way things are at the moment, it won't get. I can't see where else the money will come from, particularly for the 8 teams that couldn't afford to be in the Premiership at the moment.

[GB72]

Two tiered 20 team league system with 10 teams in each tier is the way to go IMO.

The problem is that there's still no money until they do something a lot differently. It really needs a bigger TV deal which the way things are at the moment, it won't get. I can't see where else the money will come from, particularly for the 8 teams that couldn't afford to be in the Premiership at the moment.

This is the main issue, TV rights really are not worth anything, nobody even wants the Championship rights. The fact that some matches are now on free to air may mean more interest when it comes to bidding or it could mean BT are losing interest. I suspect they would be happy with just the European competitions. Also no sign of significant increases in crowd numbers.

As far as I am concerned, there is only one way to get the TV revenue up, get the RFU involved and sell international rights alongside club rights. You want to show England matches, and that is the whole package including the 6 Nations, you stump up for the rights to club matches as well and show them at reasonable times. RFU would never do it but a payment based on having to stump up to get international rights is the only way that I can see a serious increase in TV Revenue.

[mol2]

I suspect BT and alternative broadcasters will loose interest in Europe if the English teams are uncompetitive. The novelty of watching your side getting tonked by mega-bucks French clubs and the Ireland development squads will lose its lustre.
The RFU are still stuck in the amateur era to an extent and may not appreciate that clubs may be unhappy with the impact of England games. The 6N & AIs needs to be condensed so that the Premiership is not imbalanced by the likes of Tigers and Sarries being harmed by loss of players.

So having a league that is able to attract top level players is important. The balance has to be found between between the salary cap, risk of bankruptcy and diminishing the standard to the point that fans and TV look upon the Premiership as little more than the championship.

This season has seen two playing squads dropped on the market without warning. In the coming couple of seasons more players will find that they too are going to have to ply their trade in France.

[TigerFeetSteve]

Ok IMO the first thing that needs addressing is the Championship.

Currently it is pretty ruinous for a team to go down there if you don't have a sugar daddy and P shares.

If it shrinks to 10, plus has Wasps, Worcester & another Prem team in it I'd say there's enough following that it could be packaged up with the prem and have rights sold.

Make it so the teams in the championship can all be "pro" teams. Nearly a ⅓of the league will be a recent prem team. Others like Ealing, Doncaster, Jersey, Pirates etc probably have backing with a TV deal to go pro.

The Prem becomes 10 teams pro, salary cap comes down to make the step between divisions easier to bridge.

Also make the Prem Cup competition, fully integrated with the a championship. 5 groups of 4, so 6 group games each all played in International windows. 2 Prem & 2 Championship teams in each group, group winners & 3 runners up into a ¼ final.

This competition gives Championship players regular game time against Prem teams, plus gives wider squads more gametime too... This makes Championship teams more competitive over time making the step on promotion easier to gauge.

[ourla]

Two games less for the season ticket holder to watch makes the season ticket of less value or more expensive depending how you look at these things. Less exposure for sponsors and fewer opportunities to sell corporate hospitality etc.
In the interest of television and the non match attending public they pitch kick off times to discourage attendance they actually drive the fan away. Recently we have played Bath, Bristol, Ospreys all evening matches with London Irish to come.
Do they really think we are going to pay what for many is a large sum of money for just 9 Premiership games and 2 European some of which will played at a time difficult for some to attend or get home from.

Sometimes less can be more. If the games are super competitive and more chance of seeing the star players, etc then they are more attractive to fans, sponsors, etc. It's all about optimisation.

[loretta]

Two games less for the season ticket holder to watch makes the season ticket of less value or more expensive depending how you look at these things. Less exposure for sponsors and fewer opportunities to sell corporate hospitality etc.
In the interest of television and the non match attending public they pitch kick off times to discourage attendance they actually drive the fan away. Recently we have played Bath, Bristol, Ospreys all evening matches with London Irish to come.
Do they really think we are going to pay what for many is a large sum of money for just 9 Premiership games and 2 European some of which will played at a time difficult for some to attend or get home from.

Sometimes less can be more. If the games are super competitive and more chance of seeing the star players, etc then they are more attractive to fans, sponsors, etc. It's all about optimisation.

Throw in the fact that currently, when there's a fixture clash with an international, we have to choose which to see because we are "encouraged" to hang around at WR by the ko times. This devalues the club fixture in many eyes. Also, with a smaller premiership, hence only 5 fixtures to cover on a weekend, there may well be fewer Friday games.

[glenn]

Who of The 11 pre m clubs would you loose?

Glossy and Jim discussed it on the pod. Bristol bottom of the league with cash. Or Newcastle beat us, sale and exeter at theirs, with little cash?

[loretta]

Whoever ends bottom of the league, if the Premiership and championship are to operate effectively, the gap between them needs to be narrowed. Having sufficient cash in either would be a prerequisite

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I don't really care who goes down, as long as is isn't us!!

This is what I'd ike to see happen rather than what I actually think will happen.....The RFU, Premier Rugby, BT sport and the Championship need to get together and form a new league structure, based on 2 tiers and 20 pro teams. If Wasps and Worcs get running again with some cash, and with the likes of Ealing and whoever goes down, we'd (in theory) have 4 competitive teams. Some others are not that far away and with a different structure new sponsors can be sought by championship clubs. A different cup comp for all 20 teams could be good for TV as long as it's structured properly, with rules for the fielding of top teams players.

It'll take every one to buy into it though and no premiership clubs is going to say yes to potentially going down to the lower tier....but it would give teams like Doncaster a chance to build without the fear of throwing money in, getting promoted and failing! If they had games against the likes of us, Saracens and Harlequins in the cup comp it changes the dynamic for them. It doesn't really affect most prem teams apart from giving them their internationals back and not burning players out.

I admit it needs lots of thought, some new sponsors, and a lot of buy in from all teams, but I honestly think it could work if done properly and could save the game.