The Champions Cup - Fixtures announced (Updated)

[Noddy555]

Biffer I think you've got your wires crossed about the other two teams in the champions cup will be. Wasps made up the last team when they beat Stadt Francais in the play off. So the 20 teams are 7 from the Aviva, 7 from the pro12 (including 1 italian club and 6 from the top 14. Are you referring to the subsidiary challenge cup?

[cidermark]

Still no agreement on who the other two teams in the Challenge Cup will be, or the format of the qualification.

Qualification playoffs usually follow a standard format whereby teams play each other and the winning teams progress.

Noddy - I think you may have your wires crossed too. I think Biffer was on about the second tier cup competition.

[biffer]

Try not to be too patronising. You know exactly what I mean but decide to have a dig instead, lovely.

How many teams, from where, knockout single tie or two legs, or a group of four?

I thought there was meant to be an aim of developing European rugby, but it seems to be an afterthought at the moment.

[cidermark]

Try not to be too patronising. You know exactly what I mean but decide to have a dig instead, lovely.

How many teams, from where, knockout single tie or two legs, or a group of four?

I thought there was meant to be an aim of developing European rugby, but it seems to be an afterthought at the moment.

Biffer, I'm not trying to be patronising. You asked a question and I tried to respond in a likewise condescending manner as yourself.

I have absolutely no idea what you mean at all but I do think, though, that you were simply trying to score some cheap points in your, frankly, very tired and very boring posts.

[StanUpenfite]

If that's the case, why weren't they asked to step in months ago? Why now - lastminute.com?

No comment on the lack of sponsors or the dogs breakfast they have made of the French TV deal guys?

We were promised a share in the region of 60 to 70 million by Bruce Craig. Not to mention financial oblivion for the Celtic League clubs. Who have ironically just secured a sponsorship deal with Guinness and have Sky paying to show games next season.

The ERC is still a (dis)functional organisation. The staff who have been offered the chance to relocate were, probably, involved in the winding up of affairs at the ERC.

I don't think anyone involved in the negation so for the formation of a new European tournament has ever promised anyone, far less yourself Stanupenfite, that the Celtic League would suffer "financial oblivion"!

The deal with Guinness and Sky is for the Celtic League only (at the moment perhaps?). It has no bearing on the Champions Cup.

I'm going to go out on a limb here - you wouldn't happen to be a supporter of an Irish province would you? I only ask as the Ulster supporters chant - Stand Up For The Ulster Men - is very similar to your, slightly confrontational, 'Stanupenfite'.

Mr Cider:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24224152

Heres one threat of 'Financial Oblivion' for a start. A number of
posters on this very forum have also been quite vocal on this matter. You are either oblivious to the point I'm making or just delibertely ignoring it.

I live in Leicestershire BTW so make no apologies for posting on a Leicester forum, even if you do find my username 'slightly confrontational'. I would of thought being located in London you would be made of sterner stuff.

[amazing tiger]

really lost all intrest of what is going on just want it to start now

[TigerCam]

Cup Final at Twickers apparently?

So it would seem judging by the amount of hotels fully booked up in the Twickenham/Richmond area that weekend.

May 2nd. Army/Navy game moved to accommodate.

[jgriffin]

God this is a boring example of the stuff we've endured from a small bunch of what turned out to be trolls. Dull and self-referential miniscule pointscoring, if at all.

[Baggy Trousers]

Baggy is only here trying again to wind us up with 'news' of his small triumph.

Have a look at the UAFC site to see how he and his pals, including Snipe Watson work.

http://www.uafc.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2 ... 9&start=15

Oh dear Tom, are you ever right? I'm here to impart info to you chaps & to seek some in return.

Bill,the Turkish Airlines deal had wings aplenty, legs too,sadly the disgraceful (& shaming for us all) , treatment meted out to a Turkish family in Belfast by some thuggish scum, appeared to put a nail in that coffin. It went suddenly very quickly downhill.

Finally Tom, if you care to glance through my 10000 odd posts, some extremely odd, you will not find a single negative post about any individual poster here from me. I am not responsible for the posts of others neither do I moderate the site.

Now in the wake of your Swiss based friends having to go cap in hand asking ERC to run the initial tournament, the same ERC they branded unfit for purpose, have you chap any news on any encouraging news on the commercial front. Like it or not, and I don't given the way this all came about, we are all in this together & it would be nice to hear that the cup will be financially viable.

[biffer]

Try not to be too patronising. You know exactly what I mean but decide to have a dig instead, lovely.

How many teams, from where, knockout single tie or two legs, or a group of four?

I thought there was meant to be an aim of developing European rugby, but it seems to be an afterthought at the moment.

Biffer, I'm not trying to be patronising. You asked a question and I tried to respond in a likewise condescending manner as yourself.

I have absolutely no idea what you mean at all but I do think, though, that you were simply trying to score some cheap points in your, frankly, very tired and very boring posts.

I didn't ask a question. I made a statement, which you quoted and responded to..

[h's dad]

Try not to be too patronising. You know exactly what I mean but decide to have a dig instead, lovely.

How many teams, from where, knockout single tie or two legs, or a group of four?

I thought there was meant to be an aim of developing European rugby, but it seems to be an afterthought at the moment.

Biffer, I'm not trying to be patronising. You asked a question and I tried to respond in a likewise condescending manner as yourself.

I have absolutely no idea what you mean at all but I do think, though, that you were simply trying to score some cheap points in your, frankly, very tired and very boring posts.

I didn't ask a question. I made a statement, which you quoted and responded to..

Would you rather it was ignored?

[biffer]

Guinness confirmed as Pro 12 sponsor.

[TomWeston]

Oh dear Tom, are you ever right? I'm here to impart info to you chaps & to seek some in return.

Bill,the Turkish Airlines deal had wings aplenty, legs too,sadly the disgraceful (& shaming for us all) , treatment meted out to a Turkish family in Belfast by some thuggish scum, appeared to put a nail in that coffin. It went suddenly very quickly downhill.

So, Baggy, a year after the English league secured its finances from BT and several months after you proudly announced sponsorship from a 'prominent' Turkish airline, you finally get sponsorship from Guinness. Well done!

In the same tone as you and your UAFC 'pals' have used here, when will you be telling us just how much Guinness are paying?

Now in the wake of your Swiss based friends having to go cap in hand asking ERC to run the initial tournament, the same ERC they branded unfit for purpose, have you chap any news on any encouraging news on the commercial front. Like it or not, and I don't given the way this all came about, we are all in this together & it would be nice to hear that the cup will be financially viable.

Have our 'Swiss based friends' finally put in place a tournament to replace the ERC which was so biased in favour of your domestic league, despite your predictions, Baggy? You being a fair man, Baggy, have your delaying tactics in any way delayed the sponsorship deals which would make the competition viable, do you think, or have they added to the ability of potential sponsors to dictate terms? Will the Pro12 be better or worse off, as a whole, not just the Irish provinces who did best out of the ERC, given a mooted minimum earn of £20 million?

[h's dad]

Now in the wake of your Swiss based friends having to go cap in hand asking ERC to run the initial tournament

Hardly cap in hand. This was always the original plan as stated elsewhere and repeated on here. Of course, if that doesn't suit your agenda....

[biffer]

Oh dear Tom, are you ever right? I'm here to impart info to you chaps & to seek some in return.

Bill,the Turkish Airlines deal had wings aplenty, legs too,sadly the disgraceful (& shaming for us all) , treatment meted out to a Turkish family in Belfast by some thuggish scum, appeared to put a nail in that coffin. It went suddenly very quickly downhill.

So, Baggy, a year after the English league secured its finances from BT and several months after you proudly announced sponsorship from a 'prominent' Turkish airline, you finally get sponsorship from Guinness. Well done!

In the same tone as you and your UAFC 'pals' have used here, when will you be telling us just how much Guinness are paying?

Now in the wake of your Swiss based friends having to go cap in hand asking ERC to run the initial tournament, the same ERC they branded unfit for purpose, have you chap any news on any encouraging news on the commercial front. Like it or not, and I don't given the way this all came about, we are all in this together & it would be nice to hear that the cup will be financially viable.

Have our 'Swiss based friends' finally put in place a tournament to replace the ERC which was so biased in favour of your domestic league, despite your predictions, Baggy? You being a fair man, Baggy, have your delaying tactics in any way delayed the sponsorship deals which would make the competition viable, do you think, or have they added to the ability of potential sponsors to dictate terms? Will the Pro12 be better or worse off, as a whole, not just the Irish provinces who did best out of the ERC, given a mooted minimum earn of £20 million?

Pro 12 sponsorship isn't worth much, and the league has always been entirely open about that - news reports last week had the CEO saying exactly that. What's the Aviva sponsorship worth to the AP?

Has anyone got any information at all on what the European tournaments' income from TV and sponsorship is? It's all been kept very quiet. No figures on the BT and Sky deal, Canal+ rumoured to be lower than previously, but just a rumour with no confirmation. Are the English and French clubs going to be financially worse off from this given the Pro12 money is guaranteed at twenty mill?