How to Bring On the Tier 2 Nations

[Rugbygramps]

It’s not a case of being “insular”;as you put it. Most people on here are staunch Tigers fans so anything that makes the experience at Welford road less enjoyable/value for money would not go down well with me + many others. The people running the unions are highly paid individuals so should be able to find a solution acceptable to all parties.

Insular was perhaps the wrong choice of words.
However your post sums up the problem perfectly imo. If world rugby came out and said we have a plan that will improve rugby in tier 2 nations by 25% over the next 4 years but your club may loose some of its players for an extra 3 games a season the response of you and many others would be stuff that for a game of soldiers, possibly rightly so.
Your last sentence again not my problem someone else can deal with it.

Let’s face it this is because rugby is in the shop window. Mid November who is really going to care about the state of rugby in Chile or Portugal

[ay2oh]

Our season tickets have already become devalued due to the reduction in premiership games and the last thing we need is additional international games. I think I can speak for a large proportion of fans in saying we want to see our top players in most if not all of our games.

[Rugbygramps]

Our season tickets have already become devalued due to the reduction in premiership games and the last thing we need is additional international games. I think I can speak for a large proportion of fans in saying we want to see our top players in most if not all of our games.

And I’m not criticising that.
I’m a rugby fan first and Tigers fan a close second, many are the other way round

[sk 88]

SK88 has suggested that rugby championship is played at the same time as the 6 nations. 2 potential issues, firstly which one moves, secondly each is played in their respective hemisphere’s winter/spring time, so whoever moved would be playing in summer

Rugby Championship moves. That helps Argentina & South Africa too.

[tigerburnie]

If they really can move international windows so they don't clash with league games, that might be a good starting point. I remember a fair old time ago we used to get visiting developing nations teams playing Premiership clubs for experience, I well remember the Tigers playing Romania, I think on a Friday night back in the late '70's/early 80's for one instance.

[sk 88]

1) Give them fair & direct representation at World Rugby on the council. There is no fair & justifiable reason for Tier 1 nations to receive 3 votes each & others like Georgia receive 1 vote while Chile receives 0 votes.

That would be my, relatively, simple suggestions.

Isn't that how FIFA ended up corrupt with dodgy individuals taking over?

No. That's confusing a refusal of FIFA to follow it's own rules on anti corruption with democracy being somehow inherently corrupt. On that basis why are we allowed a vote? What's inherently different about the RFU to Chile, Uruguay, Netherlands or South Korea?

And bless your heart that you think the current set up in rugby is not thoroughly corrupt & with dodgy people in charge. Which sport had a convicted killer on its managemtn council? https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all ... ch-backing That's right rugby.

[sk 88]

Our season tickets have already become devalued due to the reduction in premiership games and the last thing we need is additional international games. I think I can speak for a large proportion of fans in saying we want to see our top players in most if not all of our games.

We don't need more international games, just to face slightly more opponents in those games & spread money more equitably (not totally equal at the moment but any future increases should favour Tier 2 until we are closer to it).

[GETHIN EXILE]

I have for a long time suggested the answer to the international window / six nations problems as being.

6 nations should be played over 5 consecutive weekends with fixed squads, which is good practice for world cups, with no premiership games played during this period.

Autumn Internationals 3 consecutive weekends with fixed squads and no premiership games.

For both these periods players would be available to national teams from the Monday before the first match and returned on the Monday after the last match.

A little planning is all that is needed to make this work.

[trendylfj]

I have for a long time suggested the answer to the international window / six nations problems as being.

6 nations should be played over 5 consecutive weekends with fixed squads, which is good practice for world cups, with no premiership games played during this period.

Autumn Internationals 3 consecutive weekends with fixed squads and no premiership games.

For both these periods players would be available to national teams from the Monday before the first match and returned on the Monday after the last match.

A little planning is all that is needed to make this work.
[/quote}
I can do nothing but agree with this - why do players need a rest week in the middle of a tournament? They don't get rest weeks during the prem season unless they are returning from tours or internationals so why? I know they will say it is a "step up in intensity and need recovery time" but with an open door and larger squad and rotation would benefit more players to play in the international scene. If you want to include more teams the 2 leagues of 4 playing home and away with relegation and promotion included.

[mightymouse]

Perhaps these tier 2 teams should firstly be playing in their own championships

Uruguay
Chile
Namibia

Fiji
Japan
Samoa
Tonga

Georgia
Romania
Portugal

Then maybe take it in turns to tour the bigger countries …

Let’s say tour the uk playing the equivalent of tbe Saxons etc

[Darc Tiger]

The latter 2 groups you listed already have their own competitions together.

[mightymouse]

Prize for being top could perhaps be a tour of teir 1 countries

[mightymouse]

Or a play off against the winners of the other groups

[thebearisstilldeano]

Just throwing this out as a provocative thought here to be shot at...

First, hold the World Cup every FIVE years.

Years 1-3 in the cycle would consist of four "world region" competitions, each of six nations. These would be run as per our six nations competition currently, i.e. home one year away the next and tables recording results.
Pacific Nations - NZ, Aus, Fiji, Samoa, Japan, Tonga
Americas - US, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Canada, Brazil (There is precedent)
Europe - Eng, France, Wales, Scot, Ireland, Italy, (As current 6 Nations comp)
Europe/Africa - S Africa, Namibia, Georgia, Romania, Spain, Portugal

Plus , in each year, 1-3 of the cycle, nations may play any 3 touring teams from other world regions ( so if they wanted S Africa, which is in a relatively weak regional competition could still play NZ, France and England if they wished.)

Year 4 of the cycle - No regional competition (this allows forward planning of WC groups and arrangements. Nations would know their WC group at the end of year 3). In Year 4 Nations are free to play up to five touring sides of their choice at home and tour up to five other nations as many times as they wish, but opposition must always be from another world region. Within this might could be added a system of play offs, home and away for the bottom team of each group after three years and any new contender from the region.

Year 5 - World cup, no other internationals - Four groups each of six teams. Groups to comprise teams drawn from each world region seeded according to regional performance cumulatively across the tables for the regional competitions years 1-3. (e.g Culmulative leader over 3 years of Pacific Nations, plays second placed nation of Americas, third placed nation of Europe, Fourth of Europe/Africa, plus two seeded bottom placed teams randomly drawn from all four).

The top Two teams from each group qualify for quarters and then as per.

This gives a nine week competition. With this could be a plate competition for the third and fourth placed nations from each group, run concurrently with the quarters and semi finals and final.

(This all made much more sense when I was still drunk )

What I am trying to get at is a structure which gives regular opportunity to "Tier Two" sides allowing them to get the game time to develop, whilst maintaining competition between the "Tier One" nations.


With a magazine of 20 rounds - go on!

[Hot_Charlie]

SK88 has suggested that rugby championship is played at the same time as the 6 nations. 2 potential issues, firstly which one moves, secondly each is played in their respective hemisphere’s winter/spring time, so whoever moved would be playing in summer

It's academic as the 6Ns cartel won't change anything and neither with the RC. They've both had their moments of weakness in allowing Italy and Argentina to join respectively. As per the lack of RFU support to domestic rugby, the big unions will protect their international interests above all else. People need to realise this; it's like the Premiership/Championship protectionism, but far worse. The only way the make up of either tournament will change is an increase in income for the stakeholders, such as the talk of SA joining the 6N, which could make the competition more attractive and profitable. Georgia, much as we love them, would not. SA joining the 6N could be the catalyst for the Rugby Championship to change, but realistically they'll probably still make more money remaining as a tri-nation tournament.

Ultimately, bringing on Tier 2 nations isn't even close to the agenda. They've been given a bit of an olive branch in the new eligibility rules but don't expect anything else.