Rugby breakaway league coming. (R360)

[Rugbyfan564]

And the clubs they are already contracted to? They will just say goodbye?

It’s possible they will help buy them out of their contracts.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Why are people putting any thought about this?

Every year someone with some money behind them says the same ****

No top player will join such a risk. I mean do they even have money to compete with the French league?

Just a load of crap by people who no nothing about creating a competition

It'll be maybe 5 top class internationals, a load of 33+ year olds, journeymen and some OK prospects being fast tracked.

It sounds like LIV golf except the budget doesn't dwarf the PGA like LIV did, there's already rugby players around the 1m mark.

Not too worried, no room in the game for this stuff.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

It'll be maybe 5 top class internationals, a load of 33+ year olds, journeymen and some OK prospects being fast tracked.

It sounds like LIV golf except the budget doesn't dwarf the PGA like LIV did, there's already rugby players around the 1m mark.

Not too worried, no room in the game for this stuff.

I hope you right. I fear it be all the big names and it will decimate international rugby in particular.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Only need the top 10 English players to switch for the England team to collapse in quality and particularly if other countries don't ban their switchers - that could make the World Cup an unequal farce. The RFU financially might be very damaged. The average England fan might not back banning players for a premiership they don't all care a jolt about.

Why would they do that though?

If I set up a league in my garden and promised players a gazillion pounds each to play in it, that would also damage the RFU... Issue is that noone wants to play in my garden and I don't have a gazillion quid

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Why would they do that though?

If I set up a league in my garden and promised players a gazillion pounds each to play in it, that would also damage the RFU... Issue is that noone wants to play in my garden and I don't have a gazillion quid

Because they might simply want the extra money and be reassured by the breakaway’s predictions that they will not be able to sustain banning players who switch because of the effect on the RFU’s income if nobody wants to go to or watch on or sponsor a b list England team.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Grand slam track has already had to make cutbacks because it's losing money. Going from 3 nights to 2 because attendances were pretty bad despite being held in tiny stadiums (I haven't caught up with last weekend's through so maybe it got better)

The GST 3 to 2 day thing was just common sense to rectify silly timetabling. Its also year 1 so there's an inevitable element of trial and error. Crowds have been poor, but this is also trying to crack America where despite any number of brilliant athletes, wider interest is absolutely miniscule. Put it in Europe and it would get a different response - in terms of buns on seats at least. It raised at least $30m from scratch (big money in athletics terms) to get it up and running and the pay on offer has attracted some of the very biggest names in the sport. Whether it's viable in the longer term who knows, but it has proved that an out of the box venture can attract start up capital and that sportsmen will go where the money is even if it's in a meh stadium with little atmosphere or traditional sporting merit. British club rugby hasn’t exactly offered the greatest job security in recent years, so if there are fast bucks to be made, players’ heads will get turned.

No other sport is a perfect proxy for rugby. I don’t want to see rugby as is fail, but there are definitely lessons from other sports to heed.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

The GST 3 to 2 day thing was just common sense to rectify silly timetabling. Its also year 1 so there's an inevitable element of trial and error. Crowds have been poor, but this is also trying to crack America where despite any number of brilliant athletes, wider interest is absolutely miniscule. Put it in Europe and it would get a different response - in terms of buns on seats at least. It raised at least $30m from scratch (big money in athletics terms) to get it up and running and the pay on offer has attracted some of the very biggest names in the sport. Whether it's viable in the longer term who knows, but it has proved that an out of the box venture can attract start up capital and that sportsmen will go where the money is even if it's in a meh stadium with little atmosphere or traditional sporting merit. British club rugby hasn't exactly offered the greatest job security in recent years, so if there are fast bucks to be made, players' heads will get turned.

No other sport is a perfect proxy for rugby. I don't want to see rugby as is fail, but there are definitely lessons from other sports to heed.

But another factor is also that ir doesn’t affect other events. Many are going to do the more high profile European Diamond League events once it’s finshed for the summer and it doesn’t affect the major champs.

Well except a lot of field atheltes don’t want to be in teams with people on it.

A lot of people on here seem to relaxed at something that might mean come 2028 we watching a six nations where players who currently wouldn’t even make the Argentina tour are playing for England and Ireland is full of random players as all the stars have left.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Bruh people keep saying the same **** about France and Japan taking our top players

It's not happened yet or will

The RFU won't select players in another competition, players in their prime won't risk it

It really isn't deep

 

[Saintjay]

But another factor is also that ir doesn't affect other events. Many are going to do the more high profile European Diamond League events once it's finshed for the summer and it doesn't affect the major champs.

Well except a lot of field atheltes don't want to be in teams with people on it.

A lot of people on here seem to relaxed at something that might mean come 2028 we watching a six nations where players who currently wouldn't even make the Argentina tour are playing for England and Ireland is full of random players as all the stars have left.

Allegedly it'll be a summer comp and not clash with six nations / RWC.

It then would depend on World rugby and individual unions on who plays test rugby

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

But another factor is also that ir doesn't affect other events. Many are going to do the more high profile European Diamond League events once it's finshed for the summer and it doesn't affect the major champs.

Well except a lot of field atheltes don't want to be in teams with people on it.

A lot of people on here seem to relaxed at something that might mean come 2028 we watching a six nations where players who currently wouldn't even make the Argentina tour are playing for England and Ireland is full of random players as all the stars have left.

A lot of people are relaxed because it’s something that always enters the press every 3 or so years

It’s gotten boring

 

[TRF_Olyy]

A lot of people on here seem to relaxed at something that might mean come 2028 we watching a six nations where players who currently wouldn't even make the Argentina tour are playing for England and Ireland is full of random players as all the stars have left.

Because it's just an absurdly bad idea that has no legs to it beyond the people in charge saying it's going to be great

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

How is this league going to get the money or generate it?

It won’t.

Sports guys won’t pump money into a clear loss.

These nfl owners are prob willing to put in like a few million to see how it would go and that’s it

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Bruh people keep saying the same **** about France and Japan taking our top players

It's not happened yet or will

The RFU won't select players in another competition, players in their prime won't risk it

It really isn't deep

The later all depends on the money. Players might risk it for doubling their salary,

And the RFU might not be able to keep up the Ban if twickenham can't sell out because nobody wants to watch a b list of players. They actually have to seek the broadcast rights and nobody will pay what they have done no for a b list England team. Also if other teams select their best and England don’t and then you get South Africa beating England 80-6 or something the RFU will find it very hard to justify,

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Allegedly it'll be a summer comp and not clash with six nations / RWC.

It then would depend on World rugby and individual unions on who plays test rugby

It will make international rugby an unequal farce.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Because it's just an absurdly bad idea that has no legs to it beyond the people in charge saying it's going to be great

Who knows. It seems like the RFU actually think some of their English lions have signed up.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

And the RFU might not be able to keep up the Ban if twickenham can't sell out because nobody wants to watch a b list of players. They actually have to seek the broadcast rights and nobody will pay what they have done no for a b list England team

this is the issue that a league with made up teams and culture will have, won't it? No supporters, no cultural knowledge, no reputation... Who is going to rock up to a random stadium in a random country to watch Mercenaries RFC play Generic Animal Warrior Name?

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Exactly more people would watch England without it stars v SA than London sillynannys v the New York candy apples in Barcelona

 

[Saintjay]

Can we get this onto one thread. I'm currently bouncing about like a sumo wrestler on a space hopper.

 

[OllyM97]

There’s so many holes in this proposal that there’s no point talking about it. Where will they get the money from?, Where is the infrastructure for the proposed franchises?, how will they get any sort of following in countries that don’t play top level rugby?. How long would it be sustainable for when players get sick of playing in empty stadiums in far flung corners of the world?. The whole idea is abominable.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Exactly more people would watch England without it stars v SA than London sillynannys v the New York candy apples in Barcelona

True but the breakaway league might accept that for a few years to try and build its success. The RFU can barely afford any reasonable drop in income. It certainly will face major pressure from broadcasters and sponsors to not deliberately put out a weaker product particularly if other countries are not doing so,