Championship Playoff Finals 15/16

[TRF_Olyy]

First one kicks off this evening.
Looking forward to it - bit of a David vs Goliath situation when you look down the team lists, but anything can happen in Playoff rugby.

 

[Peat]

If Doncaster make it through, leaving the moneybags of Bristol and the actual team called Yorkshire behind, then that would be absolutely hilarious.

 

[Tony Manx]

Well I am going to support Bristol if only because they have the means to be competitive in the Premiership whereas Doncaster look like another Yoyo team?!!

 

[Tony Manx]

How on earth can that be a penalty against Lemi? He had his eye on the ball, jumped up for the ball and they are saying he jumped into the Don's player's space. This game has turned to b****** if you cannot jump for the ball against a player who does not jump........

Just deserts......try!!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Supporting Bris because
1) I want Varndell as top of the try scoring chart
2) Jordan Crane.

 

[McTallshort]

It's a great game but whoever gets promoted needs to recruit

 

[Tony Manx]

Enjoyed that!

Unfortunately cannot get to the return but will be watching and hope for another such game.....

 

[McTallshort]

It is good to know Yorkshire have 3 decent Rugby Union teams in an ideal world either Doncaster, Rotherham or Carnegie would be in the premiership.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Decent enough - Bristol more composed/clinical then the experience from the bench sealed the deal.

Never say never, but a 15+pt win daaaahn saaaf is a huge ask.

 

[RedruthRFC]

It is good to know Yorkshire have 3 decent Rugby Union teams in an ideal world either Doncaster, Rotherham or Carnegie would be in the premiership.

With the exception of improving the geographical spread of teams, I don't see why. As it stands, none have a strong following or a chance of sustainably building revenue streams to support sustainable AP rugby.

Albeit on a watched on a flakey stream, I enjoyed the game, well done Bristol who remained very composed and outshone their counterparts almost to a man.

 

[McTallshort]

Because having a good geographic spread is a good thing for a developing professional sport. Look at what wasps have done for rugby in the west Midlands

 

[RedruthRFC]

Because having a good geographic spread is a good thing for a developing professional sport. Look at what wasps have done for rugby in the west Midlands

I acknowledged the geographical spread element. Wasps move appears to have been a positive thing from this point of view (among others), but this is off the back of a business model that seems to be working for them. Bristol getting promoted would (should that be will?) create too many teams in the AP within spitting distance of the city from the point of view of spread, but I would rather see a team capable of attracting crowds over 15k for a Championship match, backed by a billionaire at the cost of geographical spread than a team that drags the average attendance down and struggles to remain solvent. I struggle to see anything other than a London Welsh scenario for any of those three if they were to win promotion, which I don't think does any good to the league as a whole.

 

[McTallshort]

No wasps knew that since the sad demise of Mosley there were plenty of rugby fans in the west Midlands that didn't have a club to support. I even said on this forum that it was a good move for wasps given how much rugby was played in the west Midlands but lots of people poo pood me. I think south Yorkshire is the same they are just waiting for a big club to follow

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Weirdly the wasps move has done more for Tigers and Worcester in the west Mids than wasps own grassroots development - Tigers are doing a lot more work around where I live, now, and Worcester are making inroads into Birmingham.

Coventry is east Midlands, anyway. Everything east of Birmingham is east Midlands.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Aye I think the wasps move gave Tigers marketing team a big kick up the arse.

 

[Tony Manx]

Coventry is east Midlands, anyway. Everything east of Birmingham is east Midlands.

Except for the West Midlands Golf Club which I passed today as being east of Solihull which is itself east of Brum!!

 

[RedruthRFC]

No wasps knew that since the sad demise of Mosley there were plenty of rugby fans in the west Midlands that didn't have a club to support. I even said on this forum that it was a good move for wasps given how much rugby was played in the west Midlands but lots of people poo pood me. I think south Yorkshire is the same they are just waiting for a big club to follow

Just like they all did the last time Leeds were a level 1 club? I don't see what's changed.

 

[McTallshort]

Weirdly the wasps move has done more for Tigers and Worcester in the west Mids than wasps own grassroots development - Tigers are doing a lot more work around where I live, now, and Worcester are making inroads into Birmingham.

Coventry is east Midlands, anyway. Everything east of Birmingham is east Midlands.

No it's in Warwickshire which is is west Midlands I know it's a lot for someone from Manchester to take in but there is a big piece of England between you and London

 

[TRF_Olyy]

No it's in Warwickshire which is is west Midlands I know it's a lot for someone from Manchester to take in but there is a big piece of England between you and London

Hey, I'm West Midlands born and bred and I take great offence to being lumbered with Cov.
If you lot don't want it, and we don't want it, then lets just ignore it ever existed.


I feel like I'm taking us off on a tangent

 

[McTallshort]

You have Coventry and we have Burton it's a compromise and Burton has more beer