Doncaster and Ealing opt out of promotion

[Lé Ddanno]

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/39732864

Responsible choice. I assume it remains an option for clubs next year when the playoffs are scrapped?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

London Welsh has probably been a wake-up call for everyone eyeing it up

 

[Gavin]

What are the stipulations for promotion?

From an outsider's point of view it seems elitist that even if you win the race for promotion you must jump through more hoops which 'poorer' clubs can't achieve.

 

[Groundhog]

What are the stipulations for promotion?

The RFU audit you to make sure you won't sink financially in the Premiership from what I can see. Not sure of numbers though.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Honestly i'm surpised that Leeds are still wanting to go up.

I can't see how they will have the finance to do so without going into the prem ridiculously under-powered.

 

[RedruthRFC]

The RFU audit you to make sure you won't sink financially in the Premiership from what I can see. Not sure of numbers though.

And see how well that went for London Welsh (I know the problems only recently came to a head, but am lead to believe that they were there during their time in the AP)! I see no reason to believe that the RFU have the will or capability to ensure sound financial practice at clubs and believe that this element of the audit is just a rubber stamping exercise. The more clearly defined element is that sides wishing to be promoted have to have their ground audited in order to ensure that they meet the MSCs. An old copy of them is available here https://rugbyhalfhour.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/criteria.pdf. tl;dr, Cliff Notes: 10k capacity needed, urinals can't be too close together, punters can't be any more that 5 yards away from an overpriced pint and a burger at any given time!

 

[RedruthRFC]

Honestly i'm surpised that Leeds are still wanting to go up.

I can't see how they will have the finance to do so without going into the prem ridiculously under-powered.

I think that reality is slowly creeping in at Yorkshire Headingly Roundhay Leeds Carnegie Tykes. Their Leeds Met ties are being cut, which is apparently going to cost them £1m a season, with no injection of funds to replace it on the horizon. To compound this, they apparently spend £400k p.a. for the use of Headingly and the training facilities, so will be trying to cut their cloth accordingly next season. This being the case, the chances of them mounting a challenge against a well funded Bristol side are somewhere between slim to non-existent. The challenge of assembling a side capable of surviving in the AP during the off season has been demonstrated by London Welsh and Bristol to be very difficult, although this will be slightly eased by a greater degree of certainty now that the playoffs are gone. I believe that the best, possibly the only way of surviving your first AP season is to go up with an AP qualityish side, then strengthen it for good measure, there's no way that Leeds have the money to do this and could find themselves financially outgunned by Ealing next season.

 

[comprar]

Not sure of numbers though.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Sorry to hear that about Ealing but it's better to be cautious than go to ruin.
I do pop out west to Ealing from time to time and catch a game, they are my local team.

 

[Big_Grumper]

Sorry to hear that about Ealing but it's better to be cautious than go to ruin.
I do pop out west to Ealing from time to time and catch a game, they are my local team.

I'm looking forward to the Championship next season. Bristol (my local 'big' team) will be everyone's favourites to go up - and they probably will, given the ground situation - but I'm really looking forward to seeing how Hartpury College perform. They've had 8 promotions in 10 years and have been unofficially referred to as the 'Gloucester Academy' for years. The setup is very professional and I saw them smash my local side (Hornets RFC) about 5 or 6 years ago.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Sorry to hear that about Ealing but it's better to be cautious than go to ruin.
I do pop out west to Ealing from time to time and catch a game, they are my local team.

Keeping up the Kiwi connection. Ealing's ex Makos (and Redruth RFC) number eight Mark Bright has probably been the outstanding player in the division over the past 5 years or so and finally won the player of the season award this season at the age of 36.

 

[Big_Grumper]

Keeping up the Kiwi connection. Ealing's ex Makos (and Redruth RFC) number eight Mark Bright has probably been the outstanding player in the division over the past 5 years or so and finally won the player of the season award this season at the age of 36.

.......but he didn't make the RFU's team of the season? The lad from Leeds (Burrows) was their choice.

 

[RedruthRFC]

.......but he didn't make the RFU's team of the season? The lad from Leeds (Burrows) was their choice.

Hell of a player in the limited opportunities I've had to watch him. Bright was mentioned in dispatches, as was another former Redruth player Tom Duncan whose game time in those days was limited by Bright's presence.