European Super League

[die_mole]

Okay so this is a pretty half-baked idea (or more it's 4am and I finished my homework but my adderall hasn't worn off yet haha) but after reading about Toulon's threat to join the AP if the FFR follows through with its rule changes about international players and salary caps I started to think about a European Super League. First I'm gonna give my opinion on what I think might work but I'd love to hear your opinions on any of the following things: why my idea sucks, why an international super league is dumb, why my idea is good, or what you think an european league would look like.

So Basically my idea would be just to assign 14 random teams to the top league:
Essentially the top 3 Irish provinces, ospreys and blues, 5 french teams, and 4 english teams.
The top league would just have their season with the bottom team being relegated back to their national league. (National is a loose term since the Celtic nations would still have their own league.)
The team that would be promoted to the ESL would be decided by a playoff between all the national league members. Any union in Europe can enter their winner into this (this gives a shot for Russia, Spain, Portugal, etc., to have a team in the ESL).
The winner of the playoff replaces the relegated team, so this means that countries are not guaranteed a certain amount of clubs in the league.
The Italians would leave the PRO12 and go back to a domestic competition, France and England would have their top tier leagues serve as second tier European Leagues. The remaining Welsh, Scottish, and Irish teams would compete in the PRO12, with this league losing teams to the ESL they could either replace those teams with the other Welsh historic clubs or they could contract.

*Other Thoughts on Rugby while I'm still amped up*
1. The Americas Rugby Championship got me really excited. A very young Argentina team played pretty well and the US didn't look like ****. We also had 10,000 people at the match which is great. I think we really need to try to get more games against Argentina in an attempt to copy what we did with Mexico in Assoc. Football.
2. PRO RUGBY putting a team in Ohio sucks, teams should be where people actually are, not Ohio. I am very excited for what it can do for American rugby, and not just the US. Hopefully we can include one or two players from central america and when we expand to Canada even better.
3. Hopefully the Kings can die off and Argentina can get a second team, not only will that second team help Argentina get better but maybe they could include a handful of other South Americans in their academy or squad to help grow the game across the continent.
4. South African politicians need to stop with the quota system. If they actually want to do something about the lack of blacks in the Springboks maybe they should focus on having youth rugby more available for the black population instead of making the manager select players they don't see fit. Apartheid ended just 22 years ago so those born after are just starting to enter the professional ranks (****, I'm gonna be 22 this year). The effects of Apartheid are not going to go away after just 20 years, it was 60 years of marginalization and oppression. You can't just end it and be like, "why aren't their blacks in the squad". I think everyone (well not everyone but some people aren't nice) would be happy to see more black Springboks but I think that is two world cups away. On the other hand I would like to see more blacks in positions other than wing or prop. It's starting to look like American football where we don't let minorities play quarterback unless they are really good. And even then we critique them to no end.

Anyway, hope this makes some type of sense and I'd love to hear your opinion on any of this.

 

[Car]

It could work, but just like in other sports where people talk about it, at least the fans don't want it. So for the time being, I don't think it'll replace the national competition + European competition mix that is preferred overall in Europe. But since other sports are also thinking about it, it'll only be a matter of time for one of them to go ahead with it and should that work, we'll see more sports follow suit.

 

[die_mole]

It could work, but just like in other sports where people talk about it, at least the fans don't want it. So for the time being, I don't think it'll replace the national competition + European competition mix that is preferred overall in Europe. But since other sports are also thinking about it, it'll only be a matter of time for one of them to go ahead with it and should that work, we'll see more sports follow suit.

Agreed, as an economics major I read a lot of articles focusing on european football and they often talk about how fans care much more about local derbies or rivalries between towns 15 miles away than they do seeing the best display of sport.
I think that is pretty hard for Americans to comprehend since because of the monopolistic way our sports were set up there aren't any teams that are really that close to save for the largest markets.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

@themole25
I agree that a European Super League is the way forward. I don't think a 14 team league is ideal though.

A Euroleague based on the American pro sports model (primarily the NFL) is what I'd prefer to see. It encompasses all of the current Pro12, Premiership or Top 14 teams and they all become stakeholders in the new competition which replaces the existing format of domestic leagues and EPCR.

Split the league into divisions and conferences (a British conference and a €urozone conference) to preserve traditional rivalries. It ensures no two teams from the same country contest the final which preserves interest in multiple countries right to the end. 20ish game regular season followed by 12-16 team playoffs.

It allows for greater expansion into new territories than the current model which will never see another league break through in a major way. It's in everyone's interests both in terms of growing the game and making a shedload more money.

 

[munstermuffin]

@themole25
I agree that a European Super League is the way forward. I don't think a 14 team league is ideal though.

A Euroleague based on the American pro sports model (primarily the NFL) is what I'd prefer to see. It encompasses all of the current Pro12, Premiership or Top 14 teams and they all become stakeholders in the new competition which replaces the existing format of domestic leagues and EPCR.

Split the league into divisions and conferences (a British conference and a â'¬urozone conference) to preserve traditional rivalries. It ensures no two teams from the same country contest the final which preserves interest in multiple countries right to the end. 20ish game regular season followed by 12-16 team playoffs.

It allows for greater expansion into new territories than the current model which will never see another league break through in a major way. It's in everyone's interests both in terms of growing the game and making a shedload more money.

Sounds good. May have scope to expand it if Russian, Spanish, Georgian or any other teams come good.

My only fear is regardless of if this happens is the French and English leagues will continue and basically will fans split and support the crossover. For example if a team like Leicester Tigers goes Euro League and then Leicester have a team in English league. Which will the fans follow?

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

For example if a team like Leicester Tigers goes Euro League and then Leicester have a team in English league. Which will the fans follow?

Teams in the Euroleague only take part in that competition. Domestic competitions would be played by other teams. The Pro 12 would disband and be replaced by Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Italian domestic championships.

 

[munstermuffin]

Teams in the Euroleague only take part in that competition. Domestic competitions would be played by other teams. The Pro 12 would disband and be replaced by Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Italian domestic championships.

I know but my example. You see Welsh regions and Clubs. Would England still want a league for themselves and try form a breakaway if you get me

 

[Car]

Agreed, as an economics major I read a lot of articles focusing on european football and they often talk about how fans care much more about local derbies or rivalries between towns 15 miles away than they do seeing the best display of sport.
I think that is pretty hard for Americans to comprehend since because of the monopolistic way our sports were set up there aren't any teams that are really that close to save for the largest markets.

It's also the simple fact that the national team is seen as the basis and the European competition as the icing on the cake and that this model has been around for so long while a European Super League would lack that tradition. There's also the identification with the countries.