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NL1 anticipates changes after RFU and PR agree.

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Prestwick

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I was crusing Nottingham Rugby's website looking for stuff to buy for my Nephew (who is Nottingham born and bred and at the age of 3 very impressionable so seven years of rugby propaganda incoming!).

Anyway, I noticed that Nottingham have now gone fully professional with a share offering this year, splitting from their old amateur club, etc. Apparently they want to raise £1 million this season and another £1 million next season in order to be able to compete with the likes of Plymouth, Cornish Pirates and...er..Northampton (fat chance, thats like a burger van taking on McDonalds *snicker*)

The Chairman of Nottingham Rugby though had an interesting few thoughts in his speech to the Nottingham Rugby SGM:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("Ken Grundy")</div>
It is a widely held belief that once the RFU have settled their differences with the Premier League then no more than twenty four teams will play professional rugby in England and be financially supported by the RFU. The implementation of a rationalised professional league system, subject to entry criteria such as ground facilities, would provide stability to the professional game and also provide a regulated pipeline of qualified English players. It follows that four teams from our league will, over the next couple of seasons, be relegated.[/b]

So, it looks like those who can (Nottingham, Coventry, Plymouth, Earth ***ans, Pirates and Bedford) are trying to rally enough cash to stay in NL1 as they all presume that four teams will be relegated between now and 2011 to settle the leagues once and for all.

Rather than sabre rattling, this is a sign that the NL1 teams are resigned to being given the short straw in terms ensuring that there will be enough money around from the RFU for all the GP and NL1 teams.

In effect, in order to make belated peace with the GP clubs and rebuild bridges that the RFU had burned so spectactulary in the last 18 months, the RFU are happy to screw over the NL1 sides in order to balance the books. Classic accountants trick this is and it might wreck the increases in support for NL1 clubs if some of them (Mosely for example) suddenly find themselves without an avenue towards getting back into NL1, let alone the GP!
 
It was bound to happen with the RFU backtracking and not wanting to upset the GP teams who control their England Squad and could embarrass the RFU...

I would love to have the money to invest in a league in the UK, which was separate from the RFU and GP...
 

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