Prem rugby and URC merger

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I heard about this firstly on the right pod, now I’ve seen a few articles but not sure if it’s all driven by the Jim Hamilton comments or if there is any other truth to this story.

Personally I think this would be good for the sport, two leagues of the the joint competition. This way you can have promotion and relegation between them to add some flavour and then would let you play different teams over the years.

 

[Reiser99]

I heard about this firstly on the right pod, now I’ve seen a few articles but not sure if it’s all driven by the Jim Hamilton comments or if there is any other truth to this story.

Personally I think this would be good for the sport, two leagues of the the joint competition. This way you can have promotion and relegation between them to add some flavour and then would let you play different teams over the years.

But that would mean travelling north of the wall into *shudders*...Scotland

 

[higgik]

I heard about this firstly on the right pod, now I’ve seen a few articles but not sure if it’s all driven by the Jim Hamilton comments or if there is any other truth to this story.

Personally I think this would be good for the sport, two leagues of the the joint competition. This way you can have promotion and relegation between them to add some flavour and then would let you play different teams over the years.

Or just have an NFL style season, where some teams only play every couple of years.
It would be good to have it though, food for thought, and would become financially competitive with T14.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The rumours are without the SA teams right? Don't see how they force that through when SARU are a stakeholder in the URC.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

I've only seen it from Jim Hamilton no where else

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Urgh!

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I think it would have been pretty problematic with salary caps and such. Leinster would become even more evil and terrible than we already are by playing English teams more.

 

[Groundhog]

I'm sure factions are in favor of this (probs the Scots and definitely the Welsh), but its not really something you can force through if the South Africans want to stick around. Don't really rate Hamilton or Goode as sources. I'm sure its been discussed, but not as inevitable as they try to paint it.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

It’s 100% been discussed. I doubt it happens soon but I could also see the financial ecosystem of rugby forcing it to happen at some point. I think wales and Scotland might force irelands hand eventually.

ETA: whether teams are okay being in the second division will come down to money. I.e. is being in the second division of this comp worth more than where they are now? Which can only really be answered by broadcast partners.

 

[Reiser99]

On a serious note, I'm supportive of most ideas if they help grow rugby. My own personal view is that rugby is in decline and it's a slow death. I still possibly think professional rugby might end in England in my lifetime. Not sure about united league would solve that. Would it be a less popular 6 nations? Also if there was a top league and a bottom league I could see teams at the bottom struggling financially without games against the big teams.

 

[Becca]

No thanks.

 

[Yulia]

On a serious note, I'm supportive of most ideas if they help grow rugby. My own personal view is that rugby is in decline and it's a slow death. I still possibly think professional rugby might end in England in my lifetime.

Sounds pessimistic,but I have the same impression, and not only in England maybe..(and I'm even not that old rugby watcher)

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

On a serious note, I'm supportive of most ideas if they help grow rugby. My own personal view is that rugby is in decline and it's a slow death. I still possibly think professional rugby might end in England in my lifetime. Not sure about united league would solve that. Would it be a less popular 6 nations? Also if there was a top league and a bottom league I could see teams at the bottom struggling financially without games against the big teams.

Yeah, if this was something that could give the teams opportunities to gain parity with the Top 14, then I'd be all for it. In reality I think you'd see a slightly raised cap for the English clubs with increased revenue from a slightly larger market. I don't know how much it would help the URC sides, it's likely that there'd be a bigger revenue but 10 prem sides are going to command a bigger share than 4 SA sides.

From a more insular POV. I'd also be reluctant to give the PRL a hand in our bread and butter domestic league. From Munster winning in 2006 they were unhappy with the Heineken Cup and forced through a change which seems to have done the Prem no good at all and made the European Cup a French FA Cup type tournament with side characters. Leinster and Glasgow would be strong contenders in a new comp and if they went on a run, I would be worried about what the PRL would want to do to change things.

Ultimately, it wouldn't be a conversation if rugby in England had a big enough share of the market to make it worthwhile for the rest because we wouldnt be wanted. You're fighting a soccer scourge that no one else has to deal with.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

You’ve already got these same players butting heads in internationals and European Cup competitions. Last thing I want to see is them locking horns in a league competition too.

That’s an emotional argument. But in terms of my interest that’s enough, although it’s reassuring that the logistics may not work and that all of this is seemingly based on little more than Hamilton’s need for clicks.

 

[Saintjay]

I would reluctantly take a couple of Welsh sides in the Prem but that's about it.

Anything that involves SA clubs is a always a firm no.

Not sure where the URC would go if the SA clubs did the off, and the Welsh went down to two clubs. Especially with clubs needing match day revenue

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

I think welsh clubs in premiership makes sense from a logistics point of view. The questions is does that create a domino effect with Ireland and Scotland?

 

[Rinkadink]

If the RFU cannot sort their CHAMP (promotion playoffs for a single slot is unacceptable+ lack of funding/coverage) or the PREM takes control of the second tier then I think joining the URC has a lot of benefits. A proper development competition as well as a boatload more fixtures. Does devalue the Champions/Challenge cup a little but doesn't make it irrelevant, plus it might force a format change there which would also be a good thing.

I am aware Ealing are again in talks with the URC about joining, and I don't say I blame them one bit. They've been treated appallingly by the RFU and absolutely denied their rightful place in the PREM on multiple occasions.

10 team PREM rugby is unsustainable and has already damaged the sport in England. It has to change, one way or another.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ealing won't exist in a year or two tbf

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

@Quel Carreleur 's thread that he posted this morning remains the joint biggest reason that I don't want this (coupled with liking the challenge of playing South African teams).

I just don't see a world where the salary cap works in Ireland. We're pretty obsessed about home grown talent, the only Irish international starter who has made a provincial switch in my memory is Henshaw who moved for personal reasons and is technically from Leinster. Any system that doesn't allow a province hold on to their own won't go down well here.

 

[higgik]

To understand why rugby should be following the NFL route of salary caps and closed leagues, just look at how a globally 'minor' Sporty has become the biggest sports business in the world.