PRL - the Insistence on Suicide

[Arcturus]

https://www.cityam.com/exclusive-prem-rugby-kicks-plan-to-hike-stadiums-to-15000-into-touch/
Would have meant instant relegation of Bath, Harlequins, Newcastle, Sale and Saracens

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

https://www.cityam.com/exclusive-prem-rugby-kicks-plan-to-hike-stadiums-to-15000-into-touch/
Would have meant instant relegation of Bath, Harlequins, Newcastle, Sale and Saracens

Well... no it wouldn't.

Would have just meant that if they went down they were ineligible for "entry"

 

[Brown Bottle]

I think Quins could muster up another 200 seats if they had to. They did on a temporary basis for Euro cup 1/4 final matches a few years back.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

I think Quins could muster up another 200 seats if they had to. They did on a temporary basis for Euro cup 1/4 final matches a few years back.

Same for Bath - but the idea was bloody stupid and never should have been contemplated int he first place - the precise opposite of what is required

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

It is reported that the Birmingham City owners are looking at bringing a Premier League rugby team to Birmingham.
I'm not against it; it makes more sense than Coventry.

I read that they are building a 10K stadium for their Womens and youth teams so would be extra income for them.

I'm not sold on Worcester's long term viablity espcially as an area.

Prem rugby new plans conviently fit in with the Birmginham talk.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

If it does end up happening i hope they try and elevate Birmingham Moseley rather than try and create a franchise from scratch for it

Would love a side in Birmingham

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ers-explore-rugby-union-buying-prem-franchise

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

If it does end up happening i hope they try and elevate Birmingham Moseley rather than try and create a franchise from scratch for it

Would love a side in Birmingham

Whilst it would be nice, it would only be Moseley by name if that. It has nothing that is really commercially viable. The stadium is old and tiny; I would imagine they would just want Birmingham in the name, not Moseley.
They will prob want the colours to match City. There just doesn't seem to be many things that tie Moseley to Birmingham City other than location.

I feel I would rather keep Moseley as a sister club with a partnership like Nottingham and Tigers. Sometimes, historical clubs are better left in the lower levels.

 

[Ddanno]

Birmingham feels a bit short sighted. It's not like the Midlands is short on clubs, so the rugby fans there are already going to be affiliated, but what do I know

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Birmingham feels a bit short sighted. It's not like the Midlands is short on clubs, so the rugby fans there are already going to be affiliated, but what do I know

Unlike Coventry, I don't know many supporters of Leicester or Northampton who come from Birmingham tbh.
Worcester would've been their local team and that is in the middle of nowhere, really.

TBH only reason it works is that the stadiums are already being built, regardless they don't need the rugby team, but the rugby team is a potential side earner for them.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

North/North-West of Birmingham has a ton of good grassroots rugby, as well - it's technically in Leicester's catchment but considering their catchment stretches all the way to the east coast/Norfolk, I think a proper West Midlands side would be good for development rather than spreading players around randomly (Ollie Lawrence going to Worcester, Woodward going to Tigers etc. - Odogwu was born in Cov but grew up in Birmingham/played rugby in Walsall, as well)

 

[Quel Carreleur]

https://www.premiershiprugby.com/content/rugby-unites-behind-transformational-new-visionNot sure yet if this confirms that this is my last year as the supporter of a Prem club, or if my waning interest has been killed, effective immediately - we'll see

 

[Quel Carreleur]

The more I've thought about it, the more pissed off I am.
PRL, first they killed the Championship, then they killed the Heineken Cup, then they killed the Domestic Cup, and now, finally,they've killed the Premiership.
All because the "collaboration" is a dirty word to the narcissists in charge.

So this makes the semi-professionnel Championship the top tier of the English rugby pyramid. Unfortunately my two most local Champ teams are Hartpury or Wuss, one of whom has intricate links to a PRL club, and the other desperately wants to be back inside PRL.
Which leaves France for me. I guess a French fans forum will I prove ,y language skills, though I don't know if I'm good enough to start. Besides, who to support? Clermont are the closest (T14) to where Ali grew up, but not exactly close. Toulouse have always been classy, and have my favourite player, but that feels a bit glory-hunty... Or drop to D2, and support Nevers, but even they aren't exactly close (more than double my childhood home to Bath)

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

North/North-West of Birmingham has a ton of good grassroots rugby, as well - it's technically in Leicester's catchment but considering their catchment stretches all the way to the east coast/Norfolk, I think a proper West Midlands side would be good for development rather than spreading players around randomly (Ollie Lawrence going to Worcester, Woodward going to Tigers etc. - Odogwu was born in Cov but grew up in Birmingham/played rugby in Walsall, as well)

Grassroots rugby doesn’t help a premiership side as on a Saturday afternoon all those grassroots players are playing rugby and are not going to be watching premiership side.

I’m annoyed that the struggling clubs are also forced to sink money into the woman’s game. We are barely keep the men’s game afloat and are just sinking money down a black hole when we don’t need to.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Untapped player base was more my line of thinking, do agree on the issues of getting grassroots players in to watch - it's why Sale have decided on Fridays as first choice home game day (ironically alienating all fans as who wants to contend with gridlocked M6 after work on a Friday)


I'm happy to see Sale support the women's game - sell out Heywood road most games and the vibes are really good in the setup (social media blows the men's game out of the water)

 

[Ddanno]

I'm happy to see Sale support the women's game - sell out Heywood road most games and the vibes are really good in the setup (social media blows the men's game out of the water)

That might be the silver lining here*. I tend to watch more of the ladies' game at club level these days because it's more entertaining and more available. If their game ends up with more funding as a result I won't be complaining about that aspect.

*Gimme a straw and I'll clutch it.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

There's also that plenty of grassroots player, who may not be able to watch their professional team whilst they're playing, ca record and watch later - often in the clubhouse after their own match; and become paying supporters once they've stopped playing - but that's an investment to pay off a couple of decades later

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

When wasps moved to Coventry and played all their games on Sundays, the stadium was rammed with all their local rugby teams players. I know there are other reasons for that (cheaper tickets/ novelty etc.) but it worked not having grassroots and professional at the same time.

 

[Geordie]

Falcons have played our games for many many years on a Friday evening. We cant compete with the football and also yes most people play for their local clubs on a Saturday.

 

[Reiser99]

Now we've got this nonsense.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/ckg9x19485xo

One of the best things about rugby is that fans can mix and feel safe mixing. This is just a terrible and unnecessary idea.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Now we've got this nonsense.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/ckg9x19485xo

One of the best things about rugby is that fans can mix and feel safe mixing. This is just a terrible and unnecessary idea.

Nah this is a good'un.

Can still mix and feel safe doing that if you want, but it's a good way to formalise a block, in the same way that lots of fan associations try and do anyway.

 

[SéniorHuevo]

Theoretically a closed shop that targets expansion could work ala the NRL. But having it be run by same people who signed that woeful CVC deal, saw clubs go bankrupt everywhere, run a stupidly high salary cap that none make a profit on and demand money to enter a comp where they lose money, is likely to fail.

In an alternate universe they would announce this , slash the cap and start telling clubs like Coventry and Plymouth "Oi, you are in from 2027/28 season" and announcing it.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

I like the salary cap, and fully approve of it - I think it should be connected in some way to the rugby income of a club (RFU, tickets, TV, sponsorship etc; but NOT conferencing, parking etc), and I like the French method of owners putting up the year's outgoings in advance, and protecting them, so that no club can go bust during a season. I also like the French method of owners putting money into a club via donations NOT loans.
I also think there should be leeway for clubs to exploit, but in a money-sharing type scheme.

I'd do something like (NB, this is NOT thought through well, in advance).
Club's salary cap for a season = £20 per ticket sold in the previous season (Prem & EPRC) + 2/3 that club's share of central (RFU, Gallagher & TV) income for the year.
You can then spend above that, but for every £1 you spend, you put another £3 into a central fund, to be split amongst your rivals, up to a maximum of the value of your principle sponsorship deal.

If you attract bigger crowds, you have a larger salary cap (though you still have to fund it). If you play more knock-out matches, you have a larger salary cap (though you still have to fund it).
If your sugar daddy wants more expensive toys; then they can put their name on the shirt, and call it a sponsorship rather than a debt, and spend more - whilst also paying for their rivals to improve their squads.

So, back of a fag packet maths.
Current TV deal is £200M for 5 years (CVC takes 25%?); so £1.5M per season per club => £1M of salary cap.
RFU payments to PRL is £33M per season (CVC takes 25%?); so £2.475M per season per club => £1.65M of salary cap.
Sell 10,000 tickets for 9+4 matches a year, but fail to reach any finals => £2.6M for the next season (regardless of how much those tickets cost).
Sell 10,000 tickets for 9+4+2 matches a year, and a home match in both Prem and Europe => £3M for the next season (regardless of how much those tickets cost).
From that point, if your main sponsorship deal is £2M pa (such as Allianz with Saracens 7 years ago); then you CAN spend an additional £2M on salaries BUT, to do so, you've have to gift an additional £6M to your rivals.

IF Red Bull / Dyson / Lansdowne / Wray wanted to spend £10M on player salaries - then they could. They'd have their £3.65M from central funding, and £2.6-3M from being popular; but to find that additional 3.35M, they'd have to give that money to the club (NOT loan) in the form of sponsorship AND gift £1.1M to each of the other 9 clubs.


ETA: There's also the Gallagher naming rights - but I've no idea how much that's worth - if significant, then drop the amounts from the other sources to still get the similar ball-park figures.

 

[Quel Carreleur]

DHL chief on English rugby ‘concern’​

 

[Brown Bottle]

I wish he'd change their logo. Much as we appreciate having a high profile sponsor it really does **** our shirts up. It's not like the shirts need two more colours.