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RFU Press announcement

Teh Mite

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Rob Andrew not fired... Instead made director of Pro Rugby


That should accelerate the PRL split no end.
 
Oh Great!!!

He's like the piece of **** that get stuck to the show, whatever happens or whatever you do, you can't get rid of it...

So effectively interim coach until the end of the season.. - Kind of agree with this, as its important to get the right person, if that means waiting til the end of the season then fair enough, but it also allows a full review to take place and the RFU to sort their own house out.

The appointment of a role to look after the Non Playing Aspect of the Senior Team... - Waste of money, getting more like Football!

Head Coach reports to the Board of Directors... - Could cause issues

Rob Andrew will formally be appointed to the role of RFU Professional Rugby Director with responsibilities for all Professional Rugby Department operations, including the relationship with Premiership Rugby, Tournaments and Competitions and England representative teams except the senior side. - This is going to cause issues, rather than solve them

An independent review of the RFU’s Elite Rugby Department - This is Much Needed!!!
 
With all this fiasco with English Rugby, do you see it reverting back to an amateur game?
 
Sounds more like a hopeful suggestion then a question, TBF.

What will happen is the pro clubs in England will tell the Union where to stick it and go off alone, no wage caps and free reign to do as they see fit.

The French will do the same ting and the Europe-league will form.
 
Sounds more like a hopeful suggestion then a question, TBF.

What will happen is the pro clubs in England will tell the Union where to stick it and go off alone, no wage caps and free reign to do as they see fit.

The French will do the same ting and the Europe-league will form.

The Welsh and Irish will get Jealous and want to join as well, and the Scots and Italians will be clueless to it all...
 
Sounds more like a hopeful suggestion then a question, TBF.

What will happen is the pro clubs in England will tell the Union where to stick it and go off alone, no wage caps and free reign to do as they see fit.

The French will do the same ting and the Europe-league will form.

Can clubs afford to go alone and what effect will that have on the national team, will players from those teams not be chosen or will there be another England team? Abit like the Super League war in Australia.
 
If the clubs were to split off, then the sport would die.
Not enough money to sustain that, even Saints/Tigers would go bankrupt if you cut the salary cap completely, and they started spending Top 14 levels of cash
 
So we go round in circles. I remember whenn the Saints were refusing players to tour with England, Dawson, Grayson and Rodber. Barnwell saw it as more important that the players had a break from rugby to concentrate on the Leaugue.

I am not sure if all the prem clubs could afford to break away from the RFU and prehaps some will not want to. If we do go down a european super leaugue route only a select view clubs are going to get into that leaugue. Look at the Chiefs they are having a great season but would they get into a europa leaugue, not a hope in hell.

Then you have the club vs country arguement with clubs and the likes of Fran Cotton wanting to regionalise club rugby in England like he did in the past.

I am filled with dread of this all going like football, ala arsenal vs chelsea and not a single Englishman in the starting teams. I can't help worry that's what will happen if you start getting rid of wage caps and telling the RFU to do one.

In short it's a mess as usual and it can only get worse :D
 
Can clubs afford to go alone and what effect will that have on the national team, will players from those teams not be chosen or will there be another England team? Abit like the Super League war in Australia.

The up and down is the RFUs EPS agreement with the PRL (the body which the Clubs all join to be in the top flight) expires next year. The clubs own the contracts of the players.

If the clubs broke away, they hold all the cards. The RFU would be powerless.

This would result in the Union setting up centrally contracted regional franchises while the clubs play under a different banner (think similar to the RFL split a million years ago, only the RFU would have to start from scratch).

There would then be 2 competitions running in tandem. Some players would go for the franchises and earn international caps. Some would play for the clubs and actually have a crowd watch them more then 8 times a year - But of course, the RFU would have no rights to them.

Effectively it's plausable - Of the current Premiership clubs, Northampton, Leicester, Gloucester, Quins and Exeter are self sustaining (or should be). Some others (Bath, Sarries Wuss & Sale) have wealthy sugar daddies while Irish, Wasps & Newcastle may suffer. However in an uncapped league they wouldn't have problems attracting investors.

Centrally Contracted franchises (based in places like Bedford, Chester and Tumbridge Wells) would not be competitive and totally geared to the national setup - But the players choosing a decent salary to play for supported teams).



The up and down of it all, the RFU is living on borrowed time.
 
If the clubs were to split off, then the sport would die.
Not enough money to sustain that, even Saints/Tigers would go bankrupt if you cut the salary cap completely, and they started spending Top 14 levels of cash

Sarries made a £6million loss last year. Don't underestimate just how much spare cash the clubs have kicking about they are itching to use.
 
Imagine what it'd be without the cap though
Their backers may have deep pockets, but how deep?
 
Imagine what it'd be without the cap though
Their backers may have deep pockets, but how deep?

Again, you're tarring the clubs with the Amateur oafish brush as the Union. (N.B. What is it about Unions being run by thick arses these days? Martyn Thomas, Bob Crow etc.)
 
Again, you're tarring the clubs with the Amateur oafish brush as the Union. (N.B. What is it about Unions being run by thick arses these days? Martyn Thomas, Bob Crow etc.)

The RFU has always been run badly IMO. Look at Carling at the old farts days.

What I don't get is how the WRFU which had some major problems seems to have sorted it-self out and is going along well.

They have just invested a fortune in a new regional development centre near me and are increasing the number of schools liason officers.

What is different in what the RFU are doing in England and the WRFU in Wales?

Am I right in thinking that most big clubs still rely on schools, county and amateur clubs in finding talent that is then taken into the academy set up's.
Would the schools and amateur clubs remain faithfull to the RFU cause an issue for the clubs?
 
That's a big grey area. All amateur clubs sign up to an RFU player agreement to be registered, but if the pro game split away the amateurs would still be ruled by the union. It's be a case of who signs who first (which also would go against the old farts ethos somewhat).
 
There will be no split, the premier clubs know the best thing for them is a sucessful England team as it raises more interest in the game and brings in more paying fans. They might not like the RFU and how its run but they are stuck with it.
 
What will happen is the pro clubs in England will tell the Union where to stick it and go off alone, no wage caps and free reign to do as they see fit.
I hope not. If there isn't a wage cap and salaries stupidly increase then I'm going to pick a team in the Rabodirect to follow.
 

Like I said, they may not like the RFU but they are stuck with it. Without a decent England team playing on the world stage the Premier clubs will just be another super league and the best young international quality players will all find Scottish grans or South African relatives (would make a change I suppose!) or get better contracts in France and the premiership would be left with what was left.
 

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