Rugby World Shield?

[LiRFCMatt]

The prospect of a week without rugby is painful.

What is everyone's thoughts on a Rugby World Shield in which those teams that missed out on the knockouts (Japan, Italy, England...) continue in a tournament that not only keeps my rugby thirst well and truly quenched, and not only lets me cheer on teams that have impressed (Japan, Georgia...) but also improves the rugby of tier 2 nations and gives them more opportunities to compete against good or equally matched sides.

EDIT: ESPN Scrum have an article on it - http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_...ost-tier-2-tier-3-minnows-greg-growden-writes

 

[vasysm]

See here.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Mourad would be furious though.. lets do it!

 

[Tony Manx]

Why not just let them have their rest and get back to their employers in the real rugby!!

Plenty of club rugby to watch this weekend as well as!! No need to get bored!!

Always said the 3/4th play off match is totally unnecessary too!!

 

[vasysm]

Also the grand derby featuring Bosnia and Turkey on Saturday

 

[Every Time Ref]

All well and good until a major team comes third, and then the **** hits the fan from their domestic clubs going ballistic.

 

[Patchey]

All well and good until a major team comes third, and then the **** hits the fan from their domestic clubs going ballistic.

Major teams don't come third... :/

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

Why not just let them have their rest and get back to their employers in the real rugby!!

Plenty of club rugby to watch this weekend as well as!! No need to get bored!!

Always said the 3/4th play off match is totally unnecessary too!!

Tony, it seems we now have two things we agree on. I and the rest of the T2 nations would prefer our players go back to their clubs. We don't have the depth some of your teams do and a lot of our best players are forced to play every game.

Between the warmups and the pool games, they are knackered and the last thing we need is them getting injured and losing their contracts at their clubs. There is little imperative to sign our players if they are unavailable for half the year when they can go find a local who is just as good and isn't involved in the national team.

To add to this, we've begun to see European clubs display an unwillingness to sign Argentinian players due to their large international calendar. I remain unconvinced that Argentina isn't shooting themselves in the foot by playing in the Rugby Championship. They are where they are due to the large number of players playing in the French Leagues. One pro team is not enough to sustain the National team.

 

[amz]

Clubs won't like it ...

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Nice in principle but in practice the fitness levels of most Tier 2 and below teams is far less than that of Tier 1 teams. They will be tired and if players play tired, it drastically increases the chance of injury. I think it's best they are allowed to go home.

 

[Canadian_Rugger]

Nice in principle but in practice the fitness levels of most Tier 2 and below teams is far less than that of Tier 1 teams. They will be tired and if players play tired, it drastically increases the chance of injury. I think it's best they are allowed to go home.

Yes, but it has more to do with match fitness than anything. Some of our guys don't play top flight and they ate the ones you see struggle occasionally. International Rugby is a different intensity level.

 

[Every Time Ref]

Major teams don't come third... :/

I'm just talking theoretically

 

[PacDuran]

The prospect of a week without rugby is painful.

What is everyone's thoughts on a Rugby World Shield in which those teams that missed out on the knockouts (Japan, Italy, England...) continue in a tournament that not only keeps my rugby thirst well and truly quenched, and not only lets me cheer on teams that have impressed (Japan, Georgia...) but also improves the rugby of tier 2 nations and gives them more opportunities to compete against good or equally matched sides.

EDIT: ESPN Scrum have an article on it - http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_...ost-tier-2-tier-3-minnows-greg-growden-writes

Such a fantastic idea. I love it!