Top clubs ponder switch to summer season

[TRF_Cymro]

Leading English and French clubs are reportedly considering a switch to a summer-based season to limit the disruption caused by international call-ups.

http://www.espnscrum.com/premiership-2011-12/rugby/story/155913.html​

 

[powerfulduck]

it could benefit from increased media & fan attention during the football close season

 

[Jockstap]

Better conditions for running rugby as well. Good idea that.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Reading the article, one of the main reasons for doing this is because the World Cup denies the Top 14 and Premiership their top players for two months. Surely moving to a summer season would be worse? Instead of missing players at the start of the season, they'd miss them at the end of the season under this plan! Bizarre reasoning.

While I love the fixtures around Christmas, a global season would make sense. I'd like to see this plan drawn up properly before either lauding or criticising it. The idea of rugby being played while the weather is better is appealing.

 

[SelimNiai]

No, no, no.

Rugby is a winter sport, always has been, always should be. If clubs want to limit disruption of international call ups then pay more attention to the grass roots instead of signing more international player.

 

[Seaton]

Could help the game compete with football during it's off-season as well, primarily in England of course.

But as snoopy snoopy dog dog pointed out, unless they start the season very early in the year, the clubs will be more adversely affected by world cups than they are now.

 

[jeffb]

What League does, Union surely follows.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

What League does, Union surely follows.

Well apart from creating the sport of course.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

If it's a good idea I don't think anyone cares that Diet Rugby adopted it first.

Also from that article, there's more talk about a World Club Championship. It's hard to see how it would fit into the calender without cutting back on international games. Then again, I can do without seeing Ireland play New Zealand or Wales playing Australia etc three times a year, every year. Maybe cutting back on internationals once every four year cycle (in a Sky Sports HSBC Adidas Lions Allstars year perhaps) and instead having a club championship featuring the previous four Heineken Cup and Rugby Championship winners is worth exploring.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

They could have the World Club championship every 4 years so we have a big rugby event three of every four years.
eg.
2011- RWC
2012- Internationals
2013- Lions
2014- WCC
and so on.

 

[Teh Mite]

What League does, Union surely follows.

Yep, get's a corrupt governing body then disappears up its own arsehole.

 

[jeffb]

Not corrupt, just incomputent ;-)

 

[Teh Mite]

Not corrupt, just incomputent ;-)

Bah, I say Baron you say Wood. 2 sides of the same coin.

 

[lucky number 7]

Ah **** off ...the ground is too hard in the summer...Rugby is for the bitterly cold winter , throwing yourself around in the slop...no leave the summer for 7's or something but I will play my bog ball in the icy slop thank you very much

 

[nickdnz]

I personally like the idea just in thinking of a World Club Championship. The seasons would be more compatable, which I would have thought would actually open up the international windows (As rugby pretty much stops from early November till late Febuary in NZ/Aus/SA). If it did happen, there would still be the oppertunity to move the RWC from September to October/November which would be free for all teams (although not ideal weather wise in the NH hemisphere, better for people in SH).

Also as mentioned, it would open rugby up to more support as it wouldn't compete with the football season. That can only be a good thing for clubs, as people won't pay for a season ticket to their local club and rugby team.

Anyway, I like the idea on principle. Just whether or not a schedual can be planned that will be good for rugby on the whole.

 

[LittleGuy]

In Canada this debate has raged since the dawn of time, since the Lower Mainland and Islands of British Columbia have a mild enough winter(although very wet) to play rugby during the winter. While the rest of the country does not, I live in Niagara which has mild winters by most Canadian standards and playing rugby outdoors is a total no go in January and February along with large parts of December and March. The same goes for large parts of the northern United States.

Bummer about our rugby season is they stick some comps like the CRC at a time of year July and August when it reaches 40C outside so you get to play in a sunny Sauna like atmosphere. A spring or fall season would be best.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Ah **** off ...the ground is too hard in the summer...Rugby is for the bitterly cold winter , throwing yourself around in the slop...no leave the summer for 7's or something but I will play my bog ball in the icy slop thank you very much

These are also my thoughts.

 

[SelimNiai]

As a former fatboy forward the whole idea of charging around in 25+ degrees doesn't sit well with me. The game would change if summer rugby would be enforced

 

[stus768]

From the Times: His key points are:
• A harmonisation of the international and club calendars on a global basis would create a framework within which the unions and the clubs around the world could cohabit.
• The separation of the professional game into distinct non-conflicting international and club windows would allow both structures to control and develop their businesses.
• The proposed global season would provide transparency for television, supporters, partners and sponsors because of continuous and meaningful competition, which would lead to more revenue and investment in the game.
• The conflict over player release and competition for those same players would disappear.
• The situation with the unions as both regulators of the game and direct competitors with the professional club game would be resolved.

“The RFU is a rich union, but in the southern hemisphere, in New Zealand and Australia, it is tough to compete,†Craig said. “What this does for all unions is it allows them all their players. Players can play anywhere in the world for their 36 weeks and come back and play international rugby. The unions have complete control for 16 weeks, which is a very nice situation for any coach.

A fundamental redrawing of the global rugby union calendar is to be proposed by a combination of French and English clubs. It would result in a radical redefinition of the season between the international and club games, played in separate 16-week and 36-week windows.
Under the plans, internationals would be played from December to March and domestic tournaments from April to October. It would mean summer club rugby union in Europe. “This is not about breaking away, but making a way forward for the future of the game,†Bruce Craig, the owner of Bath, said yesterday

How it would work
• Possible start date: 2016, with a a World Cup of clubs every two years.
• All internationals to be played from December to March, including the Six Nations and the Four Nations, as well as Lions and other tours.
• All domestic competitions to run in a club window from April to November for such as the Super 15, the ITM Cup (National Provincial Championship), Currie Cup, the Premiership, Top 14, and RaboDirect Pro 12.
• Continuity and structure in tournaments to replace the fragmented situation that exists in Europe.
• Players would become available to club and country, to the benefit of both.

 

[nickdnz]

From the Times: His key points are:
• A harmonisation of the international and club calendars on a global basis would create a framework within which the unions and the clubs around the world could cohabit.
• The separation of the professional game into distinct non-conflicting international and club windows would allow both structures to control and develop their businesses.
• The proposed global season would provide transparency for television, supporters, partners and sponsors because of continuous and meaningful competition, which would lead to more revenue and investment in the game.
• The conflict over player release and competition for those same players would disappear.
• The situation with the unions as both regulators of the game and direct competitors with the professional club game would be resolved.

“The RFU is a rich union, but in the southern hemisphere, in New Zealand and Australia, it is tough to compete,†Craig said. “What this does for all unions is it allows them all their players. Players can play anywhere in the world for their 36 weeks and come back and play international rugby. The unions have complete control for 16 weeks, which is a very nice situation for any coach.

A fundamental redrawing of the global rugby union calendar is to be proposed by a combination of French and English clubs. It would result in a radical redefinition of the season between the international and club games, played in separate 16-week and 36-week windows.
Under the plans, internationals would be played from December to March and domestic tournaments from April to October. It would mean summer club rugby union in Europe. “This is not about breaking away, but making a way forward for the future of the game,†Bruce Craig, the owner of Bath, said yesterday

How it would work
• Possible start date: 2016, with a a World Cup of clubs every two years.
• All internationals to be played from December to March, including the Six Nations and the Four Nations, as well as Lions and other tours.
• All domestic competitions to run in a club window from April to November for such as the Super 15, the ITM Cup (National Provincial Championship), Currie Cup, the Premiership, Top 14, and RaboDirect Pro 12.
• Continuity and structure in tournaments to replace the fragmented situation that exists in Europe.
• Players would become available to club and country, to the benefit of both.

Not entirely sold on this part. Instead of international rugby being played from June-November (6 months) you get all international rugby being played 3 months apart, which as a an All Black supporter, 3 months of international rugby isn't good enough, especially so squashed in. At the moment there is usually three windows for matches to be played, the June internations/Lions tour, Tri Nations and EoYT, which adds up to around 11-12 games a year. Under this preposed system there has to be far fewer matches (maybe half, so six or 7 tests a year/ just enough for the 6 Nations and Tri Nations so international rugby will go very stale) and you can pretty much forget traditional tours like the Lions. No way a 6 Nations/Tri Nations AND a Lions series can be played in 12 weeks.

While I think it's an alright idea, it does stink of clubs just wanting more control of players for longer periods. Fits the clubs perfectly to cut down international rugby to half.

The other great thing that is so convienient about this proposal, is that it suggests that this would be a good thing for New Zealand and Australia. There is no way a New Zealander will be picked who plays overseas. No way. Our game would die, it's that simple. This window would simply hope that more New Zealanders will play overseas in a vain hope their be selected for the All Blacks. It's seems the equivelent of saying "Because you're poor, we're happy to take the players we want off your hands, and you can have them back once we're done with them".