URC to look at draft system

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

URC pondering draft system to help weaker teams

The United Rugby Championship is exploring a form of draft system to improve competitiveness across the league.

www.bbc.co.uk

Leinster must be fumin if this happens

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

To be honest some sort of roster cap might be a blessing in disguise, don't think it helps us that we completely lose focus on the regular season with about 5 games remaining. It'll also be incredibly difficult to implement though and players won't always want to move.

If it was an idea that any player outside of a 35-40 player designated URC squad could be drafted it still benefits the rich sides. Like if you're just out of the academy in Leinster, potentially still doing a degree, are you really going to accept a bench spot on the Cardiff Blues where the majority of your salary would be the dole? I doubt it.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

I always had the idea for a 5th Irish team of having each province name 30 players and then the 5th team could select a squad from the leftovers. Wouldn’t be the worst team in the competition and it could be good for Ireland to have young players play together. Young guys could still do their degree if the universities cooperated as they’d all be in Ireland.

Idea of drafting players from Ireland or South Africa to play for another club doesn’t make sense to me.

 

[Reiser99]

Especially with South African sides. Can you imagine living in Dublin and then suddenly you have to move to South Africa. Can't see it happening.

As I've said the American system works because college level acts as a feeder and so professional teams don't have as much input on player development. It wouldn't work for clubs that develop their own players just to see them go to other clubs, why invest in them?

 

[higgik]

I always had the idea for a 5th Irish team of having each province name 30 players and then the 5th team could select a squad from the leftovers. Wouldn’t be the worst team in the competition and it could be good for Ireland to have young players play together. Young guys could still do their degree if the universities cooperated as they’d all be in Ireland.

Idea of drafting players from Ireland or South Africa to play for another club doesn’t make sense to me.

How about basing the team in London and calling it London Irish!!!!

 

[saulan]

I mean I feel like some visa issues are going to cause some big issues with any plans along these lines going from North to South and vice versa.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

It also works in America because of the money these players get. They can afford to move their families to etc basically love how they want. Imagine growing up in a lovely part of the wolf like Galway and being drafted to some
Hell hole like wales or even worse, Glasgow! I jest, but I can’t see how that’s fair on players with their friends and families etc.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

I'm vehemently against the draft in American sports cause I believe it's anti-competitive and it two thirds of the league doing what Newcastle is doing now.
But, where our pro teams and where our players come from don't align. Major population centers don't produce baseball or football players. That is mostly the rural south plus California. NHL would be Minnesota, Michigan, and specific parts of Canada. Basketball would just be a few cities.

 

[higgik]

I always had the idea for a 5th Irish team of having each province name 30 players and then the 5th team could select a squad from the leftovers. Wouldn’t be the worst team in the competition and it could be good for Ireland to have young players play together. Young guys could still do their degree if the universities cooperated as they’d all be in Ireland.

Idea of drafting players from Ireland or South Africa to play for another club doesn’t make sense to me.

There is a club in London with Irish roots that might take that idea up with you.

 

[higgik]

It also works in America because of the money these players get. They can afford to move their families to etc basically love how they want. Imagine growing up in a lovely part of the wolf like Galway and being drafted to some
Hell hole like wales or even worse, Glasgow! I jest, but I can’t see how that’s fair on players with their friends and families etc.

So the URC would gave to fund these relocations for the season, but what about all those SH and Pacific players that come over to Europe on their own!!!

 

[higgik]

I'm vehemently against the draft in American sports cause I believe it's anti-competitive and it two thirds of the league doing what Newcastle is doing now.
But, where our pro teams and where our players come from don't align. Major population centers don't produce baseball or football players. That is mostly the rural south plus California. NHL would be Minnesota, Michigan, and specific parts of Canada. Basketball would just be a few cities.

It is not anti competitive. In fact it creates more competition as the talent is spread over more teams.
More competitive matches create more excitement, in turn raising profile and revenue for everyone including players.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

as the talent is spread over more teams.

Why would teams produce the talent, though?

It works in America because the colleges are producing the players for the draft - why should Leinster pump resources into their academy just to see their top talents going off to Zebre?

 

[Reiser99]

Also in America, you stay in America. Yes players might move far away in America, but it still the same country. It's another thing to not only ask players to move clubs, but countries too, especially if you're fresh out of the academy.

 

[higgik]

Why would teams produce the talent, though?

It works in America because the colleges are producing the players for the draft - why should Leinster pump resources into their academy just to see their top talents going off to Zebre?

Because below the pro level the game is structured to create a development system.
So Leinster Union, would run the development side working with IRFU.
The Pro team woyld be just that a pro team. They are effectively 1 of 4 franchises awarded by IRFU. Make them completely separate from the local union.
That way any player from any province can play. Just look at how Super Rugby is in NZ, where players can be drafted from another SR team.

 

[higgik]

Also in America, you stay in America. Yes players might move far away in America, but it still the same country. It's another thing to not only ask players to move clubs, but countries too, especially if you're fresh out of the academy.

Agree, so it should be limited to countries with similar culture.
So Irish players should be drafted to any if the 4 teams if needed, or maybe to Wales or Scotland.
SA players tend to be happier travelling so they could move to Italian teams.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Because below the pro level the game is structured to create a development system.
So Leinster Union, would run the development side working with IRFU.
The Pro team woyld be just that a pro team. They are effectively 1 of 4 franchises awarded by IRFU. Make them completely separate from the local union.
That way any player from any province can play. Just look at how Super Rugby is in NZ, where players can be drafted from another SR team.

Where does the Leinster branch get the revenue to invest in grass roots in this scenario? College football creates its own massive revenue to find and develop talent, Leinster rugby is very much dependent on ticket sales and sponsorship which wouldn't trickle down if they're not getting first refusal on the players they produce.

I think all this would do is drive players to France, kids growing up supporting Leinster don't want to play for Munster and same in reverse. France starts to look a lot more attractive if they don't get to choose where they play.

An actual draft system like American sports isn't being suggested thankfully. I think an "unprotected player" system could work though. At the season outset a team has to name a core group of ~40 players, anyone outside this is free to move to another URC team. It'd be a hell of a legal job re-writing about 800 player contracts so maybe it's something to be phased in over three seasons.

 

[higgik]

Where does the Leinster branch get the revenue to invest in grass roots in this scenario? College football creates its own massive revenue to find and develop talent, Leinster rugby is very much dependent on ticket sales and sponsorship which wouldn't trickle down if they're not getting first refusal on the players they produce.

I think all this would do is drive players to France, kids growing up supporting Leinster don't want to play for Munster and same in reverse. France starts to look a lot more attractive if they don't get to choose where they play.

An actual draft system like American sports isn't being suggested thankfully. I think an "unprotected player" system could work though. At the season outset a team has to name a core group of ~40 players, anyone outside this is free to move to another URC team. It'd be a hell of a legal job re-writing about 800 player contracts so maybe it's something to be phased in over three seasons.

Yes, more like what I was trying to suggest.
Limit squad sizes and have free agents to fill other spots.
Then the development could still go on and would give younger or fringe players experience of top level matches, as well as different playing culture to enhance them as players.

 

[Amiga500]

How about basing the team in London and calling it London Irish!!!!

That was idle chat (at least in here, if not the corridors of power) several years back, but with a view to playing in the English Premiership.

They might come at a viable price now - but that still doesn't make the deal a good one for the IRFU.

The age old question of them being nomads raises its head. Additionally - the IRFU probably wouldn't want to retain much of what presently exists. Players, staff and even their RFU league entry - all probably surplus to requirements.

All that would really be of interest would be the brand - the IRFU would essentially be buying a support base that might come over anyway if LI folded and the IRFU started a new team.

 

[higgik]

That was idle chat (at least in here, if not the corridors of power) several years back, but with a view to playing in the English Premiership.

They might come at a viable price now - but that still doesn't make the deal a good one for the IRFU.

The age old question of them being nomads raises its head. Additionally - the IRFU probably wouldn't want to retain much of what presently exists. Players, staff and even their RFU league entry - all probably surplus to requirements.

All that would really be of interest would be the brand - the IRFU would essentially be buying a support base that might come over anyway if LI folded and the IRFU started a new team.

There is a definite want from URC to enter the London market and with PRL and RFU finances not great as well, some sort of compensation for a URC team playing in London may seem worth it.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I'm not really sure the rugby landscape lends itself to a union adding more club teams. Scotland have resisted pressure to do it for years, England and Wales look like reasons not to.