Rugby Union (was 2014-15, now an ongoing thread)

[paul_e]

But London Welsh don't own the Kassam do they?  I thought that was why Oxford United are looking at doing a Rotherham and building their own stadium elsewhere on the edge of the city then they could tell Kassam where to shove his stadium as Rotherham did with the old fella who owned theirs.

Indeed they don't but the rent for both clubs is kept lower by the both basing there, which was apparently very important to oxford (the current chairman was one of the key supporters to the move when it looked like it might get rejected).

[lovejoy]

For all it's efforts rugby hasn't really moved out of its heartlands, particularly the West Country and East Midlands. The northern teams are really poorly supported and even In London there is only 1 team are inside the M25. In fact the crowd at Harlequins are family day trippers, happy flappy bridge, no heart or passion.

[aev]

For all it's efforts rugby hasn't really moved out of its heartlands, particularly the West Country and East Midlands. The northern teams are really poorly supported and even In London there is only 1 team are inside the M25. In fact the crowd at Harlequins are family day trippers, happy flappy bridge, no heart or passion.

If you go back 30 years or so then Coventry and Moseley were 2 of the biggest clubs going, and historically Coventry has always been a egg chasing city.

I can see why Wasps have done this - whether or not they should have been allowed to is a different matter of course.

[peter w]

I don't have the same sympathy for Wasps supporters as I did with Wimbledon due to their history of moving. I guess a few of the supporters have followed them around but I'm hazarding a guess that current supporters are largely from Reading (is that where they play?) rather thanbeing from london from where the club originated. I think it could be a good move for the club but of course it's a pity for those that really have followed the club and are seeing it moved again.

I don't think it will be that bad for Coventry RFC. Their support, again I guess, is quite small as it is. They probably go just to watch Coventry and tehrefore aren't going to have their heads turned by Wasps. Its those that infrequently follow rugby that are more likely to go. As an aside do Moseley and Coventry still play their annual game on boxing day?

[cdbearsfan]

They were in High Wycombe, I think London Irish play in Reading.

[fredm]

Also Coventry Rugby League team enter the professional competition in 2015.

[paul_e]

I don't have the same sympathy for Wasps supporters as I did with Wimbledon due to their history of moving. I guess a few of the supporters have followed them around but I'm hazarding a guess that current supporters are largely from Reading (is that where they play?) rather thanbeing from london from where the club originated. I think it could be a good move for the club but of course it's a pity for those that really have followed the club and are seeing it moved again.

I don't think it will be that bad for Coventry RFC. Their support, again I guess, is quite small as it is. They probably go just to watch Coventry and tehrefore aren't going to have their heads turned by Wasps. Its those that infrequently follow rugby that are more likely to go. As an aside do Moseley and Coventry still play their annual game on boxing day?

The history of moving around is exactly why I don't see it as a big deal.

I feel for coventry more for the potential impact on player recruitment, they already have Leicester and Northampton picking up the better kids in the area, adding wasps to the mix won't be good.  Hwoever Wasps are currently insistent that they will keep the training  ground where it is, which eases the problem.

As has been said, they currently play at Adams Park which is Wycombe Wanderers ground.

[aev]

I don't have the same sympathy for Wasps supporters as I did with Wimbledon due to their history of moving. I guess a few of the supporters have followed them around but I'm hazarding a guess that current supporters are largely from Reading (is that where they play?) rather thanbeing from london from where the club originated. I think it could be a good move for the club but of course it's a pity for those that really have followed the club and are seeing it moved again.

I don't think it will be that bad for Coventry RFC. Their support, again I guess, is quite small as it is. They probably go just to watch Coventry and tehrefore aren't going to have their heads turned by Wasps. Its those that infrequently follow rugby that are more likely to go. As an aside do Moseley and Coventry still play their annual game on boxing day?

The history of moving around is exactly why I don't see it as a big deal.

I feel for coventry more for the potential impact on player recruitment, they already have Leicester and Northampton picking up the better kids in the area, adding wasps to the mix won't be good.  Hwoever Wasps are currently insistent that they will keep the training  ground where it is, which eases the problem.

As has been said, they currently play at Adams Park which is Wycombe Wanderers ground.

Realistically Coventry were never going to make it into the Premiership anyway. I guess Wasps will be seen as a Coventry based club and so the local kids will in time aspire to play for them.

[lovejoy]

For all it's efforts rugby hasn't really moved out of its heartlands, particularly the West Country and East Midlands. The northern teams are really poorly supported and even In London there is only 1 team are inside the M25. In fact the crowd at Harlequins are family day trippers, happy flappy bridge, no heart or passion.

If you go back 30 years or so then Coventry and Moseley were 2 of the biggest clubs going, and historically Coventry has always been a egg chasing city.

I can see why Wasps have done this - whether or not they should have been allowed to is a different matter of course.

Ignoring the "egg chasing" wind up, I am struggling to see the logic that a city that hasn't had a top team for 40 years and hasn't exactly been crying out for one recently has "always been a [rugby] city".

[Dante Lavelli]

Where will the Wasps players train?  Back in Sudbury or is the whole thing being moved to the midlands?

I'm surprised some rich dude has not built a purpose built 20k stadium in west London.  Arguably both Wasps and London Irish could share it.  The corporate revenue from rugby has huge potential.  Not to mention if designed cleverly a fair few residential units could be built into the envelope.

[aev]

For all it's efforts rugby hasn't really moved out of its heartlands, particularly the West Country and East Midlands. The northern teams are really poorly supported and even In London there is only 1 team are inside the M25. In fact the crowd at Harlequins are family day trippers, happy flappy bridge, no heart or passion.

If you go back 30 years or so then Coventry and Moseley were 2 of the biggest clubs going, and historically Coventry has always been a egg chasing city.

I can see why Wasps have done this - whether or not they should have been allowed to is a different matter of course.

Ignoring the "egg chasing" wind up, I am struggling to see the logic that a city that hasn't had a top team for 40 years and hasn't exactly been crying out for one recently has "always been a [rugby] city".

It has consistently produced decent players in the last 20 yrs or so despite not having a Premiership team - most of the schools play rugby etc.

[paul_e]

For all it's efforts rugby hasn't really moved out of its heartlands, particularly the West Country and East Midlands. The northern teams are really poorly supported and even In London there is only 1 team are inside the M25. In fact the crowd at Harlequins are family day trippers, happy flappy bridge, no heart or passion.

If you go back 30 years or so then Coventry and Moseley were 2 of the biggest clubs going, and historically Coventry has always been a egg chasing city.

I can see why Wasps have done this - whether or not they should have been allowed to is a different matter of course.

Ignoring the "egg chasing" wind up, I am struggling to see the logic that a city that hasn't had a top team for 40 years and hasn't exactly been crying out for one recently has "always been a [rugby] city".

Rugby is a hard sell in the areas where kids only exposure to it is a couple of PE lessons where they use it as an excuse to beat up a few of the kids.

The key requirement to the development of UK sport now is the improvement of standards in teaching it, especially at 8-14.  This isn't having a go at PE teachers, they do a decent job in what is probably the toughest subject to actually teach anything.  What really needs to happen, for me, is that we need to concentrate on coaching badges, etc for them, a lot of the private schools have specialist coaches for rugby, cricket, tennis, etc which comprehensive schools can never match but they can at least get some coaching certificates amongst the department so they are able to have rugby lessons designed by a qualified coach and after school rugby clubs run by a qualified coach, same with football, cricket, etc.

[UK Redsox]

Coming from Gloucestershire, it's difficult for me to comprehend that there's schools elsewhere that don't have rugby.

Down here, it's the number one school sport and when I was a kid was played from Sep to Xmas.

We only ever had a couple of football matches during games lessons (normally after New Year). Just enough for the teacher to spot who could actually play. The team then had to train in the lunch breaks. Games lessons Jan to Easter were then reserved for hockey.

[cheltenhamlion]

Cheltenham was a little different. Rugby until Christmas. Football until Easter in the main.

I do agree with the comment on qualified coaches though. We were lucky on the rugby front on having a couple of teachers who had played at a decent level but at most schools the coaching of the basics was poor.

[UK Redsox]

Our school team occasionally headed to 'Nam for games but I can't remember the weedy, posh boys ever giving us much of a game