Domestic and European Rugby Union

[Gareth]

The RFU should just give London Irish’s spot to Ealing Trailfinders. The team could also take Irish’s place at Brentford’s ground (it’s just the other side of the M4).

However, this will all make too much sense to be acceptable to the RFU

That’s working to the assumption that they want x number of teams in the Prem, I believe they were happy to lose Worcester, wasps & Irish to bring the number of teams / games down and less to share income.

[paul_e]

The RFU should just give London Irish’s spot to Ealing Trailfinders. The team could also take Irish’s place at Brentford’s ground (it’s just the other side of the M4).

However, this will all make too much sense to be acceptable to the RFU

That’s working to the assumption that they want x number of teams in the Prem, I believe they were happy to lose Worcester, wasps & Irish to bring the number of teams / games down and less to share income.

I'd be surprised if that was the case, the RFU were pushing for 14 teams a few years back (and we'd have started last season with that if Ealings ground had been better), to flip on that and aim for 10 would be odd. However I think the commercial side of things means they might have to scale down for a while just to protect the game in this country. You can see the problems all through the system as well, with loads of community clubs struggling for players and finding it hard to maintain their grounds.

The problem for the premiership teams is that trying to compete with the spending power of French teams and the structural benefits of the Irish provinces (and the cheating from Sarries) led to them pushing things to the limit, covid/no crowds and then the energy/cost-of-living crisis coming so close together has nudged a lot of teams over the edge or at least to the brink.

The sport desperately needs some good news so a better than expected world cup would be welcome in a few months. Without that kind of big boost I think the problems will linger for a few years yet. The RFU in particular really needs a reality check, many of the regional unions are reporting the problems but getting nothing much back from the RFU that actually helps and their attitude towards Wasps and Worcester all along has been, at best, unhelpful.

[cheltenhamlion]

RFU have withdrawn their offer to Wasps of a place in the 2023-24 Championship season. Wasps will be placed at the bottom of the playing pyramid in English Rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65634760

At a quick check I think this means they'll be in the same league as my club.

Who’s your club, mate.

Erdington.

You are on our potential fixture list for next season. Committee agreement required of course.

[cheltenhamlion]

In the firsts we are losing 4 home matches next season. The restless natives kind of won in the end at Stourbridge but in part that is because they pinched half of the team and sold out to Wasps so bigger fish to flog to people. Minis and Juniors still flourishing though and I am looking after U9's this. First round of contact so should be good fun. We also have a West Country tour I sorted so that should be a good giggle. Nothing signed on the tour yet but I don't see why it won't happen.

[paul_e]

RFU have withdrawn their offer to Wasps of a place in the 2023-24 Championship season. Wasps will be placed at the bottom of the playing pyramid in English Rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65634760

At a quick check I think this means they'll be in the same league as my club.

Who’s your club, mate.

Erdington.

You are on our potential fixture list for next season. Committee agreement required of course.

If it happens then I'm afraid this year you'll still have to deal with the shipping container facilities, hopefully work will start on the proper clubhouse early next year though so we're aiming to have that ready for the start of 24/25 season.

I doubt I'll be playing though, broke my shoulder a couple of years back and it's just not recovering properly so I can't tackle on that side without being in pain for days afterwards. I think I'll probably be making the switch to touch at some point this year.

[dcdavecollett]

Sorry to hear that, Paul.

[tomd2103]

RFU have withdrawn their offer to Wasps of a place in the 2023-24 Championship season. Wasps will be placed at the bottom of the playing pyramid in English Rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65634760

At a quick check I think this means they'll be in the same league as my club.

Who’s your club, mate.

Erdington.

You are on our potential fixture list for next season. Committee agreement required of course.

If it happens then I'm afraid this year you'll still have to deal with the shipping container facilities, hopefully work will start on the proper clubhouse early next year though so we're aiming to have that ready for the start of 24/25 season.

I doubt I'll be playing though, broke my shoulder a couple of years back and it's just not recovering properly so I can't tackle on that side without being in pain for days afterwards. I think I'll probably be making the switch to touch at some point this year.

Sorry to hear about your injury Paul.  Would you mind me picking your brains some point about your clubhouse?  The cricket club I'm involved in are looking to do something and could do with knowing about costs and grants etc.

[paul_e]

Sorry to hear about your injury Paul.  Would you mind me picking your brains some point about your clubhouse?  The cricket club I'm involved in are looking to do something and could do with knowing about costs and grants etc.

I have very little to do with any of the running of the club but if you DM me some details I can have a chat with a few people and put you in touch with someone. The main avenue for funding for us was the charity we set up to combat knife crime by getting vulnerable to gangs to take up the sport instead so I'm not sure how that would translate to other circumstances but I'm sure a few of the guys running things would be happy to chat with you.

[lovejoy]

Poor Euro fixtures for Glos - away in Tblisi in December anyone?

[paul_e]

Poor Euro fixtures for Glos - away in Tblisi in December anyone?

I'd prefer that to the home to Toulon in Dec and away at Munster in January that Saints have to face.

[cheltenhamlion]

RFU have withdrawn their offer to Wasps of a place in the 2023-24 Championship season. Wasps will be placed at the bottom of the playing pyramid in English Rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65634760

At a quick check I think this means they'll be in the same league as my club.

Who’s your club, mate.

Erdington.

You are on our potential fixture list for next season. Committee agreement required of course.

If it happens then I'm afraid this year you'll still have to deal with the shipping container facilities, hopefully work will start on the proper clubhouse early next year though so we're aiming to have that ready for the start of 24/25 season.

I doubt I'll be playing though, broke my shoulder a couple of years back and it's just not recovering properly so I can't tackle on that side without being in pain for days afterwards. I think I'll probably be making the switch to touch at some point this year.

Sorry to hear about your injury Paul.  Would you mind me picking your brains some point about your clubhouse?  The cricket club I'm involved in are looking to do something and could do with knowing about costs and grants etc.

Quick suggestion Tom. Yours sounds exactly like the sort of project my missus runs on behalf of the lottery.

[cheltenhamlion]

RFU have withdrawn their offer to Wasps of a place in the 2023-24 Championship season. Wasps will be placed at the bottom of the playing pyramid in English Rugby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/65634760

At a quick check I think this means they'll be in the same league as my club.

Who’s your club, mate.

Erdington.

You are on our potential fixture list for next season. Committee agreement required of course.

If it happens then I'm afraid this year you'll still have to deal with the shipping container facilities, hopefully work will start on the proper clubhouse early next year though so we're aiming to have that ready for the start of 24/25 season.

I doubt I'll be playing though, broke my shoulder a couple of years back and it's just not recovering properly so I can't tackle on that side without being in pain for days afterwards. I think I'll probably be making the switch to touch at some point this year.

I am fucked if I am playing mate. I was talking about who my nippers might be up against. I destroyed my ribs on one side last season when the coaches got a free hit at each other. I did get two against the coaches from South Wales though.

Sorry to hear of your injury. I still know how to play but my knees don't do what my head suggests anymore.

[cheltenhamlion]

Poor Euro fixtures for Glos - away in Tblisi in December anyone?

If the Villa can do any away on the Thursday in that neck of the woods I am in!

[UK Redsox]

It’s rare that I can be bothered to drive 19 miles to watch Glawster, let alone head behind the iron curtain

[UK Redsox]

Restructuring of Welsh domestic rugby

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/66613532

Welsh rugby's top men's domestic competition will be replaced and the number of teams reduced from 13 to 10 from the 2024-25 season by a "finishing school" for rising talent.

The existing Indigo Welsh Premiership clubs can each apply for one of those 10 slots.

Criteria for the Elite Domestic Competition (EDC) have yet to be finalised.

But north Wales will be represented by RGC with nine teams from south Wales.