Dicky Evans statement

From what I have heard it’s the Premiership that are holding up decisions, not the RFU. The key sticking point is merit-based promotion/relegation with the Premiership insisting on their MOS.

Edited by Halliford - 03 May 2024 at 07:55

Abolition of the P shares will never happen as it would require the Premiership shareholders to vote for it. The parachute payment is based on the P shares ownership so will also never happen. The Championship intends to hold out for automatic, merit-based promotion, which is right. Win that round and then the impact of a successful promoted Club needs to be seen. The only MOS that should count is the 5,000 ground limit under the Safety of Sportsgrounds Act. 14th June is the cut-off date.

Personally I can't see why any Championship club would want to gain promotion to the bankrupt basket case that is the Premiership. 

*Stalwart wrote: <span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: myriad-pro, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This is pretty positive and it would be great if we can sign the majority of the present squad, and our brilliant coaches, for another season. It is criminal that the RFU/PRL have not sorted out the shape of the Championship for next season when this one is almost over. It's impossible to make any proper plans or attract investors and sponsors when there is no clarity. </span><br style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: myriad-pro, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: myriad-pro, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I really hope that the Championship clubs remain united and insist on automatic promotion/relegation, the abolition of "P" shares and the parachute payment and a much more realistic set of criteria for grounds.</span> <span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: myriad-pro, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">PRL must recognise that promotion/relegation is a good thing for them too. Sarries, Harlequins and Northampton have all been relegated and came back stronger (admittedly the ridiculous parachute payment gave them a massive advantage to bounce straight back). The </span><font face="myriad-pro, helvetica, arial, sans-serif" size="3">jeopardy of relegation creates big games at the end of the season and would be attractive to broadcasters.  <font face="myriad-pro, helvetica, arial, sans-serif" size="3">If there was, for example, a top four playoff system, with the winner gaining automatic promotion, in The Championship there would be some massive games at this stage of the season.

I do not understand why The Championship is not attractive to broadcasters. I just stopped for some lunch and turned on Sky Sports to see what was on. I chose to watch the Live County cricket match between Lancashire and Kent being played at Old Trafford. The four people sitting in the crowd looked frozen to death, the two commentators sounded like they would both be going to sleep any time soon, and during the three overs I watched, not one single run was scored. How dare they think they are "entertaining" us with this absolute drivel and ignore the fact that a game between Bedford and Ampthill at a packed Goldington Road would be far more attractive to both viewers and advertisers alike.

Cricket is useful to broadcasters because it takes so long and fills the airwaves.

Paul10 wrote: FHLH wrote: Paul10 wrote: Cricket is useful to broadcasters because it takes so long and fills the airwaves. Champ rugby generally happens at the same time as other rugby. For it to be TV content that would have to change. French broadcasters manage Top 14 and Div 2 Yes Pro D2 is Thursday and Friday nights. It'll take a change but very doable.

Camquin wrote: I recall the there was an offer for TV coverage on Thursday nights, on one of the smaller channels, about two seasons ago, and the clubs turned it down.

This Link seems to have gone off topic. It started with Dicky Evans Statement about the future of Cornish Pirates after his funding ends. From the Statements he indicates that all the players are being put on one year contracts and funds are guaranteed for the first half of the season. There are interested parties but they are waiting until they find out about future Funding from the RFU and criteria required to stay in "Prem 2" . Pirates like many other clubs in the National Leagues are predominately supported by a main benefactor, and their other sources of income cannot sustain their current squad levels.