Championship clubs in shock over RFU’s decision

Edited by Trailfinder - 23 Feb 2020 at 10:51

Trailfinder wrote: Sounds like there is a split in the views of the Championship clubs if they are not responding to the RFU with one voice... I saw this quote at the end of an article about the knock on impact to League clubs, completely unsubstantiated but does tie back to some comments made earlier in the year: There is speculation that Ealing and London Scottish are considering leaving the Championship for the multinational Pro-14 instead. So far Ealing have remained virtually silent on the funding cuts, admittedly they are probably the least impacted but it's interesting none the less. The article then goes on to say the following which is just not going to happen: What price Ealing deciding to partner the Broncos in a bid to reach Super League and pulling up a seat around at least one of rugby’s top tables? https://www.theguardian.com/sport/no-helmets-required/2020/feb/22/budget-cuts-second-tier-clubs--rugby-union-league

Stalwart wrote: Trailfinder wrote: Sounds like there is a split in the views of the Championship clubs if they are not responding to the RFU with one voice... I saw this quote at the end of an article about the knock on impact to League clubs, completely unsubstantiated but does tie back to some comments made earlier in the year: There is speculation that Ealing and London Scottish are considering leaving the Championship for the multinational Pro-14 instead. So far Ealing have remained virtually silent on the funding cuts, admittedly they are probably the least impacted but it's interesting none the less. The article then goes on to say the following which is just not going to happen: What price Ealing deciding to partner the Broncos in a bid to reach Super League and pulling up a seat around at least one of rugby’s top tables? https://www.theguardian.com/sport/no-helmets-required/2020/feb/22/budget-cuts-second-tier-clubs--rugby-union-league The Pro 14 would be a good fit for The Pirates, with our Celtic heritage games against Irish, Welsh and Scottish teams would be a proper job!

I remember similar talk some years ago when Mose were in Level 2. On the face of it, this sounded attractive to me then - given our history with Welsh matches being the 'big games'. I recall some major issue to do with the RFU being able to veto matches in their jurisdiction.....perhaps I'm getting confused with L Scottish being linked at one stage with being the 3rd Scottish club in Pro 14/15?

islander wrote: BP wrote: QI We went through the teams from the Prem games last weekend. There were 10 ex Nottingham players within their ranks. Assuming other Champ teams have players in there, not too bad for a league not producing prem players The Jersey Reds 'Graduates' XXIII - details HERE - includes 14 players playing regularly in the Prem, 2 current Pro14 players, a French Top 14 player, 3 in the Championship (including 2 likely to be promoted with Falcons), 1 who's gone semi-pro and moved to Rosslyn Park + 1 who's just left his Prem club to move to Super Rugby in his native Oz. Bedford, meanwhile, have more than 50 players who've moved up to the top tier, enough for two 'dream-team' squads - HERE

A proper Jersey squad too with 4 front rowers on the bench.

FHLH wrote: Ellis Genge - Hartpury to Bristol

Kimbo wrote: PlangentThrowback wrote: FHLH wrote: Ellis Genge - Hartpury to Bristol You could equally say Ellis Genge - Old Reds to Hartpury! This idea that somehow Championship clubs are the exclusive breading ground for players who go on to the Premiership is a little odd.  Players move from the Premiership clubs to the Championship (and back again).  Players move from the Championship to the Premiership.  Players move from the National Leagues to the Championship and so on.  No league exclusively develops players.  Using Genge as an example he signed for Bristol at age 18.  Did Old Reds develop him?  Hartpury?  Or was it Bristol who converted him to prop?  Or Leicester or even England? All true.

The point is though without a strong 2nd tier then there is a lack of a decent stepping stone to bounce back to a Premiership squad or develop further to make it from a ND1. Decent players could be lost, as they can't prove themselves to get "2nd" chances. Each division plays its part but the Championship is most critical being the closest level to the Premiership for those late developers discarded or not picked up by an RFU funded academy.

Take Edwards - was at London Irish but dumped from the academy, went to Rosslyn Park, Blues, then back to Sale at 28 years of age and now in Bordeaux French Top 14.

Twelvetrees - deemed not good enough at Leicester. went to Blues, back to Leicester (with a bit of bouncing to Nottingham), before becoming an England international.

I thought Edwards was at Rosslyn Park.

Players Donny helped along the way, not as many as other championship team.

Edited by KnightsBoy - 24 Feb 2020 at 16:56

I apologise if the following link has already been posted:

https://bedfordrugby.co.uk/news/2020/02/open-letter-chairman-geoff-irvine-rfu

PlangentThrowback wrote: FHLH wrote: Ellis Genge - Hartpury to Bristol You could equally say Ellis Genge - Old Reds to Hartpury! This idea that somehow Championship clubs are the exclusive breading ground for players who go on to the Premiership is a little odd.  Players move from the Premiership clubs to the Championship (and back again).  Players move from the Championship to the Premiership.  Players move from the National Leagues to the Championship and so on.  No league exclusively develops players.  Using Genge as an example he signed for Bristol at age 18.  Did Old Reds develop him?  Hartpury?  Or was it Bristol who converted him to prop?  Or Leicester or even England? But I'm pleased to see that, as I suspected, the initial cut was just the opening gambit in a negotiation and we'll now see a much smaller reduction, presumably still phased in.  I hope this has prompted both the RFU and Championship to get together and finally sort out what they actually want the Championship to be.