Watch our Big Eddie is coming

Huge Congratulations to Caldy on their promotion to the Championship, they are clearly the best side in National 1.

Runitback wrote: Huge Congratulations to Caldy on their promotion to the Championship, they are clearly the best side in National 1. Just be ready for Big Eddie one of the most erudite and amusing posters on Rolling Maul.

Runitback wrote: Huge Congratulations to Caldy on their promotion to the Championship, they are clearly the best side in National 1. Just be ready for Big Eddie one of the most erudite and amusing posters on Rolling Maul. I note with some interest that there were huge concerns about the facilities that Ampthill had when they gained promotion to the Championship . . . but none as to the facilities at Caldy. No doubt the committee have proactively acquired significant quantities of Pot Noodles!! On a more serious note, I am presuming they will stay semi-pro and that their first season will be a steep learning curve.  Will they lean on the Sharks or RGC for players? However, there is the possibility that the Championship will move to a 14 team league so they may well have a seasons grace to adapt to the new level . . something they did with ease moving from Nat2 to Champions of Nat1!!

I thought the funding was. Due to be removed from  the Championship this year

corporalcarrot wrote: Camquin wrote: When the Championship clubs decided to stay at 12 teams this season, there were some words about possibly expanding in future, as nobody likes the cup. However, I think that would require some clubs to be guaranteed that the funding levels per club were retained. Count me as one of the nobody who actually likes the cup particularly the away trips to clubs in Ireland, Scotland & Wales. I also like the prospect of matches against French D2 sides.

No way the cup will involve French D2 sides - they have a full fixture list (this has been said many times)

Not sure why rage B& I cup fell through but will it ever come back?

This leaves the poor solution that currently exists.

Just a thought - could the cup involve the Scottish Super 6 teams (although having watched some of it during Covid - they npmay not be strong enough)

The B&I cup was a good competition giving the championship clubs an opportunity to test themselves against the best tier 2 clubs in Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

The obvious answer is for the Championship to enlarge to 14 teams.

With the RFU funding being reduced year on year the argument that the funds would be diluted across 14 instead of 11/12 doesn't hold water - after all a 12th of nothing is the same as a 14th of nothing.

It must be obvious to everyone that the idea of the Championship being a Full Time Professional is dead in the water.

Championship clubs that rely on the RFU funding in their business model should be looking at alternative sources before the funding disappears entirely.

Welcome to Caldy & BE. One thing you’ll notice the Champ has in common with Nat Lgs is a tendency for threads to meander off topic! 

Raider999 wrote: The obvious answer is for the Championship to enlarge to 14 teams. With the RFU funding being reduced year on year the argument that the funds would be diluted across 14 instead of 11/12 doesn't hold water - after all a 12th of nothing is the same as a 14th of nothing. It must be obvious to everyone that the idea of the Championship being a Full Time Professional is dead in the water. Championship clubs that rely on the RFU funding in their business model should be looking at alternative sources before the funding disappears entirely.

Edited by kempstonblue - 27 Apr 2022 at 08:25