The venerable Peter Higgins is incredulous

Over a glass of wine I gave Peter a run down on Caldy's journey in the Championship. He was heartened to hear about how hospitable, welcoming and supportive all the other Championship clubs had been towards Caldy and their supporters in their first ever season at this level. 

Over a few more glasses of a most delightful Sancerre I recounted tales of Richmond's President Chris Mills taking on the prodigious Adam Aigbokhae in a pint race at Paton Field, Ampthill's Paul Turner giving Caldy some heartfelt and supportive advice, the dazzling back play by Bedford and of course the sheer joy (apart from the rugby) of our weekend in Jersey. There were lots of other subsidiary stories that often meandered in a relatively meaningless way, (especially those that involved Graham and his travel plans or were about the pre match lunch before the London Scottish game at the Paton Field Stadium) but soon we moved on to what all of this mean't in league terms for this season and next season.

Over a bottle of Malbec I tried my best to explain what was likely to happen next season running through a number of possible scenarios:

1. A team may be relegated from the Championship this season

2. No team may be relegated from the Championship this season

3. A team that doesn't actually exist any more may be parachuted into the Championship for next season

4. This mythical team may be playing anywhere in the country next season

5. The winner of this season's Championship will get ......nothing...and will stay in the Championship (unless they decide to become Welsh)

6. No one has any idea what is likely to happen next season

Peter was befuddled and couldn't grasp what I was saying. He asked me the question "Isn't the Championship mean't to be the second level of English Rugby? As I pressed on to try and explain the RFU's chicanery Pete just slowly shook his head and summed up his view on what he had heard.

Could someone provide Peter with an answer?

I understand (from someone who should know) that there is a proposal that is being put forward to the RFU Council members that next season the Championship should comprise 14 teams.  This unexpected twist is apparently to save London Scottish from relegation! 

My understanding is that the Council members will be asked to approve the inclusion of Wasps Phoenix, no relegation from the Championship (a reprieve for London Scottish), one team to be promoted from National One and of course no promotion for the team that wins the Championship.

I welcome a 14 team league but not the way it is proposed to be achieved, I am sure Peter Higgins will give me one of his head shakes....and I am sure he will tell me that...... 

The genesis of this proposal, which apparently has been tabled by the RFU Management team (possibly one person or half a person) responsible for the Championship and is also backed by the Championship clubs perpetuates ring fencing. Surely two sides should be promoted from National 1? 

Am I being naïve?

John,

I am sure when I explain your logical observation to the venerable Peter Higgins he may well turn to drink

I don't take issue with your assessment and I reinforce some of what you say below. However, I have to say that despite my own apprehension as to what the Championship experience would be like for Caldy I have enjoyed the experience way better than I expected. My present assessment of the Championship after almost a full season:

1. All the clubs without exception have been hugely hospitable and appear to be run by proper rugby people. It has been a joyous experience to visit these Championship clubs

2. The quality and standard of rugby has not been the attritional slug fest I feared. Some of the play has been exhilarating, exciting and  hugely entertaining. The Caldy v Bedford match was one of the greatest games of rugby I have ever seen.......and I have seen a few games!

3. Any team can beat any other on their day.....it is just a great product. 

4. The pre match and post match craic has been exceptional and the Ravers' creed 'Win or lose we are on the booze' is not out of place,

Economically rugby at the elite level is just plain bonkers. It is a terrible business with no prospect of ever reaching self sufficiency. I just pulled the latest filed sets of accounts for two different Premiership sides.

One is acknowledged to be in difficulty. I haven't seen any such comment about the other.

The latest publicly available balance sheet of the 'troubled' club has net liabilities of circa £4m (after including the value of the P Shares at a staggering £20m) 

The latest publicly available balance sheet of the other club has net liabilities of £1.5million (after including the P Shares at a valuation of nearly £18m)

Based on the filed accounts both clubs are heavily loss making and they only remain solvent because their owners continue to support them. I doubt whether either of the owners would persist with such a 'business' in any other sector. I am sure if I pulled a few more sets of accounts the pattern would be repeated.

Rugby is a shockingly bad business and for the life of me I cannot understand how any owner can enjoy the experience. It must be a gut wrenchingly corrosive ride.......with no end. The Championship and National 1 down seems to be a very much better place to be.

The 'troubled club' has a going concern qualification relating to material uncertainty in its latest filed accounts. The other club has written confirmation from its parent company relating to funding and the audit reort has no qualification re going concern.

I would suggest that the biggest issue in the balance sheet of both companies is the valuation of the P shares. With an ascribed carrying value of nearly £20m and nearly £18m for these 'investments' in the respective balance sheets I would suggest that if I asked Pete (I think everyone knows the venerable Peter Higgins well enough now that we can be more familiar) whether he would pay such amounts for these P shares he wouldn't need to ask his financial advisor .