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Premiership II plans announced
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Rothman2 View Drop Down
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Points: 12190 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rothman2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Feb 2025 at 23:32
Thanks Trailfinder

That was a great period for Championship Rugby and it borders on criminal how that was not built on.
Also nothing compares with club rugby at proper Rugby grounds.

 Incidentally, in addition to having the football ground audited, we had to have a second ground audited, just in case the first choice was unavailable. Even then the panel voted on it and it was tied at 5-5 before under immense pressure from the media they allowed our promotion. This was our second promotion to the Prem (2003) but the atmosphere at the football ground was no comparison to what it was at Clifton Lane in our first year up there (2000/01) with 4,000 shoe horned into Clifton Lane to see us beat Saracens in the Prem. Then all back to a raucous club house ( as per example videos posted above 10 or so years later) 
and still to this very day)

So we also know exactly how it feels to win the league, get rejected and  then have to go and play at a football ground and do it all again the following season.


This is why I believe there must be a change at the top of the game. The powers that be had a great opportunity even back in 2014 to do something special but didn’t build on it.

A new broom is needed, not as Trigger hilariously referred to in Only Fools and Horses, which, according to him was about 7 different handles and eight new brush heads.
In essence, a new broom must be completely new not the “same one or even a modified version”, otherwise it would just be the same protectionism, just different people administering it. 

To make wholesale changes to the structure or anything else must be done by a new small elected committee totally unconnected with the current regime.

I sincerely hope you get promoted this year and wish you well.


Edited by Rothman2 - 13 Feb 2025 at 23:45
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Trailfinder View Drop Down
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Points: 454 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Trailfinder Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Feb 2025 at 10:20
My strong suspicion for Ealing is it’s near impossible to get council planning permission for a park bench let alone a 10k seater stadium (despite there being ample space, although access is probably the biggest obstacle). Not to mention the injustice of having to spend millions just for the sake of it. 

I actually do agree that ongoing investment in facilities is essential but a 10k stadium is just arbitrary. I’d rather Ealing remain in the Champ than were forced to move, I suspect that they are hoping the criteria will be further relaxed. 
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Points: 178 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JZSmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Feb 2025 at 11:39
Originally posted by Kimbo Kimbo wrote:

Originally posted by JZSmith JZSmith wrote:

Originally posted by Kimbo Kimbo wrote:

Originally posted by titans.chris titans.chris wrote:


I can't see Ealing being allowed into Prem 1 so there will be no promotion. There will be some technicality preventing them or they will just loose out to an improved Newcastle side in a playoff. (Cynical I know). 


Which would just intensify the stench.
If (very probable) Ealing win the league, they should be promoted.
No ifs, buts, or playoffs.

Sadly Ealing will always fall foul of the minimum ground capacity regulation which I believe is Ealing's capacity +1.
Which, of course, should be totally irrelevant.

Absolutely Kimbo but in Ealing's case I would suggest that according to Sweeney and his mates they will always be one short of whatever the entry criteria is be in ground capacity or anything else.
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workerbee View Drop Down
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Points: 930 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote workerbee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Feb 2025 at 15:40
So here we are last week in February with no indication as to the future of Promotion or relegation from Prem 1 will Ealing , Coventry , Bedford or Doncaster be allowed to take part in a play off for promotion?
Will Prem 2 be a 14 team league? Will the Nat 1 side get promotion or will they be subject to criteria.? Are the RFU coning to announce the 14th Team from the phoenix clubs and will they enforce the payment of all outstanding creditors before they can participate (of course this will be dependant on the Definition of Rugby related Depts) will the pie man be paid?
There is still no news on a format on a Prem cup next season and its format, after the debacle this year of two teams not having any serious rugby for 7 weeks and the rest (Except Ealing ) having 4 blank weekends causing many clubs to have serious cash flow issues. 
Of cause according to the RFU this is all the fault of the Championship clubs not accepting the Deal as laid out by the RFU (What Deal) for the last two years. 
Just who will take ownership and make decisions so we all know what we are playing for.  
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Kimbo View Drop Down
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Points: 6548 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kimbo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Feb 2025 at 16:29
One thing's for certain. Coventry City FC won't get a sniff of the £465,000 owed to them by W*sps, because, y'know, 'rugby debts'.
Utter ballsacks.
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islander View Drop Down
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Points: 7786 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote islander Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Feb 2025 at 20:08
I haven't seen any counter-suggestions that the Championship won't have 14 teams for 2025/26, but yes - nothing confirmed in spite of season being quite well-advanced (N1 finishes 26/4, Champ on 31/5).

Nothing concrete, but last week's episode of the Champ Clubs Podcast they said the next scheduled episode would be mid-March after the Prem Cup* break, but that they might be back for an impromptu pod sooner than that in the event of any big news...

(* and Not The Prem Cup)
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JZSmith View Drop Down
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Points: 178 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JZSmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2025 at 10:51
Originally posted by Kimbo Kimbo wrote:

One thing's for certain. Coventry City FC won't get a sniff of the £465,000 owed to them by W*sps, because, y'know, 'rugby debts'.
Utter ballsacks.

That's "rugby values" for you.
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islander View Drop Down
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Points: 7786 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote islander Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 19:51
Latest update on league structure for levels 2 down to 6, possibly 7, on the RFU London website. You'll note it continues to flag the Champ at 14 teams* next season, and the effect of this at Nat 1, with only 2 of the 14 teams relegated...


* but not the identity of the 14th team
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Points: 11814 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Camquin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 20:11
From the rumours, we assume it will be a team based at Sixways, but not what it will be called.
Apparently, Wasps have a training base and a groundsman.

In other rumours, there is a theory that if Wales reduce to 3 professional sides, that would leave space for the ersatz London Irish to enter the URC as an Exiles Irish province. Using the Beziers training facilities that the consortium also owns.

But I thought that if they play in England, then RFU as the home Union would need to give IRFU approval to have their club play.

It would explain why they have not bought Hazelwood. We do not know who will end up owning that facility, so LIWG are still in limbo.
Sweeney Delenda Est
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Robb View Drop Down
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Points: 1644 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Robb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 20:42
Originally posted by Camquin Camquin wrote:

From the rumours, we assume it will be a team based at Sixways, but not what it will be called.
Apparently, Wasps have a training base and a groundsman.

In other rumours, there is a theory that if Wales reduce to 3 professional sides, that would leave space for the ersatz London Irish to enter the URC as an Exiles Irish province. Using the Beziers training facilities that the consortium also owns.

But I thought that if they play in England, then RFU as the home Union would need to give IRFU approval to have their club play.

It would explain why they have not bought Hazelwood. We do not know who will end up owning that facility, so LIWG are still in limbo.



Maybe they'll call the team "Worcester Irish Wasps"? Wink 
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Richard Lowther View Drop Down
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Points: 6613 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richard Lowther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Yesterday at 12:13
Originally posted by islander islander wrote:

Latest update on league structure for levels 2 down to 6, possibly 7, on the RFU London website. You'll note it continues to flag the Champ at 14 teams* next season, and the effect of this at Nat 1, with only 2 of the 14 teams relegated...


* but not the identity of the 14th team

The 14th team is the revised Wakefield RFC, now located from the playing field behind my house and changing in the old Scout hut.... 
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JZSmith View Drop Down
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Points: 178 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JZSmith Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Yesterday at 12:41
Originally posted by Robb Robb wrote:

Originally posted by Camquin Camquin wrote:

From the rumours, we assume it will be a team based at Sixways, but not what it will be called.
Apparently, Wasps have a training base and a groundsman.

In other rumours, there is a theory that if Wales reduce to 3 professional sides, that would leave space for the ersatz London Irish to enter the URC as an Exiles Irish province. Using the Beziers training facilities that the consortium also owns.

But I thought that if they play in England, then RFU as the home Union would need to give IRFU approval to have their club play.

It would explain why they have not bought Hazelwood. We do not know who will end up owning that facility, so LIWG are still in limbo.



Maybe they'll call the team "Worcester Irish Wasps"? Wink 


Or simply The Defaulters. 

An additional benefit would be that it would also probably save the need for a future renaming.
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Richard Lowther View Drop Down
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Points: 6613 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richard Lowther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 minutes ago at 18:48
'More Premiership club bankruptcies inevitable without change' - https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/clyz731p3yzo ;
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KnightsBoy View Drop Down
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Points: 3058 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KnightsBoy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 2 minutes ago at 19:14
Link in previous post doesn't seem to work for me, I've pasted the content below

It is only "a matter of time" until another Premiership club goes bust unless there is "radical change" according to the administrator who oversaw London Irish's insolvency.

London Irish, Wasps and Worcester went out of business during the 2022-23 season leaving the top flight of English rugby with only 10 teams.

A parliamentary report in January 2023 concluded that the financial situation of elite clubs was unsustainable.

"There is little prospect of profitability in the medium term and therefore considerable risk of other clubs going to the wall," Lee Manning told Sky Sports., external

"I think it is [just a matter of time]. Unless the game's financial model can be radically changed.

"It only takes one other club to fail, perhaps two, and where's the viability of the league? Where's the attraction of the league?"

The last set of accounts filed by all Premiership clubs in 2022-23 showed that the sides collectively lost £30.5m and have net debts of more than £300m.

Gloucester owner Martin St Quinton is among those to have said the Premiership business model is flawed, agreeing that another club could go bust.

Irish were doomed after a proposed deal with an American consortium to take over the club and it's £30m debt fell through.

The club were bought out of administration by a group led by former Formula 1 team owner and businessman Eddie Jordan last month.

Irish, along with Wasps and Worcester, have applied to be part of a new expanded Championship next season.

However Manning says that the club's new owners are exploring the possibility of joining the United Rugby Championship, in which sides from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and South Africa compete, rather than restarting lower down the English pyramid.

"My understanding is there is an intention of seeing if they can join the URC and I think that might be the case for Wasps as well because there's no viable entry route into the Premiership," he said, while admitting that such a move may require approval from the Rugby Football Union.



Edited by KnightsBoy - 12 seconds ago at 19:16
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