Exeter's BAxter comments on Championship & the Cup

Here is a link to a BBC article with Rob Baxter from Exeter Chiefs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2gl2z154ko

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2gl2z154ko

He may have a point about the money in the Premiership Rugby Cup needing to be better, but it is a bit of a cheek to extend the idea of ring-fencing the cup competition to just the Premiership clubs. This would just siphon off more from the game into the top clubs (again).

I think his comments are also quite disparaging despite his claims to support the Championship, pointing to the Championship clubs being the problem and not the failure of the Premiership Rugby and the RFU to properly create a meaningful Cup contest.

Finances are a top priority, especially given the recent prediction of MORE Premiership clubs going bust that is being discussed in the press and this board. The real issue is that the current system is broken and Baxter and others are pointing fingers at the wrong places. The Championship is not the problem, it is the OPPORTUNITY you muppets!

There seems to be a bit of BS in the piece which says 'No side has won promotion to the top-flight since Saracens in 2021' ... That simply isn't true - promotion was denied which is an entirely different proposition. Also, it fails to note that in the season before the forced relegation of Sarries, they were one of the best teams in Europe, let alone England. Their team that season would prolly have beaten most of the premiership teams during their spell in the Champ and Ealing finished just behind them.

Maybe I am being a little green-eyed here, but this kind of behavior is typical of the entitled posture taken by many in the game today. It also reinforces what I believe is a cartel-mentality at the top of the game. Thinking like this is just plain dumb!

Look at the current football Premier League. There are half a dozen or more clubs that have worked their way up to this league and are doing okay. Bournemouth even has a chance of European football! This enlarges the supporter base and, therefore, the money for the clubs and the game as a whole—it doesn't reduce it.

Baxter needs a reality check and I would dearly love to see it delivered tomorrow at Sandy Park.              

JZSmith wrote: The entire Premiership needs a reality check.

Everyone knows that a three team league of Chinnor, Caldy and Cambridge is laughable. What's the point of your post?

Edited by Se7en - 22 hours 23 minutes ago at 21:32

Some good performances from Champiosnhip clubs for sure. Maybe Richmond or Rotherham back in the mix next season. Two clubs with a good pedigree at  Level 2.

Edited by Nat1 - 23 hours 35 minutes ago at 20:20

All the Way wrote: JZSmith wrote: The entire Premiership needs a reality check. You'd think three clubs going under would be a sufficient reality check!

He's just so out of touch. He's forgetting where Exeter were 15 years ago.