It beggars belief..........who an earth do these people think they should be accountable to? 

Like all second rate politicians they seem to believe they can fool all of the people all of the time!

If anyone has real evidence how much money the executive are pi**ing away on fees to management consultants, PR advisors and media bol**cks please do let us know.

Dings looked pretty good in Nat 2 W last season and have run Nat 1 high flyers Rams close in both their fixtures..I think Dings facilities and catchment area are better than Lymm enjoy and Dings also have access to Bristol academy players . What is needed is some hard information regarding the cost of running sides at this level and the gate receipts likely to be collected.

I have no doubt that contributors to this Forum will know more than me but equally likely that the same individuals will understand the position rather better than the RFU

A bit controversial I know, but I still believe Nat 1 should split North/South, then back to Nat 2 L&se, Mids, North, S&SW, then x8 etc.

Yes BE - it is dumbfounding, but also true - as per a Times exclusive last week, the RFU have indeed engaged PR consultants called Teneo, who charge up to £5k per day, to try & steer them through this. In spite of having a well-resourced comms function at Twickenham. 

The executive is spending money the RFU's money with these spin doctors to save their jobs and their own standing.....it is scandalous.

I assume they will try and bury these costs in the accounts so as not to draw attention to them. In my view the schism in the RFU between 99.95% of the clubs and the RFU Executive and the Premiership clubs is completely down to the greedy sense of entitlement displayed by the Executive and the Premiership clubs. 

If common sense and decency doesn't prevail and the Executive wins through because of the twisted and shameful changes to the constitution which emasculated the Council and concentrates power in the hands of the CEO the game of rugby will be lost

Camborne and Redruth in Nat2W in truth have had an easier travel burden in the last two seasons than historically, with many clubs close to the M5. Chester & Macc have been the real outliers, plus a couple of trips to Leicestershire.

Next season Camborne could well make Nat1. It looks like Darlington are headed for the drop but there would still be trips to South Manchester, Yorkshire and East Herts. Pretty crazy.

Next season Camborne could well make Nat1. It looks like Darlington are headed for the drop but there would still be trips to South Manchester, Yorkshire and East Herts. Pretty crazy.

CE 

Don’t forget the trip to North Manchester too (I hope) 

All the best 

ST 

see your point Rabbie, but doubt this issue will ever be definitively put to bed. Those who want this will still raise it whenever the opportunity arises, as will those with other hobby-horses eg going back to 16-team divisions, reincarnation of JPS-style national cup etc

Good evening 

Getting rid of a National league only effects 14 sides - it is not really a panacea for the game, one way or the other.

If we were to lose the National League - and if level 3 was given autonomy to find sponsors for three - or four - divisions, could they find sponsors for those new leagues any easier than finding sponsors for a national league.

The big problem is that getting sponsorship for our leagues is not a priority for the marketing team at RF.

We saw that when finding a sponsor for the new cups for the "Community" clubs was made a priority, that the RFU found sponsorship.

Which tells you that the National leagues are not a priority.

The SRU and WRU have found sponsors for their leagues - and even the BBC uses the sponsor's name, So the same would apply to a sponsor for the NCA leagues.

I totally understand your point Eddie but I really don't believe many people can be dumbfounded by their total lack of awareness can they?

I was one such person because in my cynicism I didn't for one minute think that Beaumont, Sweeney and the rest of the Executive Board really considered that the open rebellion (which of course has existed for years but has not been sufficiently well organised) was all down to poor communication and a bit of spin, PR and a glad handing roadshow would get everything back on track.

Well blow me down with a feather, from one of the conversations I had with an insider it seemed possible that the Executive may actually believe this total bol**x ........it isn't their actions that everyone is outraged about .......it is just a reaction to how poorly they have put it all across.

If the Executive really does believe this they are stupid beyond belief......another view could be that the Executive have picked off 13 or so community clubs to be the beneficiary of a bit of glad handing by the nation's favourite lock forward and this will quell the rebellion ........what planet are they on?

I don't think that they think that at all.

But I think that they think they can spin it that way.

Most clubs are so busy struggling to survive, so they have not engaged with the rebellion.

If they can say, look, we went on a consultation exercise, and after we explained it, only 200 voted against us - they can then spin that as there is nothing to worry about - they can claim the other 1500 or so back them, even if they have abstained or simply sent in blank proxy forms.