Champ clubs pulling out of Premiership Cup
Printed From: National League Rugby Discussion Forum
Category: League Rugby - www.leaguerugby.co.uk
Forum Name: Premiership Cup
Forum Description: A chance to give the bigger boys a bloody nose
URL: http://www.leaguerugby.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=20663
Printed Date: 09 Mar 2025 at 23:11
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Topic: Champ clubs pulling out of Premiership Cup
Posted By: gerg_861
Subject: Champ clubs pulling out of Premiership Cup
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 20:24
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Is the headline of a story in the Times, but I do not subscribe. https://www.thetimes.com/sport/rugby-union/article/championship-clubs-to-withdraw-from-premiership-cup-in-protest-mz736hsh2" rel="nofollow - https://www.thetimes.com/sport/rugby-union/article/championship-clubs-to-withdraw-from-premiership-cup-in-protest-mz736hsh2
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Replies:
Posted By: Robb
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 20:29
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Pulling out over the Premiership clubs treating the Championship clubs like crap? Why am I not surprised?
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Posted By: cheshire exile
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 21:12
| Behind a paywall; what’s the essence please? |
Posted By: Rothman2
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 21:41
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Ive read it. It seems the Championship clubs have withdrawn from next seasons competition in protest because they are not being recognised as equal partners. Apparently it will feature 2 x five team groups which will guarantee 4 home games, they say, making it a more lucrative competition. Also it says that Ealing will not get promoted/have a chance of promotion as they don’t meet the criteria. The authorities are so out of touch it is unreal. We want our game back. Can we have a body that puts the WHOLE of Rugby first. ------------- Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx |
Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 22:02
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We replaced the 57 old farts - who were democratically elected, if anyone chose to stand - with an unelected professional board we cannot replace. The main reason people did not stand was, aside from the odd jolly at the patch, the job - if done properly - actually took hours and hours of visiting local clubs each weekend. We see this on every volunteer organisation, contested elections are rare, as there simply are not enough volunteers. And remember, Will thought they were old farts, because they stood up for the small clubs against the professionals. What we have now is an effective cartel with no control. But like Tom Ilube, Bill is the symptom, not the disease. ------------- Sweeney Delenda Est |
Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 22:44
If that is all accurate, then I am done. I will continue to support the amateur club, but I won't waste any more of my emotional energy on Ealing. I just find myself angry about the obvious injustice instead of enjoying the spectacle.
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Rothman2 wrote:Posted By: Stalwart*
Date Posted: 02 Mar 2025 at 23:26
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If this is the case I'm not convinced it's the right way forward. Sounds a bit like cutting of your nose to spite your face. The games against Prem teams have attracted big crowds for Champ clubs bringing in much needed income. ------------- Pirate |
Posted By: Rothman2
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 03:25
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Not sure I agree with that Stalwart but I am fed up of fighting City Hall so I will park it there. I’ll just stick to following this great game. Interested parties can read the article on line and make their own minds up. ------------- Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. Groucho Marx |
Posted By: Nat1
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 11:12
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Plenty of discussion on this topic here too: https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1j20kjr/championship_clubs_to_withdraw_from_next_seasons/" rel="nofollow - https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1j20kjr/championship_clubs_to_withdraw_from_next_seasons/ I can see both sides of the argument. The Championship clubs should stick together as one, but are they not harming their financial prospects in the process? I've heard that clubs like Pirates, Coventry and Ealing have all had record or bumper attendances recently, which they otherwise wouldn't have had. It might sound defeatist but isn't something better than nothing. Or, what about a knockout competition with some of the Welsh Super Rugby sides as an alternative - Anglo-Welsh matches would get the crowds in. Probably too complicated though. |
Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 11:16
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The message I got on Saturday at the "Not the Prem Cup" match was not that the Championship clubs walked out, more that we were not offered anything. ------------- Sweeney Delenda Est |
Posted By: JZSmith
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 11:45
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This may help chaps: https://archive.li/yfrcN" rel="nofollow - https://archive.li/yfrcN |
Posted By: Stalwart*
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 16:04
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I can see, from the article, why The Champ clubs have withdrawn. I just hope a cup competition can be arranged which doesn't simply mean we play the same clubs we play in the league. The Premiership cup, with only Prem teams in it sounds pretty boring TBH. As has been said, the cup this season has been a big financial boost for The Pirates, even though we didn't progress out of the group. We had sell out games against Exeter and Gloucester and thoroughly enjoyed our day out at Kingsholm. Looking at the article it seems a ring fenced Premiership is pretty much a given in reality. Maybe a blessing - The Championship will be the pinnacle of the national rugby pyramid and The Premiership will be a bit of bore with no relegation and the same teams playing a lot of meaningless games over the season, then doing it again in the cup. For many years we strived to get a suitable stadium in Cornwall so we had the chance to get into the top flight. That has now disappeared, but I'm actually quite relieved. Who would want to be in the financial basket case that is Premiership rugby? We're working hard to make the cub sustainable and improve the facilities at The Mennaye, and I'm quite content if we can do that and stay in The Championship. We also have vibrant mini/junior/colts sections and The Pirates Amateurs provide a pathway to senior rugby for lads when they finish Colts rugby. The Ams team, this season, sit at the top of their league (level 7) and are made up of 13/14 players in the match day squads who have graduated from the Penzance and Newlyn junior section. ------------- Pirate |
Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 16:16
I agree with this sentiment based on the facts so far. I loved 4000 at the Quins match at Vallis Way.
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Posted By: KnightsBoy
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 18:00
| Wonder if this could lead to the championship clubs telling the Prem clubs to keep their DR/loan players? |
Posted By: fatbear
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 19:33
| Looks like Chinnor and Cambridge will have competition for the Not The Prem Cup..... |
Posted By: KnightsBoy
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 19:42
Like it
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Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 20:32
Please let this be the name of the "new" competition.
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Posted By: KnightsBoy
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 20:45
Like it
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Posted By: cheshire exile
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 21:20
| If there are going to be two more teams in the Championship next season, do we really want a Championship Cup? Home crowds to see the same opposition will hardly excite and more away travel will drain the account. |
Posted By: Stalwart*
Date Posted: 03 Mar 2025 at 21:37
Agree completely. We'd be better off arranging friendlies against the likes of The Navy etc. ------------- Pirate |
Posted By: The Blues
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 00:05
The big question is will Chinnor and Cambridge allow the other Championship clubs in, will be have to buy in and what will be that price with you both being the rights holders of the competition?
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Posted By: The Blues
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 00:10
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Personally I think the Championship clubs should have stuck at it and persuaded TNT to back them. TNT loved Blues having a good go at Bath and Knights turning over Sale. The clubs who played got better fixtures this year than last.
It does get boring playing the same clubs 4 or 5 times a season! First time I have said this but I may prefer a 16 club Championship in that case without a cup. Even if it will create more mis-matches and more one-sided games at least we see someone different. |
Posted By: islander
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 07:08
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If people want a 3-minute summary of this story without helping pay the salary of the person who wrote it, it's covered by the guy who wrote it on the Times podcast The Ruck - scroll to 57 minutes into yesterday's episode... a fairly blunt assessment of where this leaves Prem/Champ relations. https://shows.acast.com/theruck" rel="nofollow - https://shows.acast.com/theruck it's usually a pretty good listen, altho' the majority of this episode got pretty technical about Ireland & France ahead of 6N decider, hence offering you the time-stamp for the Champ discussion.
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Posted By: Trailfinder
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 09:21
I concur with this, better to influence from the inside. What were the Champ expecting the response to be? This basically gives the Premiership exactly what they wanted anyway.
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Posted By: Rob C
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 12:38
I'm with you on this. Cov have had 2 bumper gates and rekindled old rivalries to boot.
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Posted By: Trailfinder
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 12:48
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I wonder why no announcement and whether this leak to the press is a negotiating tactic?
Anyone with strong feelings on this matter, may I suggest emailing The Ruck as mentioned on the podcast. The powers that be listen I’m sure as they constantly worry about what the press say…
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Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 12:51
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Yes, ten clubs got bumper gates. I am sure if they were offered the same structure again, they would have taken it - even if it meant cutting four clubs off without games or income. You can be sure, Worcester would have been one of the ten invited teams. There is no honour among thieves or Championship Chairmen. So, it is only common sense to assume the deal on offer was considerably worse. We know that the premiership wanted the Cup at the start of the season, when the Lions players were not available. I suspect became impossible for a semi-pro side to fit in the cup and then 26 league matches. ------------- Sweeney Delenda Est |
Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 18:41
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Apparently the demand from the Prem was for only top 6 Champ clubs to be in the cup. The Champ apparently are not going to resurrect any cup per this article. Seems sensible if disappointing. https://www.rugbypass.com/news/top-6-demand-contributes-to-championship-clubs-imminent-cup-exit/" rel="nofollow - https://www.rugbypass.com/news/top-6-demand-contributes-to-championship-clubs-imminent-cup-exit/
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Posted By: cheshire exile
Date Posted: 04 Mar 2025 at 20:58
| Assuming the article is correct, it is gratifying to see the Championship clubs sticking together. |
Posted By: JZSmith
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2025 at 12:42
If they did this a few of them would have to do some serious recruiting!
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Posted By: Stalwart*
Date Posted: 05 Mar 2025 at 13:40
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An expanded league makes sense, and the Champ Cup wasn't particularly attractive anyway. I just hope (against hope) that we don't get any "phoenix" clubs imposed on our league. The increase in numbers should come from the league below, on merit. ------------- Pirate |
Posted By: Robb
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 10:23
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Exeter just let the cat out of the bag as to why they are treating the Championship clubs poorly. It's all about the money.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2gl2z154ko" rel="nofollow - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2gl2z154ko |
Posted By: Rob C
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 10:48
It's all about short term gain for the Premiership rather than expanding the depth of the game, whatever hot air Baxter spouts about the Championship...
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Posted By: JZSmith
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 10:57
I think the cat escaped a long time ago!
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Posted By: Trailfinder
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 11:07
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So after talking down the Championship for so long they now complain that they struggle to sell enough tickets for PRC games!! Just an idea but they could try making it a double header with the PWR and schedule the game at a time that finishes just before the England game so that punters can stay in the bars and watch . How hard is that?!
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Posted By: Stalwart*
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 11:46
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Veyr disappointing from Baxter. I doubt if they'll get bigger crowds just playing Prem clubs, most who will field second string sides, in the cup. ------------- Pirate |
Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 14:41
| Also, Exeter vs. Pirates was over 10k attendance, compared to something like 5k vs. Sharks last weekend. |
Posted By: islander
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 15:48
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Ealing won’t have been short of motivation… even before these comments. The idea of playing Sunday was mentioned above, but with the final already fixed for next Friday, the short turnaround for the winners may have been a disincentive.
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Posted By: Andy_I
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 19:02
| I'm sure the media executives are besides themselves, with the prospect of the bankrupt failing league playing more matches with against each other, with weakened teams while everyone is watching the 6nations. It's bundled in with the league in the current tnt deal and it will bevworth less than the Johnstones paint trophy. It's no wonder elite club rugby is screwed in England. Cluleess!! |
Posted By: The Blues
Date Posted: 07 Mar 2025 at 21:54
| He mentions the money, but what about the money for the clubs that help develop their next stars? How many have played at Pirates? Do Pirates and other Championship clubs not deserve a couple of big gates in a season whereas Exeter have lots of “attractive fixtures” with Premiership and Europe clubs to fill their stands. |
Posted By: FatProp79
Date Posted: 08 Mar 2025 at 10:04
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I just think this is sad for the growth and wellbeing of our game. If there are to be no championship clubs in the cup then could we revitalise a club knockout cup competition between championship clubs and all national league clubs? Maybe a phased introduction of national 1 clubs and then championship clubs? Would require some logistical thinking, but there's something there? I'm a falcons fan and despite what some people may think, I'm in favour of promotion/relegation from top to bottom of the pyramid. I understand my own belief would have seen us relegated, but making the Premiership a closed shop is cheating the rest of rugby. Promotion and relegation is based on merit and not ground size, club shop offerings or hospitality facilities etc A major reset is required.
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