Just be ready for Big Eddie one of the most erudite and amusing posters on Rolling Maul.

I note with some interest that there were huge concerns about the facilities that Ampthill had when they gained promotion to the Championship . . . but none as to the facilities at Caldy. No doubt the committee have proactively acquired significant quantities of Pot Noodles!!

On a more serious note, I am presuming they will stay semi-pro and that their first season will be a steep learning curve.  Will they lean on the Sharks or RGC for players? However, there is the possibility that the Championship will move to a 14 team league so they may well have a seasons grace to adapt to the new level . . something they did with ease moving from Nat2 to Champions of Nat1!!

Only on their second attempt, the first time they were promoted to N1, they were unfortunately relegated after a tense dog fight with Moseley and Cambridge that went to the final day of the season when any one of the three teams could have gone down. To their credit, they swept N2N to win promotion immediately and, after an enforced year off, National 1.

They just do not know they are beaten and play on to the 80th minute.

They are a great set of fans, who support the club for the sake of the club, not the score. I really enjoyed their visits to Cambridge and regret not making it to the Wirral - but work got in the way.

Thank you Runitback......for the congratulations for Caldy and for what I will take as a personal compliment. 

I like 'erudite and amusing' and I will be very proudly showing this to my wife. I doubt it will dissuade her from using the normal description she favours me with.......

.............a pity because 'erudite and amusing' is so much better than "Kno**ead"

Unlikely. Caldy has always grown its own or enabled other local players to step up to a higher level. I suspect there may be the odd Dual Reg player but we have only ever had two and I cannot see that changing.

This season of the 30+ players we have used in the 1st xv squad:

12 have come through from Caldy's mini and junior sides

15 are either from other local Wirral clubs or have moved into the area to study or work and have joined Caldy as their local rugby club.

3 live in relative close proximity to the Wirral but not actual on the Wirral

Of the players who joined this year and have played at least 10 games for the 1st xv

1 had only played at level 7 before (20+ games as a starter in this season's Caldy 1st xv)

1 had only played at level 6 before (28 games as a starter in this season's Caldy 1st xv)

1 had only played at level 5 before  (last 10 games in this season's Caldy 1st xv)

1 had previously played at level 4 but prior to joining Caldy was playing at level 5 (20+ games as a starter in Caldy's 1st xv this season)

This season Caldy has had 2 dual reg players from Sale Sharks. My understanding was that these two young players would spend the season at Caldy. After the first game Sale Sharks decided to pull them from Caldy and send them to RGC. One asked Sharks to let him stay at Caldy and he played all season with Caldy.

The Caldy model has worked well for Caldy and I hope it doesn't change. Caldy is Caldy not an offshoot of Sale Sharks

Where is this suggestion that the Championship could move to 14 clubs??

However, I think that would require some clubs to be guaranteed that the funding levels per club were retained.

As I understood, it was much reduced, but not completely removed.

And the reason for not expanding this season was some clubs were worrying further dilution would mean they were not financially viable, but that all comes from rumours on here.

Quite a few of us liked the British and Irish Cup. Presumably that’s why it was discontinued and replaced with the current lash-up.

The other suggestion was that it would include the top University teams but when would they be available to play? 

I think the drawing board is being dusted down again, as we type.

I believe that it was a concept that would have got stronger year on year and I think the majority of the fans enjoyed the chance to see teams from the other home unions.

Unfortunately it was never fully funded and again the RFU failed to work with the other unions to find suitable sponsors not to mention the lack of media coverage.

The idea of the premiership A teams playing against championship clubs is already a non starter and the current lash up is not fit for purpose.

Loughborough are the strongest university side, and they are in Nat 2.

Cambridge played Durham and Exeter in place of our matches with Old Elthamians.

We gave the squad players a run out and the students struggled to match the forward power.

Against the top Championship sides, I would worry about safety.

If that was solved, you would need to change the BUCS leagues to clear time in their fixtures.

Loughborough haven't been the strongest university side for years.... If anything they're probably 5th or 6th.

It would be Hartpury followed by probably Exeter and then Durham. However when it comes to senior rugby as opposed to university level. Some of the sides such as Leeds Beckett with a number of older players may be better equipped then say a Durham where the size of their players isn't a factor in BUCS would be a factor in Saturday XVs.

I think Camquin may be confusing the mid-week BUCS side (which would be University side) with their Saturday "club" wich is open to any players (but is mainly made up of students), so the two are different, but easily confused with each other.

Is it obvious to people in committees at Twickenham?

Welcome Caldy, hopefully you feel welcome in your trips across England.

Jersey had a brilliant pre-season match against D2 opposition:

https://www.jerseyreds.je/match_report/rc-vannes-28-jersey-reds-28/" rel="nofollow - RC Vannes 28 Jersey Reds 28 - Jersey Reds

and have played the Super 6 winners but fielded a below strength side:

https://www.jerseyreds.je/match_report/jersey-reds-43-ayrshire-bulls-24/" rel="nofollow - Jersey Reds 43 Ayrshire Bulls 24 - Jersey Reds

I favour 12 strong Championship sides in a competitive league and a proper Cup Competition against the best Scottish, Irish & Welsh sides plus a couple of D2 French Clubs. The French D2 & Irish regional seconds will be the ultimate winners but the chance to play against quality teams and visit brilliant grounds seems a good option in my view.

Islander,

it was ever thus......not completely sure the title of this thread is quite right ..........although it may work on certain other adult streaming sites.

However, everyone at Caldy is excited about the challenge that the Championship brings although no one at Caldy is really quite sure what that is. Perhaps some of the knowledgeable posters on this part of Rolling Maul could give us a bit of a clue what to expect in the 2022/23 season:

1. If a team wins the Championship what happens next, do they get promoted?

2. If a team finishes last in the Championship doe they get relegated to National 1?

3. Does anyone know what this Championship Cup is all about and who plays in it?

4. Does anyone know if the RFU is going to provide any funding for the Championship in 2022/23

5. Does a Championship club have to take Academy players from the Premiership?

6. Does the RFU care about level 2 and below?

Thanks in anticipation 

Big Eddie

2. Probably yes

3. Not a clue

4. Probably not

5. Probably yes

6. Definitely not

When I said nobody like the cup, I meant the current cup.

There are many permutations of European Cup that could be interesting, if they were funded.

Including playing teams from the second tier nations - but that is not currently on offer.

One of the best features of the Championship is that new teams continually come up - in "normal' years. At least half the present teams have only been in this league for a few years.  Some are professional , some partly so, many not at all. Great - variety is good and change is great for Leagues: it makes for interesting new venues to play in and enjoy visiting. Promotion or the chance of it encourages competition. And don't believe those who would say that Championship clubs don't have ambition and higher aspirations. Ealing have just proved that and I'm sure that Donny, Pirates and Jersey want more... 

i only wish that the RFU recognised that this is the lifeblood of rugby - it should NEVER just be about the England sides and the Premiership and certainly not ring fencing.....