Challenge Cup
Printed From: National League Rugby Discussion Forum
Category: League Rugby - www.leaguerugby.co.uk
Forum Name: The Championship
Forum Description: Discuss the 12 clubs forming the English Championship.
URL: http://www.leaguerugby.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=19828
Printed Date: 06 Jun 2024 at 09:47
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Topic: Challenge Cup
Posted By: gerg_861
Subject: Challenge Cup
Date Posted: 22 May 2023 at 22:10
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Apparently, Ealing, Jersey, and Cov have applied to play in the challenge cup. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2023/05/22/championship-jersey-reds-ealing-coventry-challenge-cup/" rel="nofollow - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2023/05/22/championship-jersey-reds-ealing-coventry-challenge-cup/ |
Replies:
Posted By: Robb
Date Posted: 22 May 2023 at 22:13
| Watch the protectionists close ranks again |
Posted By: Kimbo
Date Posted: 22 May 2023 at 22:36
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It'll never fly. Would be nice though. ------------- Our Club |
Posted By: Whistle watcher
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 08:25
Key word that, "apparently". Be interesting if true though.
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gerg_861 wrote:Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 08:50
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Applying is one thing, Europe might decide to bringing three teams in from the minor nations to help develop rugby there. What am I saying, they will take whichever teams generate most money this season. ------------- Sweeney Delenda Est |
Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 10:00
I would also assume that the Pro D2 teams might cry foul. They are probably, in general, higher standard than the Championship clubs.
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Posted By: Trailfinder
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 12:40
My initial thought when I read this was ‘rugby league’?! 
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Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 12:52
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Gerg_861 They might, but with a 16 team league, so 30 matches plus play-offs, I am not sure that they could take on the extra games. Whereas, the Championship sides look to have 27 games. Which is not to say that fitting in at least four extra matches for three teams would be easy, as it disrupts the season for everyone else. But it would really make the Premiership look silly if their grounds are good enough for the Championship, for the Premiership Cup, and especially for Europe, but not for the Premiership. ------------- Sweeney Delenda Est |
Posted By: WEvans
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 15:33
| Cue Lawrence Dallaglio wittering on about how Wasps are too big a club not to be in the Challenge Cup. |
Posted By: Bedford Bear
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 15:45
Personally I'd love to see any of the three Championship teams play in Johannesburg at the Ellis Park Stadium v the Lions with a capacity 62,567 crowd. Where the funding for airfares and hotels come from is a mystery to me with some Premiership teams complaining this year of the costs involved 
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Posted By: FHLH
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 15:57
With a party of 50 players and support staff it's about £1,000 per head return assuming flights £650 (economy, but with a 11 hour flight and larger bodies will be more, premium economy £1,300, Business £1,900 First £4,500), hotels £350 (depending on occupancy - assumed double). With ≥ £50,000 at risk, I wonder what % of gate is payable to the away team? 50% occupancy of Ellis Park would yield c. £1.0m (Argentina tickets £10-£50) so why are Premiership clubs moaning? More than 50 going, all in First Class? Even then it would be hard to not break even!
------------- "My father told me big men fall just as quick as little ones, if you put a sword through their hearts." |
Posted By: Robb
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 16:13
The Saffas would have a huge culture shock in the return leg!
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Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 16:54
If only someone knew a good travel agency....
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Posted By: Whistle watcher
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 17:45
That made me laugh.
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Posted By: Raider999
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 17:48
First you say you wonder what %age of gate the away side take, then you base you predictions on 50%. I seriously doubt the away side would get that. ------------- RAID ON |
Posted By: Big Eddie
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 17:51
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Imagine if Caldy could somehow reach those dizzy heights.......playing at the Paton Field Stadium would be the biggest culture shock of all ------------- ''The future isn't what it used to be'' |
Posted By: Raider999
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 17:54
Or Ampthill? ------------- RAID ON |
Posted By: FHLH
Date Posted: 23 May 2023 at 19:48
The 50% is the anticipated paid occupancy at the game - about 30,000 in a 62,000 seater stadium for this level of rugby. In SA that may be a conservative estimate ------------- "My father told me big men fall just as quick as little ones, if you put a sword through their hearts." |
Posted By: Trailfinder
Date Posted: 24 May 2023 at 10:38
| I gather from Twitter there is a meeting between the Champ clubs and the RFU today. Any Intel on the agenda? |
Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 24 May 2023 at 10:46
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Just saw a statement feom Jersey that they have not applied to the Challenge Cup, which is at odds with previous reports. I am sure someone on here could comment. https://www.jerseyeveningpost.com/sport/2023/05/24/jersey-reds-have-no-plans-to-take-part-in-the-european-challenge-cup/" rel="nofollow - https://www.jerseyeveningpost.com/sport/2023/05/24/jersey-reds-have-no-plans-to-take-part-in-the-european-challenge-cup/
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Posted By: corporalcarrot
Date Posted: 24 May 2023 at 12:12
‘Jersey Reds have not applied.‘The cost of travel would be prohibitive unless there was significant funding attached to participation.‘There are also minimum ground standards to be met which we would not meet at this time.’Morgan added that any participation in European rugby could also have an impact on the 2023/24 Championship league season.‘There are three issues here,’ he said. ‘One is the money, two is the minimum ground standards and the third is how does it fit within our own fixture list?‘It is all very well us saying “we’ll play” but we are already committed to the Championship for next season and the Championship is not built around the European schedule.‘It would be romantic [for the Reds to play in Europe] but it is not practical.’ ------------- Dont kick it. Pick it up and GO FORWARD. |
Posted By: Camquin
Date Posted: 24 May 2023 at 12:15
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I think the same would apply to the D2 sides, as they have a 16 team league. So they will either need a smaller competition, or more sides from the second tier countries - who would need help with travel. ------------- Sweeney Delenda Est |
Posted By: corporalcarrot
Date Posted: 24 May 2023 at 13:48
The minimum ground size is an obvious issue in Jersey's case and its worth setting out a few relevant figures:
------------- Dont kick it. Pick it up and GO FORWARD. |
Posted By: islander
Date Posted: 24 May 2023 at 15:56
So, clarification from Jersey about not having applied to take part in this comp. Have the other clubs mentioned in the original report clarified their positions?
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Posted By: SK 88
Date Posted: 24 May 2023 at 16:13
Nil. You don't share gates in the European Cup, you earn your money in the home leg. That's why clubs don't like it, they'd get the same for an Italian team and the travelling for the return leg be a fraction of the cost. The SA teams also sell their tickets for £2 (about R80) and get about 15,000 attendances. So everything in that post is just way off.
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Posted By: Bedford Bear
Date Posted: 25 May 2023 at 16:59
| A very optimistic expectation of gate money for travelling teams to Johannersburg. This season Ellis Park ticket prices ranged from £10.50 to £100 (full hospitality package). The average season attendance was 6,321 for the URC and Challenge Cup. The games I've watched, the stadium has been 80% empty against top opposition. I doubt 50% of the gate money would be anywhere close to the £1 million quoted FHLM |
Posted By: FHLH
Date Posted: 26 May 2023 at 00:51
OK I'll start again....... wow, who'd want to be in the Challenge Cup? I'll take this as a learning experience
 ------------- "My father told me big men fall just as quick as little ones, if you put a sword through their hearts." |
Posted By: kempstonblue
Date Posted: 26 May 2023 at 04:59
Which sounds more realistic an ambition in some respects. 😂 ------------- The older I get, the more the RFU leave me confused. |
Posted By: Bedford Bear
Date Posted: 27 May 2023 at 13:51
| No problem, just a reflection of the season in SA - FHLM |
Posted By: BlueButHappyReturns
Date Posted: 27 May 2023 at 21:00
To be fair though, many Championship sides have a reasonably sized culture shock when we have to go to Coventry or Ealing (Jersey is more like a weekend break to somewhere with foreign street names). ------------- Only dead fish go with the flow.. |