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The Championship - the wild west of professional rugby

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The Championship - the wild west of professional rugby Empty The Championship - the wild west of professional rugby

Post by Recwatcher16 Tue 17 May 2016, 7:32 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/may/17/championship-wild-west-professional-rugby-union-dangers

Given all the usual guff on this site on the euro comps and English fans defending an inevitable consequence of professional sport which Pro 12 fans seem to think owes their elite sides a living.
I (and many others) are fed up with how the AP/PRL have not focused on the wider sport and the next tier. Whilst I have been a Bath man for 30 plus years, I am also a 100% in favour of widening access for both players and fans.

DITCH the LV and Euro comps. Expand the Premiership and play the Championship sides in a knockout or pool competition.

The next BT tv deal should have this focus.

Discuss ?

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Post by SecretFly Tue 17 May 2016, 8:17 pm

I read the article, and despite the human reaction obviously of sympathy and understanding for players caught in the headlights of a big mechanised beast that is AP, you kinda inadvertently left the answer - cold and clinical as it was - above in your first paragraph.

The Inevitable Consequences of Professional Sport?

After all, why should those ever talked about Privately owned cold and functional teams in AP give a cuss about what lies beneath? It's been said in public that the 'Englishness' of these sides is even just a coincidence rather than something that overly motivates or animates either the teams themselves or their fans.

So why should they or BT care about the trials and tribulations of the level beneath them?
They (the PRL) would tell you they're not a charity and the money they collect from BT was earned by them for their own specific purposes.

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Post by Recwatcher16 Tue 17 May 2016, 8:37 pm

A fair question but the motivation for cross border competitions is marginal against French teams who's preference is domestic and Irish teams which are pseudo national trials sides. Apples and pears.

A consequence would also potentially be a consideration by other Unions to resurrect their own leagues and yes financially inferior leagues would need to be protected. No different to the situation today.

I think you are right that currently the AP do look at the arms race as the future with the T14 and consider poaching Pro12 players whilst keeping within RFU boundaries. That though is simply looking in the wrong direction and should be looking at ground up from within. The domestic tv deal should point the way and needs a little visionary perspective. Euro comps are just an easy dash for cash.

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