The future of English club rugby

First topic message reminder :

Coming up to twenty years of the pro era, how do you feel that the future will pan out in the next 18-20 years?

In the past two decades or so (apart from Wuss and Exeter) nothing much has changed.

doctor_grey wrote:

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:Franchises..........are a canker on pro sport.

why?

I'm not sure any more, so help me out.  Promotion/relegation works with Football.  But American sports are pretty successful and there is no promotion/relegation. I can see both sides.  Sway me (as if my opinion matters).

Franchises seem to have a stultifying effect on sports it seems to me, doc. Yes they can be successful individually, but when they take root, they havea permanence that cannot be challenged. Had England had franchises the how would Worcester and Exeter have risen to the elite level? And what future would Championship clubs have to satisfy their dreams?

I'd say that there'd be greater competition in A Jeff1 and Jeff2 each with eight clubs (of course with promotion & relegation).

Plus of course, this goes hand in hand with European competition (both league and international) which promotes and facilitates growth - but cartel action prohibits it and therefore dampens aspiration.