Did Boudjellal push the Regions into their statement?

There is the suggestion in this Telegraph article that the statements from Toulon owner, Mourad Boudjellal, may have served to push RRW into making yesterdays statement. It would seem that they were scared by his assertion that he would refuse to join the RCC if there were limits placed on NFQ players - and the thought of losing yet more players to France has the RRW running a little scared.

I would certainly approve if Clubs had to agree to some limit on foreign players if they wished to participate.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/news/10398267/Welsh-regions-break-ranks-to-back-European-rebels-in-devastating-blow-to-ERC.html


The article also discusses finances saying that Welsh rugby would receive £60m over four years from the BT TV deal, and that after WRU has taken it's cut - each region would see an extra £600k per year.

And finally the Times is reporting that Roger Lewis has been leading the negotiations and supports the RRW statement. If true, this means that everything I wrote about Lewis yesterday was inaccurate conjecture.

'I would certainly approve if Clubs had to agree to some limit on foreign players if they wished to participate.'

Agreed though the restriction is being proposed by the LNR not the RCC although obviously there are no such restrictions set by the ERC.

They will be phased in and the new regulations do state that to qualify as homegrown, a player must spend three seasons in a club’s academy between the ages of 16 and 21. This move has seen an increase of young Pacific Islanders joining clubs like Toulon and Clermont at the age of 18 – so non-French born players are not completely excluded, if you can sign them early enough.

Boudjedall has his own agenda. Because ERC somehow didnt impose any restriction on matchday squad players he is taking the mikey and backing them when he doesnt give a flying f*ck about Lux and co.
He's just making noises to push the LNR in a corner and threatening to sue them under EU law (the JIFF system is ok under french law but if the restriction of trade gets too big then EU can have a say, in theory).
The reform of th JIFF rule has been voted by the LNR with only 2 votes against (toulon and toulouse). While Toulouse argument can be consisered(Decent JIff player cost will be even be higher because of higher demand), Toulon has been using the system to such extent that players like Juan Smith who has been brought as a medical replacement of some unknown french youngster (who might have played 3 minutes in 2 years) is considered as a JiFF for quota purposes. Also his salary doesnt count towards the salary cap...it had been the case of elsom and rossouw before him
Total joke of a rule that truly needs to be tightened up.

Boudjedall is a piece of work and does seem to be all about him. I can't see him leaving the T14 and though i wouldn't mind seeing them join the rabo (as it would raise standards) i doubt the FFR would allow it and not sure it is the kind of team we would want.

I think he would have an opinion on anything if he though people were interested.

I should add to say the Boudjedall was the straw that broke the regions back is a joke of a conection. I do think that 95%+ of the players left in wales wouldn't improve the toulon squad. So i doubt dargon etc spend hours afraid of getting a phone call so say their players are going to france. England yes but france is only for the top players.

whocares wrote:Boudjedall has his own agenda. Because ERC somehow didnt impose any restriction on matchday squad players he is taking the mikey and backing them when he doesnt give a flying f*ck about Lux and co.
He's just making noises to push the LNR in a corner and threatening to sue them under EU law (the JIFF system is ok under french law but if the restriction of trade gets too big then EU can have a say, in theory).
The reform of th JIFF rule has been voted by the LNR with only 2 votes against (toulon and toulouse). While Toulouse argument can be consisered(Decent JIff player cost will be even be higher because of higher demand), Toulon has been using the system to such extent that players like Juan Smith who has been brought as a medical replacement of some unknown french youngster (who might have played 3 minutes in 2 years) is considered as a JiFF for quota purposes. Also his salary doesnt count towards the salary cap...it had been the case of elsom and rossouw before him
Total joke of a rule that truly needs to be tightened up.

I wasn't aware of the JIFF rules and how some clubs take advantage - that is all interesting.

I do wonder now what will happen today with the latest ERC meeting. Will anyone actually turn up?? Or will it be all bar RRW and PRL with Boudjedall perhaps sitting in the LNR seat.

Big wrote:

whocares wrote:Boudjedall has his own agenda. Because ERC somehow didnt impose any restriction on matchday squad players he is taking the mikey and backing them when he doesnt give a flying f*ck about Lux and co.
He's just making noises to push the LNR in a corner and threatening to sue them under EU law (the JIFF system is ok under french law but if the restriction of trade gets too big then EU can have a say, in theory).
The reform of th JIFF rule has been voted by the LNR with only 2 votes against (toulon and toulouse). While Toulouse argument can be consisered(Decent JIff player cost will be even be higher because of higher demand), Toulon has been using the system to such extent that players like Juan Smith who has been brought as a medical replacement of some unknown french youngster (who might have played 3 minutes in 2 years) is considered as a JiFF for quota purposes. Also his salary doesnt count towards the salary cap...it had been the case of elsom and rossouw before him
Total joke of a rule that truly needs to be tightened up.

I wasn't aware of the JIFF rules and how some clubs take advantage - that is all interesting.

I do wonder now what will happen today with the latest ERC meeting.  Will anyone actually turn up??  Or will it be all bar RRW and PRL with Boudjedall perhaps sitting in the LNR seat.

not sure a meeting would be productive if boudjellal and a FFR representative were in the same room. could be entertaining for the others though!

Now, now...let's leave poor Boudjedall alone. He's only a poor, misunderstood private club owner standing up for his interests against the big bad Champions Cup crowd - or the CC to give them a foul smelling ERC aspect

Small family run clubs have to challenge big conglomerates.  

SecretFly wrote:Now, now...let's leave poor Boudjedall alone.  He's only a poor, misunderstood private club owner standing up for his interests against the big bad Champions Cup crowd - or the CC to give them a foul smelling ERC aspect

Small family run clubs have to challenge big conglomerates.  

How about calling the new organisation or governing body Championship Cup Commission, the CCC?
Or the Champions In Action, the CIA
Or the 6 (nations), 6 (unions), 6 (pools)

They're all good, doc. I'm game for anything that sounds menacing and dictatorial. We'll need all that for when someone decides they don't want to play ball again in another 10 or 15 years.

You always need an oppressive sounding Acronym to start the ball rolling.
"We ain't gonna take it no more from the CCC!"

Yeah, it has a ring to it.

Agree the name should be menacing.  
One of my lads had suggested the Federated Association of Rugby Teams, but I thought we need to be a bit more subtle.  Can we make an acronym out of 'schwarzenegger'?

By the way, you and a few others (both sides of Parliament, if you will) have somehow managed to keep your sense of humour throughout this whole mess.  
Not too bad, not too bad at all.  Keep at it, mate!

Ah, sure it's only a game!