Rumours of a merger

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Some rumours seem to be doing the rounds about us potentially merging with another Midlands based team before next season.

Anyone heard anything?

[Rossm]

I've only seen it rumoured on Shedweb.

[HDAWG]

What would the merge include or consist of?

[Tervueren]

I heard it was Broadstreet RFC, but they rejected the notion as likely to drag them down with our current form.

[Rossm]

Wasps have been 'advised' to merge with another London or Midlands Team next year, as when Falcons are promoted the Premiership will be ring fenced at 12 teams for the next 5 years. Extracted from Shedweb.

Couldn't be vaguer.

[Neils]

Sounds like stirring from the Donkeys.

[Raggs]

It came from a tiwtter account before it made shedweb I think?

Can't see how it works myself.

[wasps]

I can't see how any of that makes sense.

In a hypothetical world where Newcastle are promoted and Tigers relegated, there's no way that ring fencing would be allowed.
Essentially, the largest supported club side in the country locked out of the premiership for 5 years - not going to happen......
and they surely can't have a ring fencing plan that says "we'll ring fence the premiership unless it's Tigers that get relegated."



Even if we were to merge with another club, how does that change our fortunes?
If we weren't to get relegated, how would merging with another club help? It's not like they're all flush with cash.
Similarly, if we did get relegated does it really help our survival chances?


No matter how I look at it, I can't see how merging with another club has any bearing on whether or not the premiership gets ring fenced.
That's not to say that merging couldn't be mutually beneficial to both us and someone else - just that I don't see what effect ring fencing has on it.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

More likely ...

PRL to be ring fenced to 12 clubs. Falcons will get promoted. The demoted club (at this point likely to be us or Tigers) will either be demoted for 5 years OR asked to merge with another club. If done now, logic would dictate that Wasps and Tigers merge. Annoying both fan bases. Well, TBH, any merger would do that.

But, as Tigers can't find a buyer, and thus, I suspect, are really struggling (as I suspect we will be also) finding it very hard to attract decent players over Academy age ....

[Gaz]

It is possible to have a 13 team league - I don't see the link between mergers and ring-fencing.

[Dgwasp]

Remember how well the proposed Racing 92 and Stade Francais merger was received, not just by fans but the sport in general, this would be a crazy idea as it effectively means the end for one or both the clubs involved depending on what the final club looks like.  Whilst there is a significant threat of relegation along with proposed ring fencing then I guess these sort of rumours will be rife. 

[backdoc]

Begles and Bordeaux have managed it - 2006.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

What we do not know, is what the state of our finances and those of Tigers are. What if .... the Tigers board have told PRL that, unless they find a buyer, they are out? What if the players know or suspect this? If you were a player in such a club, would you want to stay when, next year you could be in a worse state than Carnegie? How would you play this year? Would you be well motivated?

I hadn't really given the Tigers situation much thought, but they have to be up for sale for a reason. And it is obvious no one wants to buy. Did Worcester get a new owner? Weren't they up for sale also?

[mike909]

Without 12 viable clubs - we're risking people like Wray just steamrolling the Prem. The current model is seemingly fragile and the sale of rights is nothing but a short term and possibly misguided strategy

We have the RFU who it seems have little grasp on financial matters suggesting the Prem is potentially in some danger

Perhaps we merge with LI and move back to London!

[BG]

I hadn't really given the Tigers situation much thought, but they have to be up for sale for a reason. And it is obvious no one wants to buy. Did Worcester get a new owner? Weren't they up for sale also?

Peter Toms has been a benefactor for Tigers for decades but is getting towards the later part of his life and wants to step out of the limelight. He's wealthy but not in the same league as Wray, Craig, Lansdown. The other owner (major share owner) came to own his shares via a commercial agreement by building their big stand but part of the deal was that he wasn't allowed to sell his shares until this year and being a businessman, has decided to do so at the first opportunity.

The reason they might be struggling to find a buyer is their current position. Why would you pay £60m now when the club may be a lot cheaper next season if tigers are relegated.

The owners of Leicester FC might be interested but I would assume that deal would mean Tigers moving and the Welford Rd site being sold. The land must be worth a fortune being almost in the centre of the city.

I can't see Wasps and Tigers ever merging though.

Wuss have new owners (don't they also own a football club in the north somewhere?) so they may be open to merging having probably found out that Wuss  is losing too much money.

I'm struggling to believe any PRL club will want to merge though... but we don't know what CVC are doing in the background