Euros Will Not Be Abandoned

[Neils]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55617958

To be completed later - stupid methinks. Play now or cancel the lot. Play without the French!

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I am thinking that response is political. The French Government and the EPCR have been bouncing back and forth as to who should take responsibility for cancelling, neither wishing to take the blame.

This way, they can both save face and avoid the issue. The French government now has the green light to ban the travel, which will then force the EPCR to postpone the games. Then, later, when it has all died down a bit, and after suitable consultation about how and when they could restart, and finding no calendar room, will then cancel.

[Neils]

Noticeable the gent making the comments in the article appears to be French.

[MarleyWasp]

Noticeable the gent making the comments in the article appears to be French.

He's the CEO of EPCR.

[Neils]

Noticeable the gent making the comments in the article appears to be French.

He's the CEO of EPCR.

Which is what the article says. I just hope the UK Boards/Representatives are having a full input to this and not just being the tail on the French dog!

[Heathen]

A decision MUST be made today as clubs have to schedule training and travel plans.

[Number 12]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55617958

To be completed later - stupid methinks. Play now or cancel the lot. Play without the French!

I never post on either forum any more. Mainly I don't want to pick forum fights anymore! But I'm going to break my posting duck. Not in an attempt to single out this post, but it's one of a few posts I've seen on recent subjects around postponing competitions where there's a throwaway line of 'just cancel it'. At least one in another thread, from another poster, around the Lions, and I think it's worth a counter-view.

My response would be - it's your passion. It's many, many people's livelihood. If you cancel a tournament or tour, thousands of individuals lose money. Not Unions, players or corporations. From the programme vendors to local F&B businesses to stadium support staff, to those working within unions, broadcasters corporations to deliver these events, sponsorships and keep the money pumping into the sport. And yes, that includes the French programme sellers who have everything to lose and no stake in the decision-making if we played without the French.

Cancelling the ECC, 6 Nations or Lions Tour will bring financial hardship to hundreds if not thousands of people who are entirely reliant on these tournaments going ahead in some form. The way they end up being delivered may not be perfect, and they may not be what purist fans would want (and I totally get that). But if it keeps money going into the pockets that need it then anything is better than cancellation.

I thought Mullins made this point well in the Quins game in response to the question about a need for an announcer in an empty stadium. If it means he or she gets paid, it's a good thing.

No further posting. I hope this isn't taken either as a personal dig, or worse as trolling but as a healthy counter-debate from a different viewpoint.

Cheers. Let's hope we get some rugby to watch, and some continued Wasps momentum this coming weekend, whatever rugby that might be!

[baldpaul101]

I never post on either forum any more. Mainly I don't want to pick forum fights anymore! But I'm going to break my posting duck. Not in an attempt to single out this post, but it's one of a few posts I've seen on recent subjects around postponing competitions where there's a throwaway line of 'just cancel it'. At least one in another thread, from another poster, around the Lions, and I think it's worth a counter-view.

My response would be - it's your passion. It's many, many people's livelihood. If you cancel a tournament or tour, thousands of individuals lose money. Not Unions, players or corporations. From the programme vendors to local F&B businesses to stadium support staff, to those working within unions, broadcasters corporations to deliver these events, sponsorships and keep the money pumping into the sport. And yes, that includes the French programme sellers who have everything to lose and no stake in the decision-making if we played without the French.

 


Cancelling the ECC, 6 Nations or Lions Tour will bring financial hardship to hundreds if not thousands of people who are entirely reliant on these tournaments going ahead in some form. The way they end up being delivered may not be perfect, and they may not be what purist fans would want (and I totally get that). But if it keeps money going into the pockets that need it then anything is better than cancellation.

I thought Mullins made this point well in the Quins game in response to the question about a need for an announcer in an empty stadium. If it means he or she gets paid, it's a good thing.

No further posting. I hope this isn't taken either as a personal dig, or worse as trolling but as a healthy counter-debate from a different viewpoint.

Cheers. Let's hope we get some rugby to watch, and some continued Wasps momentum this coming weekend, whatever rugby that might be!

agreed. well posted

[coddy]

I agree too, if the French teams are not allowed to play this and next weekend then lets have a couple of league games and jump back into the Euro comps in the Spring.

[InBetweenWasp]

You know Number 12, it's perfectly possible to participate without getting into an argument on either site so I hope you stick around and get stuck in.  The more the merrier and less chance we turn into a little echo chamber.

[Neils]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55617958

To be completed later - stupid methinks. Play now or cancel the lot. Play without the French!

I never post on either forum any more. Mainly I don't want to pick forum fights anymore! But I'm going to break my posting duck. Not in an attempt to single out this post, but it's one of a few posts I've seen on recent subjects around postponing competitions where there's a throwaway line of 'just cancel it'. At least one in another thread, from another poster, around the Lions, and I think it's worth a counter-view.

My response would be - it's your passion. It's many, many people's livelihood. If you cancel a tournament or tour, thousands of individuals lose money. Not Unions, players or corporations. From the programme vendors to local F&B businesses to stadium support staff, to those working within unions, broadcasters corporations to deliver these events, sponsorships and keep the money pumping into the sport. And yes, that includes the French programme sellers who have everything to lose and no stake in the decision-making if we played without the French.

Cancelling the ECC, 6 Nations or Lions Tour will bring financial hardship to hundreds if not thousands of people who are entirely reliant on these tournaments going ahead in some form. The way they end up being delivered may not be perfect, and they may not be what purist fans would want (and I totally get that). But if it keeps money going into the pockets that need it then anything is better than cancellation.

I thought Mullins made this point well in the Quins game in response to the question about a need for an announcer in an empty stadium. If it means he or she gets paid, it's a good thing.

No further posting. I hope this isn't taken either as a personal dig, or worse as trolling but as a healthy counter-debate from a different viewpoint.

Cheers. Let's hope we get some rugby to watch, and some continued Wasps momentum this coming weekend, whatever rugby that might be!

BUT the post is singled out by you quoting it.

The French want to pull out but "maybe" play it some other time but typically cannot decide who will make the decision. I stand by the comment that it makes little sense to punt this competition into the long grass to pick it up sometime so cancel it or play without the French. Playing without the French will ensure TV contracts can be maintained without a cancellation fee - if there is one it is down to the French League to pay. Cancel it could allow PRL covid cancelled games to be played thus ridding us of the crazy 4/2 points split or bring forward planned PRL games by one/two weeks. These were all touched on during Rugby Tonight.

As far as the 6N is concerned - personally I couldn't give a fig. It takes players away from Wasps which I don't like. I also accept it can be the pinnacle of a players career so probably has to go ahead sometime. That sometime should, for this season at least, be at the end of the PRL period. Or invite the Georgians instead of the French. The Lions - an outdated money machine which this year cannot fullfill its purpose in making money for SA so should be cancelled.

My opinions which hold no sway with anyone (even within my own family!).

Also currently there are no programme sellers, no F&B outlets, very few stadium support staff (I think the latest PRL edict is there should be as few as possible) and significantly reduced numbers of broadcast staff (many of the independents have lost their jobs). Yes there are livelihoods involved but this thing isn't going away soon - it is looking more like a 2022/23 season before normality.

Nice first post though.

[Montague Withnail]

My preference would be to play all the games that can be played and not the ones that can't. I would then retrospectively change the horrendous rule that grants 28-0 defeats to teams who can't fulfil the fixture and just give them 2 league points each (and a 0-0 score-line) - including the French fixtures that are cancelled.

That would still give us something like 5 games this weekend and 7 the following weekend to enjoy (assuming Irish teams can still play French teams) and end up with quarter finals hopefully able to go ahead in April from a likely pool of something like Leinster, Wasps, Bordeaux, Scarlets, Racing, Toulouse, Chiefs and Munster.

Not fair, not ideal, not what anyone would have wanted... but a pragmatic solution that gives us some rugby and (probably) an excellent mix of quarter finalists to look forward to.

[MarleyWasp]

I can see the borders being restricted for a while. Play the Premiership in a block now and finish off the season with the rest of the European campaign. If we play Premiership every weekend without a stop the final will be on 15th May, by which point hopefully case numbers will have dropped as it gets warmer and enough people will be vaccinated for the borders to reopen.

[MarleyWasp]

Noticeable the gent making the comments in the article appears to be French.

He's the CEO of EPCR.

Which is what the article says. I just hope the UK Boards/Representatives are having a full input to this and not just being the tail on the French dog!

Given he is appointed by the leagues effectively, I doubt he's just speaking as a Frenchman...

[Neils]

Noticeable the gent making the comments in the article appears to be French.

He's the CEO of EPCR.

Which is what the article says. I just hope the UK Boards/Representatives are having a full input to this and not just being the tail on the French dog!

Given he is appointed by the leagues effectively, I doubt he's just speaking as a Frenchman...

Don't disagree but it would be clearer if some kind of joint statement could be issued as it just looks a tad one (country) sided.