This Might have been missed - BT want Rebate

[wasps]

Have any players commented on the less teams stuff?


If there's to be 10 teams instead of 13, then that's 18 league games per season rather than 24.


A quarter less games, a quarter less salary

Or, a quarter fewer games, enabling smaller squad sizes and similar salaries...

- Players get paid similar wages to now but play fewer games
- Clubs reduce their overall Wage bill by reducing squad size
- Reduced cap but increased number of teams across two divisions still means plenty of employment opportunities for players

I can see that.
But let's say salaries need to reduce by ?1 million per year, that's a lot of squad players at ?50k-?75k each.
Squads can't reduce in size by 15-20 players even with a quarter less games, as such, a number of senior players will need to be axed or take a pay cut.
There may be a reluctance with these senior players to drop down a division so a lot will consider a pay cut as an option.... Once that starts it could become the norm

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I can see main squads dropping to 35 players, with emergency replacements from academies. I can also see academy programs getting far less funding, and the same for community programs. If clubs do not cut at least ?2m a year from their staff budgets, they will be in trouble. I suspect this is what Newcastle have already done. Will it be enough? I do not think so.

[Rossm]

Cutting the number of subs would help with squad sizes.

[Marlow Nick]

I can see a few problems with this

If we're to have a strong championship it needs a decent income otherwise where's the money coming from for decent squads. The best way to do that is some sort of shared deal across both divisions but I can't imagine the top 10 wanting to share their income with the other 10

How do you handle the club that gets relegated? Unless the salaries are similar between the 2 divisions  the relegated team will have large contractual outgoings and vastly reduced income. Just like in the old system it will be a case of bounce back immediately or face several years relegated. That will make the leagues look more interesting but will it scare off potential investors?

Salaries need to come down in the premiership psrtly to make it sustainable and partly to nartow the gap with the championship but the salary gap is going up! The rich 3 or 4 somehow seem to be able to outvote the less well off 6 or 7. If this continues then any talk of a strong group of 20 clubs is irrelevant because it's all about the top 4.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

That will make the leagues look more interesting but will it scare off potential investors?

This isn?t a dig at you Nick, but reading that, and it?s a common refrain, is a big part of the problem. Investor?s by definition need a return and it?s going to be a long time before rugby will provide any return on investment. Would anyone be happy to see their pension funds invested in rugby? I have a portion of my fund in high risk investments but I wouldn?t put it in a rugby club.

What rugby needs more than anything is sponsors and fans. Thinking about that statement, what rugby needs is fans and the sponsors will follow.

[Skippy]

The alternative is that someone decided that English rugby is ideal for sports-washing. If that were the case then we could an outfit like Saudi?s PIF stepping in. Perhaps they could call it XIVIX ? would need 14 teams to do though. XIX doesn?t have quite the same ring to it.

[COYW15]

https://twitter.com/spkeene/status/1667499533448753157?s=46&t=uARZeCAc0KFfxprtknDARA

Some interesting updates on our administration. Not sure where the update was published.

[backdoc]

I can't see anyone investing in Rugby Union in England with the head trauma litigation in the background. For right or wrong, we may be litigated to oblivion.

[JF]

I can't see anyone investing in Rugby Union in England with the head trauma litigation in the background. For right or wrong, we may be litigated to oblivion.

Nobody will invest in clubs in the true sense of "invest" - wanting a financial return on your money. Prem clubs are money pits.

[welsh wasp]

Will TNT have to reduce their subs net season because less choice of games?

[Neils]

Will TNT have to reduce their subs net season because less choice of games?

Nope might go up. I understand next year's fees are currently being assessed by the Americans.