The Future

[baldpaul101]

So, theres been a very long silence from Wasps. We know that Championship rugby is not going to happen. What do we think WILL happen?

Options seem to be.
1. Nothing. Its over Wasps as a professional club is gone.
2. Wasps make some kind of deal with the amateur club & merge the two parts back into one & play in London SE Counties 2 Herts/Middx like Wlesh did (not actually sure what the pro side of the game have actually got to contribute?.?)
3. Start again at the bottom of the league structure with an amateur side. Assuming that Birmingham city staying at the EPIC precludes the use of that to play matches on, so not sure where this would be based?
4. Re-appear as some kind of ?Franchise? club in a re-structured league system. Although this has been mentioned no one seems to know what this means, how it will work or where they would physically play.

Option 2 would need to be already starting if they want to be ready for September.
Option 3 can probably be left a lot later, pulling together a scratch side & renting match day pitches on another clubs ground can be done quite quickly IMO.
Option 4 is totally dependent on the much mentioned ?game restructure? which is seems to be just an idea someone?s had. Any such restructure will be too late for the new season I would have thought?

IMO Option 3 will end up becoming Option 1.
Option 4 will never really materialise, so will also end up as Option 1.
Although I guess Option 2 or 3 could morph into Option 4 if it ever actually happens.

My head says 1, heart says 2.

[Neils]

1

[Heathen]

1

+1

[coddy]

Just like everyone else, I haven't got a Scooby.

I couldn't even hazard a guess at this stage.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

I can't see it how it isn't Opt 1, at least for the coming season.

Opt 2: If a deal was being done somebody will have been tempted to leak to the press for the reason people always like to leak to the press - it makes them look like they're in the know.

Opt 3: If they were starting at the bottom this season there would have needed to be applications to use grounds for safety and other reasons and these are public applications in case someone wants to object.

Opt 4: The franchise idea seems to have been a bit of balloon trailing to see what the response was and nobody serious appears to be talking about it, so it isn't happening for the coming season, if it ever does.

[baldpaul101]

Opt 3: If they were starting at the bottom this season there would have needed to be applications to use grounds for safety and other reasons and these are public applications in case someone wants to object.

At level 10 I don't think you need anything other than somewhere to change & a pitch with posts (sometimes not even a full set!!)
You could agree to rent a local grass roots club facilities & pitch for match days, most clubs would love the extra income!

For me, if nothing happens this season I don't see how anything can. Supporters & potential sponsors, backers etc will have lost interest.

[westwaleswasp]

Wasps can only come back if the current system explodes. At that point a lot of established names might be in need of ressurection. Irish and Wasps in particular are established names, with widespread support. If you were restarting a league and establishing the teams yourself both would be good shouts. I suspect if a seat at the top table was on offer in a new sustainable system with some central funding and control, the Wasps legends could get the money together. 

Is it likely that the whole thing implodes? HMRC knock on one or two doors, maybe the economy keeps tanking- who knows- how many dominoes would it take to leave 6 or fewer standing? Not many. It won't be next year, come back in a couple and see.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

1

I wish it was any of the others, but I have no faith that any real effort was ever made to try to save the club, and I certainly don't think anyone with any ability to actually do anything is trying now.

[WonkyWasp]

There's a distinct feeling of 'dead in the water'.

[andermt]

It feels more and more like it's 1, or at least 1 for this next season.

After that maybe it's 3 or 4.

There seem to be comments occasionally form Scriv's Pudsey etc that it's not over but it's becoming harder to have any faith.

I guess the interesting thing will be what happens to Irish, as they are done from the Prem, but with deadlines set and missed for Wasps, they can't give them a new later deadline so I can't see how they can join the Championship, so are they the same as Wasps or are they being given a lifeline for the following season?

[JF]

It's over.

If there's money to be had to put into a phoenix club, why would it be out there? There's little prospect of a return, you'd be better off leaving your money elsewhere.

The pro game us going to implode at some point fairly soon, maybe something can come out of that. However, the chances must be slim.

[Brandnewtorugby]

Part of me would love to see them pop up in France or Italy. They already have taken over the backline of Benetton! Seems more likely than in the English system.

[Shugs]

I think it?s 1 with a possibility of 3 in a seasons time. As far as I can see nothing actually exists and no one is employed to change that. People can?t keep doing it for free. So I think 1 is likely but leaves some questions. Holland spent over ?100k on the name. Is he willing to just write that off? Is it chicken feed to him? Will he actually end up making a tidy sum by flogging epic to Birmingham? Also, what was his loan to Atlas all about and where has that finished up? If Pudsey is still employed at epic presumably Holland?s paying him out of the rent? (Suppose he?ll TUPE to Birmingham if sold.

[baldpaul101]

Holland spent over ?100k on the name. Is he willing to just write that off? Is it chicken feed to him? Will he actually end up making a tidy sum by flogging epic to Birmingham?

If his choice is to pile more funds in to make New Wasps a goer he may prefer to cut his losses and, as you suggest he may make his money back on the EPIC if he sells or rents to Birmingham

Also, what was his loan to Atlas all about and where has that finished up?

I too am interested in where this ends up. Theres been total silence from Atlas & Begbies & no rumours of whats going on on the Warriors message board

[DarkKnight63]

Wasps, Worcester and London Irish handed lifeline talks to include them in new ?Premiership 2
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/rugby/wasps-worcester-and-london-irish-handed-lifeline-talks-to-include-them-in-new-premiership-2/ar-AA1d2voF?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=70fe562128cc4dc2abec1700912c12f9&ei=113

Hope springs eternal