Tier 2 Update - RFU

[Neils]

RFU
COUNCIL UPDATE - 19 APRIL 2024
icon-clock Posted 5 Hours Ago

RFU
An RFU Council meeting was held today (Friday 19 April) with votes held on the following topics: 



TIER 2 UPDATE
Since February 2023, the RFU, Championship Clubs Committee and Premiership Rugby Limited have been working to develop a reimagined Tier 2.  The objective is to create a second tier that supports the English system by developing young English talent, whilst supporting the clubs to become financially sustainable by growing local audiences and increasing the value in the league.   

RFU Council has approved the following:

The principles of a new governance structure and decision-making responsibilities for the new league ? the composition of a Tier 2 Management Board will be three representatives from each of the RFU and Championship Clubs Committee with an independent Chair. The objective for the board is to create a body with independent, club and RFU representation responsible for decision-making for certain decisions relating to the league, giving it the ability to respond to the new Tier 2 specific context, while also streamlining the interactions with the delivery functions and club representations to ensure the optimal running and commercialisation of the league.  The Tier 2 Management Board will be put in place at the earliest opportunity.   

Revised and enhanced Minimum Operating Standards (MOS) driving player development, fan experience, and growth ambitions ? the RFU Council today approved the ?essential? MOS that must be in place by the start of the 2025-26 season (see detail below).   

Aligned to the growth ambitions for the league, the standards have been divided into three categories.

Essential ? standards that must be in place by the start of the 2025-26 season in order to participate in the league.

Phased essential - standards will be introduced to the league as determined by the Tier 2 Management Board.

Aspirational ? standards linking to those for the Premiership, providing clubs seeking promotion with a benchmark to work towards.   

League size and competition structure options ? the RFU Council approved the principle that Tier 2 will comprise 14 clubs for season 2025-26. 

Between the April and June Council meetings further modelling around 12, 14 and 16 club league structures, balancing commercial and performance with player welfare will take place.  The precise mechanism for the selection of additional clubs will be worked on and presented at the June Council meeting.

Whilst a 14-team structure is preferable at this stage, a 16-team option is considered to be an aspirational goal for the league?s growth and development, and additional work is required to assess the future optimum number.  Further recommendations will be brought to the June Council meeting.   

Season 2024-25 will be a Championship of 12 clubs, comprising the 11 existing Championship clubs and the winner of National One (Chinnor RFC). 

Council approved a process for existing Championship clubs to validate and evidence their ability to meet the ?essential? minimum operating standards, and other matters, in order to participate in the new Tier 2 league, which will ultimately be decided by the Tier 2 Management Board.

Championship clubs, and Chinnor RFC, winner of National One, will be communicated with around the process for self-validation and provision of additional evidence.   

Discussions around promotion and relegation to/from the Premiership are ongoing as part of the Professional Game Partnership, which would require Council approval and will be brought to the June meeting.

[westwaleswasp]

The really important bit 'ongoing'.
I won't support Wasps (or any club) under any circumstances if they sign up to something with no pathway to the prem, not even if they play in my back garden. That door has to be smashed down.

[baldpaul101]

Season 2024-25 will be a Championship of 12 clubs, comprising the 11 existing Championship clubs and the winner of National One (Chinnor RFC).

Council approved a process for existing Championship clubs to validate and evidence their ability to meet the ?essential? minimum operating standards, and other matters, in order to participate in the new Tier 2 league, which will ultimately be decided by the Tier 2 Management Board.

So no room for Wasps, or LI & Wuss next season.

So is there a "Championship" next season with a new potentially expanded "Tier2" the season after? Is that what is being proposed?

[Neils]

Season 2024-25 will be a Championship of 12 clubs, comprising the 11 existing Championship clubs and the winner of National One (Chinnor RFC).

Council approved a process for existing Championship clubs to validate and evidence their ability to meet the ?essential? minimum operating standards, and other matters, in order to participate in the new Tier 2 league, which will ultimately be decided by the Tier 2 Management Board.

So no room for Wasps, or LI & Wuss next season.

So is there a "Championship" next season with a new potentially expanded "Tier2" the season after? Is that what is being proposed?

As far as I can recall it has always been a 25/26 reentry (if it is to happen). The PRL planned all along to up the funding cap next season and the RFU seemed to suggest after that levels off a change can occur - pure bollocks of course!

[baldpaul101]

As far as I can recall it has always been a 25/26 reentry (if it is to happen). The PRL planned all along to up the funding cap next season and the RFU seemed to suggest after that levels off a change can occur

Thanks, that makes sense (sort of!)
It's been reported that the RFU/PRL are keen to see the 3 broken clubs back in "Tier 2" because of the supporters, their history, investment potential etc etc. but IMO I Can't see Wasps, (or LI & Wuss) attracting the support necessary to make it worthwhile getting them into that "Tier 2"

[coddy]

[ but IMO I Can't see Wasps, (or LI & Wuss) attracting the support necessary to make it worthwhile getting them into that "Tier 2"

Really? Even if Ealing Trailfinders are topping the league table every season with attendance figures of around 750?

I think Wasps would probably average 2-3 thousand a game in their first season back.

[baldpaul101]

I think Wasps would probably average 2-3 thousand a game in their first season back

What are you basing that on Coddy?

Not being argumentative, genuine question.

[coddy]

I think Wasps would probably average 2-3 thousand a game in their first season back

What are you basing that on Coddy?

Not being argumentative, genuine question.

I'm thinking the new management team will pull out all the stops when it comes to marketing to attract new fans

I think a fair number of Wasps fans that didn't travel up from the South East will replace those lost from the West Midlands

I think the Wasps brand will attract a good number of away team supporters desperate to see their team beat us

There are still many supporters all over the country who won't have given up on Wasps and who still believe in the Once a Wasp, Always a Wasp
mantra.

All IMHO of course.

[baldpaul101]

I hope you are right Coddy, I really do. I also hadn't quite appreciated how low the attendance for Champ games is. You are right that any interest in those lost clubs, however low, could only be a boost & you do wonder why the other clubs aren't keener?

For me it all depends on the composition of the squad/management, the competition they are playing in & the length of time before things actually happen.

All the marketing in the world isn't going to get new fans to watch a team of unknowns play a club they've never heard of.

Is it even Wasps if its just a franchise team with no link to the past other than a few old players fronting it & a badge? Even if it is will I care if they play in a competition I might have serious reservations about?

Maybe other supporters have made up their minds either way but for me, I can't decide until I see where it all ends up.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

It?s unlikely I?ll get to home games so I?m hoping that there?ll be a Wasps TV which was hinted at in the survey we can sign up to. That could be a good revenue stream given the way Wasps fans are dispersed. 

[NellyWellyWaspy]

It?s unlikely I?ll get to home games so I?m hoping that there?ll be a Wasps TV which was hinted at in the survey we can sign up to. That could be a good revenue stream given the way Wasps fans are dispersed.

I would sign up for that, and get to any games local to me (ish). As long as they have motorbike parking (you too Coddy)?

[Robson9]

I hope you are right Coddy, I really do. I also hadn't quite appreciated how low the attendance for Champ games is.

If you're referring to ealing they're a bit of a weird outlier as they're effectively a club elevated far beyond their support levels and infrastructure by virtue of having a sugar daddy owner bankrolling a squad they'd never be able to afford otherwise.

Average attendances for the season to date below - there's quite a varied number- but I think most are quite self explanatory for why they're high/low compared to the others!

Average Attendances:
Coventry 3440
Bedford 3063
Doncaster 1884
C. Pirates 1611
Cambridge 1411
Caldy 1182
Nottingham 1158
Ampthill 1069
Ealing 1008
Hartpury 994
L. Scottish 608

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

I hope you are right Coddy, I really do. I also hadn't quite appreciated how low the attendance for Champ games is.

If you're referring to ealing they're a bit of a weird outlier as they're effectively a club elevated far beyond their support levels and infrastructure by virtue of having a sugar daddy owner bankrolling a squad they'd never be able to afford otherwise.

Average attendances for the season to date below - there's quite a varied number- but I think most are quite self explanatory for why they're high/low compared to the others!

Average Attendances:
Coventry 3440
Bedford 3063
Doncaster 1884
C. Pirates 1611
Cambridge 1411
Caldy 1182
Nottingham 1158
Ampthill 1069
Ealing 1008
Hartpury 994
L. Scottish 608

What's the source on that, Robson9? I'd be interested to see how Cov & Bedford stack up against Prem attendances for season to date.

Interesting numbers.

[Robson9]

I hope you are right Coddy, I really do. I also hadn't quite appreciated how low the attendance for Champ games is.

If you're referring to ealing they're a bit of a weird outlier as they're effectively a club elevated far beyond their support levels and infrastructure by virtue of having a sugar daddy owner bankrolling a squad they'd never be able to afford otherwise.

Average attendances for the season to date below - there's quite a varied number- but I think most are quite self explanatory for why they're high/low compared to the others!

Average Attendances:
Coventry 3440
Bedford 3063
Doncaster 1884
C. Pirates 1611
Cambridge 1411
Caldy 1182
Nottingham 1158
Ampthill 1069
Ealing 1008
Hartpury 994
L. Scottish 608

What's the source on that, Robson9? I'd be interested to see how Cov & Bedford stack up against Prem attendances for season to date.

Interesting numbers.

There's a poster on sportnetwork who does a championship round up piece every week and manually works out the averages as part of that - so I hope his math is good otherwise I'll.look pretty stupid!

[coddy]

I hope you are right Coddy, I really do. I also hadn't quite appreciated how low the attendance for Champ games is.

If you're referring to ealing they're a bit of a weird outlier as they're effectively a club elevated far beyond their support levels and infrastructure by virtue of having a sugar daddy owner bankrolling a squad they'd never be able to afford otherwise.

Average attendances for the season to date below - there's quite a varied number- but I think most are quite self explanatory for why they're high/low compared to the others!

Average Attendances:
Coventry 3440
Bedford 3063
Doncaster 1884
C. Pirates 1611
Cambridge 1411
Caldy 1182
Nottingham 1158
Ampthill 1069
Ealing 1008
Hartpury 994
L. Scottish 608

What's the source on that, Robson9? I'd be interested to see how Cov & Bedford stack up against Prem attendances for season to date.

Interesting numbers.

Yes those are legitimate numbers as taken from Wikipedia. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023%E2%80%9324_RFU_Championship

I apologise for underestimating Ealings support, they seem to either get well over 1100 or less than 800 suggesting a number of their supporters are probably bored watching them give the weaker teams a dicking.