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1
Wasps Rugby Discussion / U 20s tonight
« on: March 15, 2024, 10:07:31 PM »
What an amazing second half in the game down in Pau.
England U20 were 21-5 down at HT. Unbelievable second half in which they scored 6 tries to win 45-31 and take the U20 VI Nations title.
Even more impressive is that there are shades of how Eng played at HQ last week.
The production line is well and truly rolling.
England U20 were 21-5 down at HT. Unbelievable second half in which they scored 6 tries to win 45-31 and take the U20 VI Nations title.
Even more impressive is that there are shades of how Eng played at HQ last week.
The production line is well and truly rolling.
2
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Alledged illegal clearout at a ruck by Eng
« on: March 10, 2024, 05:41:10 PM »
Irish on SM incensed by alledged illegal clearout by Eng that they claim should have been a straight red?
I watched the whole game quite closely. I did not see it neither did the Ref, ARef and the TMO.
Views of others on this?
I watched the whole game quite closely. I did not see it neither did the Ref, ARef and the TMO.
Views of others on this?
3
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Racing 92 : 20 Toulouse : 27
« on: January 29, 2024, 10:34:19 PM »
Toulouse beat table topping Racing last night. Must have been a good one to watch. Jack played the full 80 minutes.
4
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Kev leaving England after this summer
« on: January 04, 2024, 04:57:43 PM »5
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Premiership/Top 14 tables at the end of 2023
« on: December 30, 2023, 10:38:25 PM »
Intersting similarities in the tables of both leagues at the end of 2023.
Clearly RWC has impacted on both and not many points separate the top 7 or 8 in either competition.
2024 could be fascinating watching in both leagues.
Clearly RWC has impacted on both and not many points separate the top 7 or 8 in either competition.
2024 could be fascinating watching in both leagues.
6
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Black Lion
« on: December 16, 2023, 07:57:07 PM »
Did not know who they were until last night. Awesome scrummaging - destroyed the Scarlets. Georgian rugby at it's best.
7
Wasps Rugby Discussion / WR and head contact
« on: November 03, 2023, 02:39:28 PM »
I had an interesting discussion with a couple of rugby pals this week - one a Kiwi, the other Welsh.
The discussion focused on the controversy surrounding contact to the head.
We all agreed that the current dictate from WR is ruining the game. The focus should be on intent and outcome. Accidental collisions are being interpreted in a ludicrous manner and the constant replays get the crowds at the game baying for red cards. The bunker system is a joke. The referee and the two ARs should have a discussion and guide the TMO accordingly.
If it continues in the current manner, then rugby as we know it, will be dead and buried in 10 years time.
The discussion focused on the controversy surrounding contact to the head.
We all agreed that the current dictate from WR is ruining the game. The focus should be on intent and outcome. Accidental collisions are being interpreted in a ludicrous manner and the constant replays get the crowds at the game baying for red cards. The bunker system is a joke. The referee and the two ARs should have a discussion and guide the TMO accordingly.
If it continues in the current manner, then rugby as we know it, will be dead and buried in 10 years time.
8
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Goodbye and thank you
« on: November 02, 2023, 11:15:08 PM »
Wayne Barnes has announced his retirement from refereeing.
Personally, I always liked his way of running matches.
Personally, I always liked his way of running matches.
9
Wasps Rugby Discussion / URC?
« on: October 27, 2023, 07:45:38 AM »
Wasps consider comeback in URC if return in England not viable
Lack of pathway back to Gallagher Premiership makes joining league with Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Italian and South African clubs an option for Kent-bound side
Owen Slot, Chief Sports Writer
Thursday October 26 2023, 7.00pm, The Times
Wasps would play domestic games against the likes of Edinburgh, whom they took on in Europe in May 2022, if they joined the URC
Wasps are considering joining the United Rugby Championship, rather than playing in the English leagues, on their return to professional rugby.
Wasps announced this week that they intend to re-emerge in Kent and are looking to build an indoor 24-28,000-seater stadium in Swanley. While they are still exploring the option of making their comeback in the English Championship ? which is effectively the second division ? negotiations have been continuing with the URC, which features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa. Their likely application will be tabled for discussion at the URC?s next board meeting in December.
The URC has not discouraged this conversation. As a rugby competition that covers three of the four stakeholders in British and Irish rugby, it would clearly be advantageous to plant a flag in the biggest market of them all.
There are two entry options into the URC, both of which are being considered. The first is expansion, though the league would naturally prefer to expand its numbers in twos. The second is replacing an existing franchise.
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It is no secret that the WRU sees the advantages of reducing its four professional franchises in Wales to three. The future of Ospreys has already been discussed this year in association with a merger with Cardiff and a potential tie-up with Ealing Trailfinders.
Wasps dropped a hint about their future ambitions in a statement nine days ago when they answered a question about what competition they would return to. The answer was: ?One that is fit for purpose and reflects the values that Wasps and others adhere to. We are pursuing all options in this regard.? ?All options? were the operative words there.
The problem for Wasps has been that there is no certainty of a commercially viable future in the English game. To return into the English system, the best chance of re-entry would be into the Championship, which is soon to be rebranded as Prem2.
However, the wheels are moving too slowly for Wasps, who want to be back playing next season or, if not, a year later. The real problem with the Championship is that it is unclear how long the Premiership will be ring-fenced for and therefore there is no guarantee that promotion is even a possibility.
Sponsored
Without any clear pathway to the top, Wasps will find it far harder to attract investors. A move straight into the URC would solve that problem.
Chris Holland, the owner of Wasps, who are really at present just a name and a brand, is refusing to bring back the club unless it has a secure financial future, but the English game is unlikely to provide such stability. ?I?m not going to offer anyone a job until I know we?ve got enough money to pay them for two years,? he said.
Martin Anayi, the CEO of the URC who lives in Kent, confirmed that he had been instrumental in helping Wasps to find a prospective new home not just in his county, but also in the league that he runs.
?I?ve had conversations with Wasps predominantly with trying to help them find a home in Kent,? he said. ?Hopefully they?ll have a home in the Premiership. If not, the URC will always be open to further conversation.?
Wasps? future in the URC is at this point only an early-stage possibility. There are a number of approvals and issues that need to be sorted out.
Both Wasps and URC would ideally like to have the RFU?s endorsement but it would be an interesting legal situation if it were not forthcoming. The RFU could regard this in two ways: it could treat a URC franchise in Kent as an invasion and a market threat to English competition; alternatively, it could embrace it as a satisfactory way to bring a historic club back on to their feet and as an advertisement for the game southeast of London where there is no other professional rugby club.
Other important sign-offs would also be required. If an English player is playing for Wasps in an English county but in what is essentially a foreign competition, would he be eligible to play for England?
Recruiting a team in time for next season is one of the few parts of Wasps? complicated future that Holland is not concerned by. ?The team is not a problem,? he said. ?There are literally so many players out there and so many Wasps players who want to come back.?
Rugby union
Lack of pathway back to Gallagher Premiership makes joining league with Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Italian and South African clubs an option for Kent-bound side
Owen Slot, Chief Sports Writer
Thursday October 26 2023, 7.00pm, The Times
Wasps would play domestic games against the likes of Edinburgh, whom they took on in Europe in May 2022, if they joined the URC
Wasps are considering joining the United Rugby Championship, rather than playing in the English leagues, on their return to professional rugby.
Wasps announced this week that they intend to re-emerge in Kent and are looking to build an indoor 24-28,000-seater stadium in Swanley. While they are still exploring the option of making their comeback in the English Championship ? which is effectively the second division ? negotiations have been continuing with the URC, which features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa. Their likely application will be tabled for discussion at the URC?s next board meeting in December.
The URC has not discouraged this conversation. As a rugby competition that covers three of the four stakeholders in British and Irish rugby, it would clearly be advantageous to plant a flag in the biggest market of them all.
There are two entry options into the URC, both of which are being considered. The first is expansion, though the league would naturally prefer to expand its numbers in twos. The second is replacing an existing franchise.
Advertisement
It is no secret that the WRU sees the advantages of reducing its four professional franchises in Wales to three. The future of Ospreys has already been discussed this year in association with a merger with Cardiff and a potential tie-up with Ealing Trailfinders.
Wasps dropped a hint about their future ambitions in a statement nine days ago when they answered a question about what competition they would return to. The answer was: ?One that is fit for purpose and reflects the values that Wasps and others adhere to. We are pursuing all options in this regard.? ?All options? were the operative words there.
The problem for Wasps has been that there is no certainty of a commercially viable future in the English game. To return into the English system, the best chance of re-entry would be into the Championship, which is soon to be rebranded as Prem2.
However, the wheels are moving too slowly for Wasps, who want to be back playing next season or, if not, a year later. The real problem with the Championship is that it is unclear how long the Premiership will be ring-fenced for and therefore there is no guarantee that promotion is even a possibility.
Sponsored
Without any clear pathway to the top, Wasps will find it far harder to attract investors. A move straight into the URC would solve that problem.
Chris Holland, the owner of Wasps, who are really at present just a name and a brand, is refusing to bring back the club unless it has a secure financial future, but the English game is unlikely to provide such stability. ?I?m not going to offer anyone a job until I know we?ve got enough money to pay them for two years,? he said.
Martin Anayi, the CEO of the URC who lives in Kent, confirmed that he had been instrumental in helping Wasps to find a prospective new home not just in his county, but also in the league that he runs.
?I?ve had conversations with Wasps predominantly with trying to help them find a home in Kent,? he said. ?Hopefully they?ll have a home in the Premiership. If not, the URC will always be open to further conversation.?
Wasps? future in the URC is at this point only an early-stage possibility. There are a number of approvals and issues that need to be sorted out.
Both Wasps and URC would ideally like to have the RFU?s endorsement but it would be an interesting legal situation if it were not forthcoming. The RFU could regard this in two ways: it could treat a URC franchise in Kent as an invasion and a market threat to English competition; alternatively, it could embrace it as a satisfactory way to bring a historic club back on to their feet and as an advertisement for the game southeast of London where there is no other professional rugby club.
Other important sign-offs would also be required. If an English player is playing for Wasps in an English county but in what is essentially a foreign competition, would he be eligible to play for England?
Recruiting a team in time for next season is one of the few parts of Wasps? complicated future that Holland is not concerned by. ?The team is not a problem,? he said. ?There are literally so many players out there and so many Wasps players who want to come back.?
Rugby union
10
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Argentina
« on: October 14, 2023, 06:03:49 PM »
What a great win for them!
12
Wasps Rugby Discussion / The thoughts of Chris Wright
« on: May 20, 2023, 05:23:45 AM »
Wasps former owner Chris Wright blames Coventry move for crisis
Chris Jones
Saturday May 20 2023, 12.01am, The Times
Chris Wright, the owner who led Wasps to two European Cup triumphs, has blamed the club?s 2014 move to Coventry for destroying his legacy and turning a rugby powerhouse into a ?100 million debt-ridden disaster.
Wright, the chairman of Chrysalis Vision, took over Wasps and created a joint company with Queens Park Rangers FC in 1996, with the clubs sharing Loftus Road. The millionaire businessman sold Wasps in 2008, having won 11 trophies under his ownership, handing control to Steve Hayes and becoming honorary life president. Hayes also owned Wycombe Wanderers FC, whose Adams Park ground became the club?s home.
In 2012, Hayes sold Wasps after failing to gain planning permission for a ground on an aerodrome in Wycombe. This transaction preceded the controversial move to Coventry and Derek Richardson becoming what would prove to be the final owner of the club before they went into administration and were expelled from the Gallagher Premiership in October. Now, Wasps have been demoted to the bottom tier and stripped of their licence to play in the Championship next season after failing to meet conditions set by the RFU.
Wright told The Times: ?I put a lot of my life into Wasps and that was my legacy and now it is gone, wiped off like chalk off a blackboard, and I might as well not have done it. Of course being involved with Wasps cost me a lot of money, but I have no qualms about that and I enjoyed every minute.
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?It is all very sad and of course it should not have happened. It may have been difficult to remain competitive staying at Wycombe but Wasps would still be in business. It could have been another Newcastle scenario [struggling to compete for trophies] but wouldn?t that have been better than the current situation? Losses would have been manageable.
?Derek Richardson did rescue Wasps but I would never have taken the club to Coventry and away from the fanbase. You then end up with a bond issue with a very high interest rate and so there was always going to be a day of reckoning and you were walking a tightrope.?
Wasps? debt includes ?35 million raised by a bond issue after the switch from Wycombe to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
Wright expects London Irish, the latest team to experience financial trouble, to lose their battle for survival and the Premiership to become a ten-team league with no relegation.
He also revealed that Wasps had survived an attempt to kill off the club in 2000. ?During my time there we won 11 trophies in 11 years, including two European Cups,? he said. ?But there was a body of people in rugby that didn?t want Wasps to be there. At the first Premiership owners meeting I attended, I found out they were having secret talks to get rid of Wasps. I derailed that plan when it was some way down the track.
?They didn?t want another London team and wanted to bring in Cornish Pirates to have a geographical spread. Wasps then became the predominant team and we did a lot of things right, although not everything was perfect, including the Acton training ground.
?I fell out with QPR and we had to find somewhere else to play and it boiled down to Oxford United?s ground or Wycombe Wanderers. Neither was ideal but Oxford was my choice ? but I couldn?t do a deal. If you were a Wasps fan I am sure you would prefer the club to still be in existence at Wycombe in front of 9,500 fans ? not out of business.?
Chris Jones
Saturday May 20 2023, 12.01am, The Times
Chris Wright, the owner who led Wasps to two European Cup triumphs, has blamed the club?s 2014 move to Coventry for destroying his legacy and turning a rugby powerhouse into a ?100 million debt-ridden disaster.
Wright, the chairman of Chrysalis Vision, took over Wasps and created a joint company with Queens Park Rangers FC in 1996, with the clubs sharing Loftus Road. The millionaire businessman sold Wasps in 2008, having won 11 trophies under his ownership, handing control to Steve Hayes and becoming honorary life president. Hayes also owned Wycombe Wanderers FC, whose Adams Park ground became the club?s home.
In 2012, Hayes sold Wasps after failing to gain planning permission for a ground on an aerodrome in Wycombe. This transaction preceded the controversial move to Coventry and Derek Richardson becoming what would prove to be the final owner of the club before they went into administration and were expelled from the Gallagher Premiership in October. Now, Wasps have been demoted to the bottom tier and stripped of their licence to play in the Championship next season after failing to meet conditions set by the RFU.
Wright told The Times: ?I put a lot of my life into Wasps and that was my legacy and now it is gone, wiped off like chalk off a blackboard, and I might as well not have done it. Of course being involved with Wasps cost me a lot of money, but I have no qualms about that and I enjoyed every minute.
Advertisement
?It is all very sad and of course it should not have happened. It may have been difficult to remain competitive staying at Wycombe but Wasps would still be in business. It could have been another Newcastle scenario [struggling to compete for trophies] but wouldn?t that have been better than the current situation? Losses would have been manageable.
?Derek Richardson did rescue Wasps but I would never have taken the club to Coventry and away from the fanbase. You then end up with a bond issue with a very high interest rate and so there was always going to be a day of reckoning and you were walking a tightrope.?
Wasps? debt includes ?35 million raised by a bond issue after the switch from Wycombe to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.
Wright expects London Irish, the latest team to experience financial trouble, to lose their battle for survival and the Premiership to become a ten-team league with no relegation.
He also revealed that Wasps had survived an attempt to kill off the club in 2000. ?During my time there we won 11 trophies in 11 years, including two European Cups,? he said. ?But there was a body of people in rugby that didn?t want Wasps to be there. At the first Premiership owners meeting I attended, I found out they were having secret talks to get rid of Wasps. I derailed that plan when it was some way down the track.
?They didn?t want another London team and wanted to bring in Cornish Pirates to have a geographical spread. Wasps then became the predominant team and we did a lot of things right, although not everything was perfect, including the Acton training ground.
?I fell out with QPR and we had to find somewhere else to play and it boiled down to Oxford United?s ground or Wycombe Wanderers. Neither was ideal but Oxford was my choice ? but I couldn?t do a deal. If you were a Wasps fan I am sure you would prefer the club to still be in existence at Wycombe in front of 9,500 fans ? not out of business.?
13
Wasps Rugby Discussion / RWC 2023 match officials
« on: May 10, 2023, 11:29:36 PM »
Referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Wayne Barnes (England), Nic Berry (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland), Matthew Carley (England), Karl Dickson (England), Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand), Luke Pearce (England), Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Mathieu Raynal (France) and Paul Williams (New Zealand).
Assistant Referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales), Andrea Piardi (Italy), Christophe Ridley (England) and Jordan Way (Australia).
Television Match Officials: Brett Cronan (Australia), Tom Foley (England), Marius Jonker (South Africa), Brian MacNeice (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand) and Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
Assistant Referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales), Andrea Piardi (Italy), Christophe Ridley (England) and Jordan Way (Australia).
Television Match Officials: Brett Cronan (Australia), Tom Foley (England), Marius Jonker (South Africa), Brian MacNeice (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand) and Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
14
Wasps Rugby Discussion / Stephen Jones in today's S Times
« on: May 07, 2023, 08:31:30 AM »
Losing Wasps and Worcester makes this the worst season ever
No amount of play-off magic can save this campaign
Stephen Jones
Jim O?Toole is the new owner of Worcester Warriors given that his Atlas Group now owns the venue where the Warriors used to play, along with the club?s proud name.
He has forged a business career containing many strands. One, according to a website, is his Sports Columbarium Company. This is a niche operation in more ways than one, aimed at sports stadium owners: ?Your most committed fans buy a niche inner wall for their cremated ashes ? an entirely new revenue category for venue owners.? A columbarium is an edifice which contains ashes of the deceased in its niches. No need to scatter them on the pitch, they can be preserved in the dry and warm.
O?Toole, heavily criticised by Warrior fans and almost everyone else, is on the button in one way: people can grow to love sports clubs with a vast passion. This was shown by the dejection of followers when both Worcester and Wasps lost their places in the Gallagher Premiership this season.
Sports clubs can become a huge part of life. I daresay that, as O?Toole suggests, some do indeed want to remain in death on the site where they most loved being alive. But as yet, O?Toole and Atlas have not applied this same philosophy to their recent acquisition. At present there is no prospect of top-level rugby to watch at Sixways. Every industry expert and every grieving fan is baffled as to what, after long and bitter months of attempting to complete the sale, Atlas are actually going to do.
The RFU is clear: there was an option for any prospective buyer to immediately relaunch Worcester at Sixways in the Championship. The tournament requires far fewer resources and far lower salaries than the Premiership but it provides a good standard of rugby and, hopefully, a route back to the big time. Atlas rejected that option.
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Wasps have recently arranged to play their Championship games at Sixways next season. Other than as a matchday venue for Wasps, what are the plans for Sixways? Analysts say that Worcester Raiders FC, who play well down the leagues in the Hellenic Premier, may be available. There is also a tenancy agreement yet to be confirmed with Worcester Warriors Women, the Allianz Premier 15s women?s team. There was also talk that there could be an amalgamation with Stourbridge RFC, a reasonably local side who have just been relegated down to the fifth tier of the league structure.
None of these are promising. The RFU has said that Worcester will not be allowed to take on a new club?s league status if they merge with that club. RFU sources point out that the only alternative is for Worcester to restart their existence in the tenth tier. Park-pitch sport.
There has been a disheartening lack of sympathy for Wasps? plight within the game
There was another bidder, a group led by Steve Diamond. A man with a dynamic edge, perfect for revitalisation; he knows every coach and player and agent in the land and his mother. He has tenacity and has coached at high levels throughout the Premiership, and his consortium had agreed to meet the debts of creditors. Atlas refused to do that. The bid was rejected. You would love to hear from Begbies, the administrators, as to how they made their call on the new owners.
Sixways is a great stadium and easily accessible, and there have been hints from Atlas that it will stage concerts there. However, I don?t expect that Ed Sheeran or Bruce Springsteen have been on the blower recently.
Sponsored
So is this the most disastrous season in the history of the Premiership? Granted, the semi-finals and final of the tournament stir the blood. But then comes the realisation: along the way we have lost two great clubs in Wasps and Worcester, leaving dedicated players in panic for their careers.
On Friday, we were within minutes of losing London Irish into the ether. It was only after Mick Crossan ? who sincerely hoped to be the former owner of London Irish by now ? came good on the staff?s unpaid salaries that yesterday?s game was able to be held and the club could resume their optimistic noises that the American?based new owners would own up and pay up. Otherwise it has been horrible.
From where can a revival spring? It is disappointing to hear that Premiership Rugby is intent on only a ten-team league next season. That is not enough to renew the buzz. It is mute, as ever, on the subject of promotion and relegation, and has made no move to claim back players from the murderous demands of the England team.
The organisation recently briefed the media on its plans for the future. It probably has the best top-level administration of any rugby body in the UK but at the meetings the hierarchy still seem to sit behind old barriers to make their dispositions.
No amount of play-off magic can save this campaign
Stephen Jones
Jim O?Toole is the new owner of Worcester Warriors given that his Atlas Group now owns the venue where the Warriors used to play, along with the club?s proud name.
He has forged a business career containing many strands. One, according to a website, is his Sports Columbarium Company. This is a niche operation in more ways than one, aimed at sports stadium owners: ?Your most committed fans buy a niche inner wall for their cremated ashes ? an entirely new revenue category for venue owners.? A columbarium is an edifice which contains ashes of the deceased in its niches. No need to scatter them on the pitch, they can be preserved in the dry and warm.
O?Toole, heavily criticised by Warrior fans and almost everyone else, is on the button in one way: people can grow to love sports clubs with a vast passion. This was shown by the dejection of followers when both Worcester and Wasps lost their places in the Gallagher Premiership this season.
Sports clubs can become a huge part of life. I daresay that, as O?Toole suggests, some do indeed want to remain in death on the site where they most loved being alive. But as yet, O?Toole and Atlas have not applied this same philosophy to their recent acquisition. At present there is no prospect of top-level rugby to watch at Sixways. Every industry expert and every grieving fan is baffled as to what, after long and bitter months of attempting to complete the sale, Atlas are actually going to do.
The RFU is clear: there was an option for any prospective buyer to immediately relaunch Worcester at Sixways in the Championship. The tournament requires far fewer resources and far lower salaries than the Premiership but it provides a good standard of rugby and, hopefully, a route back to the big time. Atlas rejected that option.
Advertisement
Wasps have recently arranged to play their Championship games at Sixways next season. Other than as a matchday venue for Wasps, what are the plans for Sixways? Analysts say that Worcester Raiders FC, who play well down the leagues in the Hellenic Premier, may be available. There is also a tenancy agreement yet to be confirmed with Worcester Warriors Women, the Allianz Premier 15s women?s team. There was also talk that there could be an amalgamation with Stourbridge RFC, a reasonably local side who have just been relegated down to the fifth tier of the league structure.
None of these are promising. The RFU has said that Worcester will not be allowed to take on a new club?s league status if they merge with that club. RFU sources point out that the only alternative is for Worcester to restart their existence in the tenth tier. Park-pitch sport.
There has been a disheartening lack of sympathy for Wasps? plight within the game
There was another bidder, a group led by Steve Diamond. A man with a dynamic edge, perfect for revitalisation; he knows every coach and player and agent in the land and his mother. He has tenacity and has coached at high levels throughout the Premiership, and his consortium had agreed to meet the debts of creditors. Atlas refused to do that. The bid was rejected. You would love to hear from Begbies, the administrators, as to how they made their call on the new owners.
Sixways is a great stadium and easily accessible, and there have been hints from Atlas that it will stage concerts there. However, I don?t expect that Ed Sheeran or Bruce Springsteen have been on the blower recently.
Sponsored
So is this the most disastrous season in the history of the Premiership? Granted, the semi-finals and final of the tournament stir the blood. But then comes the realisation: along the way we have lost two great clubs in Wasps and Worcester, leaving dedicated players in panic for their careers.
On Friday, we were within minutes of losing London Irish into the ether. It was only after Mick Crossan ? who sincerely hoped to be the former owner of London Irish by now ? came good on the staff?s unpaid salaries that yesterday?s game was able to be held and the club could resume their optimistic noises that the American?based new owners would own up and pay up. Otherwise it has been horrible.
From where can a revival spring? It is disappointing to hear that Premiership Rugby is intent on only a ten-team league next season. That is not enough to renew the buzz. It is mute, as ever, on the subject of promotion and relegation, and has made no move to claim back players from the murderous demands of the England team.
The organisation recently briefed the media on its plans for the future. It probably has the best top-level administration of any rugby body in the UK but at the meetings the hierarchy still seem to sit behind old barriers to make their dispositions.
15
Wasps Rugby Discussion / From the Beeb.
« on: April 24, 2023, 03:29:53 PM »
Premiership Rugby Cup: Championship sides to play in 2023-24 competition
Sides from the Championship will join Premiership sides in a revamped Premiership Rugby Cup next season.
The 24 teams in the top two tiers will be split into four pools of six with five group matches, followed by semi-finals featuring each pool winner in February 2024 and a final in March.
It is the first time in 18 years that Premiership sides will face lower-tier teams in a cup competition.
Exeter are the holders after beating London Irish in last month's final.
The group stages will take place over five consecutive weekends from early September until early October, before the World Cup.
The news comes as Championship sides continue to have concerns over their level of funding from the Rugby Football Union and struggle to gain promotion to the top flight.
Ealing were ineligible for promotion because their ground did not meet Premiership criteria.
They lost at Jersey Reds on Saturday, with the island side now favourites to take the title having got a two-point lead with one game to go - their 4,000 capacity ground at St Peter is also deemed unfit for top-flight rugby.
It will also allow Wasps a chance to face Premiership sides next season - they will start life in the Championship next autumn after being removed from the top flight for financial reasons earlier this season.
"The new cup format is the result of great collaboration between the Championship, RFU and Premiership Rugby," said Steve Lloyd, chair of the Championship Clubs Committee.
"The clubs are delighted with the opportunity a different format brings as well as the experience of playing Premiership sides and the opportunity to welcome new fans into our clubs and grow our audiences."
Premiership Rugby's rugby director Phil Winstanley added: "The Championship performs a crucial role within the English game and we're looking forward to renewing some rivalries of old.
"It is many years since the Premiership and Championship clubs clashed in a cup competition.
"With the Rugby World Cup taking place in France, this competition will no doubt provide the best, young English talent with an opportunity to stake a claim in squads before the start of the Gallagher Premiership campaign."
That paragraph is a tad premature given what is not happening on the Wasps front. (or they know something that we don't)
Sides from the Championship will join Premiership sides in a revamped Premiership Rugby Cup next season.
The 24 teams in the top two tiers will be split into four pools of six with five group matches, followed by semi-finals featuring each pool winner in February 2024 and a final in March.
It is the first time in 18 years that Premiership sides will face lower-tier teams in a cup competition.
Exeter are the holders after beating London Irish in last month's final.
The group stages will take place over five consecutive weekends from early September until early October, before the World Cup.
The news comes as Championship sides continue to have concerns over their level of funding from the Rugby Football Union and struggle to gain promotion to the top flight.
Ealing were ineligible for promotion because their ground did not meet Premiership criteria.
They lost at Jersey Reds on Saturday, with the island side now favourites to take the title having got a two-point lead with one game to go - their 4,000 capacity ground at St Peter is also deemed unfit for top-flight rugby.
It will also allow Wasps a chance to face Premiership sides next season - they will start life in the Championship next autumn after being removed from the top flight for financial reasons earlier this season.
"The new cup format is the result of great collaboration between the Championship, RFU and Premiership Rugby," said Steve Lloyd, chair of the Championship Clubs Committee.
"The clubs are delighted with the opportunity a different format brings as well as the experience of playing Premiership sides and the opportunity to welcome new fans into our clubs and grow our audiences."
Premiership Rugby's rugby director Phil Winstanley added: "The Championship performs a crucial role within the English game and we're looking forward to renewing some rivalries of old.
"It is many years since the Premiership and Championship clubs clashed in a cup competition.
"With the Rugby World Cup taking place in France, this competition will no doubt provide the best, young English talent with an opportunity to stake a claim in squads before the start of the Gallagher Premiership campaign."
That paragraph is a tad premature given what is not happening on the Wasps front. (or they know something that we don't)