Local Team gets its digs in -

[Nrgee]

To be perfectly honest Marlovian I couldn’t give a tinkers cuss what any other team thinks. As far as I am aware administration where you can’t prove no fault carries the sanction of relegation. So we’ve not really bullied our way into the Championship or been parachuted in - that’s just where the process puts us. The RFU now have to sort that out. I don’t think anyone’s saying the Championship should be glad to have us etc and I don’t think there is any particular arrogance. I also dont think we need to regard ourselves as sullied. We tried something eminently laudable and it failed. Let’s face it, in the recent past a team has blatantly cheated it’s way to, and kept multiple titles and when found out took “some” punishment but then peddled the “let’s draw a line under things now” agenda. Don’t see why we can’t do the same.

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[WonkyWasp]

And 5

[Marlovian]

And there I rest my case.

[MarleyWasp]

I'm sure the Championship clubs won't mind us and hopefully Worcester so much if we bring enough supporters for them to sell out our away matches...

[Marlovian]

As Shugs rightly says, "The RFU now have to sort that out". Lets hope they do in a way which is fair and beneficial to all.

[Rossm]

As Shugs rightly says, "The RFU now have to sort that out". Lets hope they do in a way which is fair and beneficial to all.

Fat chance

[Marlovian]

Fat chance

And there I'm in 100% agreement.

[Nrgee]

I think Shugs put it very well. Myself and my wife are not showing any form of supority with regards to entering the championship we are just glad we still exist. The premiersjip and RFU have made this the only option. As shugs stated a certain team was slapped on the wrist and allowed to keep a squad and all trophies gained from breaking premiership rules. We are competing under the rules the RFU have demanded we meet wjich means championship rugby in an area local to Coventry.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

I think Shugs put it very well. Myself and my wife are not showing any form of supority with regards to entering the championship we are just glad we still exist. The premiersjip and RFU have made this the only option. As shugs stated a certain team was slapped on the wrist and allowed to keep a squad and all trophies gained from breaking premiership rules. We are competing under the rules the RFU have demanded we meet wjich means championship rugby in an area local to Coventry.

Personally I don't feel smug about anything. I would be surprised if we managed to 'retain' more than a couple of players (but maybe some academy players added to that) for the main squad. We will likely be building a squad at the last minute (almost all players who have contract renewals will have sorted them by now, except those that no club want to sign), and those we do manage to recruit are unlikely to be the 'best' even by Championship standards. I am sort of expecting a lot of youth (every year PRL clubs release academy prospects they don't want in their main squad), some of whom may turn out to be diamonds in the rough, and some players who are in their twilight years. As a consequence, I expect us to struggle to not get relegated. After all, the RFU will be looking for a way to get the Championship numbers down. There are 12 teams there currently, add in us and Worcester, plus one more (to make it 10 in the PRL) from the PRL, plus one promoted team, and that means 4 teams going down.

Dropping from 13 down to 10 in the PRL will bump its way down all leagues, unless the RFU find a different structure.

So, yes, it is going to be a tough season, especially when the current Championship teams did not expect to have to plan for it. London Scottish already look in trouble, but all of a sudden, Cornish Pirates, Richmond, Ampthill and Caldy are worrying about their futures, through no fault of their own.

I am pretty sure Coventry would have been hoping to push towards promotion soon, and having 2 or 3 ex-PRL sides extra to fight with is not what they planned for. It does depend what budget those clubs have for players though. However, I am pretty sure Coventry do not have the money or backing to afford to compete with the PRL sugar daddies. I am confident we do not.

[Shugs]

As Shugs rightly says, "The RFU now have to sort that out". Lets hope they do in a way which is fair and beneficial to all.

Their own rules have ended up giving them a conundrum to unpick. Don’t forget the PRL are reportedly trying to shed a team as well. Who knows how that works! Completely agree the outcome needs to be fair to all.

[Westy68]

I really don’t give a shit about Coventry rugby or football club. I have never know an area bitch so much. I hope we score 50+ against them next season

[Garuda]

I really don’t give a shit about Coventry rugby or football club. I have never know an area bitch so much. I hope we score 50+ against them next season

Steady on. CRFC are playing well - and we haven't even got a team yet. 

[Skippy]

To be fair, CRFC is not the first club to have an owner/CEO that’s an utter dick.

I reckon it’s best not to take it out on their fans or followers, just put his comments on the changing room wall next time we play them— after all, it worked with Barwell’s “iffy players” comments.

[andermt]

As Shugs rightly says, "The RFU now have to sort that out". Lets hope they do in a way which is fair and beneficial to all.

Their own rules have ended up giving them a conundrum to unpick. Don’t forget the PRL are reportedly trying to shed a team as well. Who knows how that works! Completely agree the outcome needs to be fair to all.

The bit that needs sorting out urgently is Worcester. If they are to continue in the Championship it causes a big headache If they don't then it's quite an easy fix, Wasps hit the Championship and whoever wins (likely to be Ealing) get promoted to the Prem, 12 teams in each, so no real change.

the issue comes if they decide they only want 10 in the Prem at which point they have a major issue as they need to relegate someone else, and I can only see that ending up in court as they stated no relegation this year as the plan had been to get the Prem upto 14 clubs.

maybe not looking too deeply at conspiracy theories but I wonder if the goings on at Worcester are giving them a good excuse to have two 12 club leagues.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

As Shugs rightly says, "The RFU now have to sort that out". Lets hope they do in a way which is fair and beneficial to all.

Their own rules have ended up giving them a conundrum to unpick. Don’t forget the PRL are reportedly trying to shed a team as well. Who knows how that works! Completely agree the outcome needs to be fair to all.

The bit that needs sorting out urgently is Worcester. If they are to continue in the Championship it causes a big headache If they don't then it's quite an easy fix, Wasps hit the Championship and whoever wins (likely to be Ealing) get promoted to the Prem, 12 teams in each, so no real change.

the issue comes if they decide they only want 10 in the Prem at which point they have a major issue as they need to relegate someone else, and I can only see that ending up in court as they stated no relegation this year as the plan had been to get the Prem upto 14 clubs.

maybe not looking too deeply at conspiracy theories but I wonder if the goings on at Worcester are giving them a good excuse to have two 12 club leagues.

Yes. And/or. If one or two more clubs cannot continue to finance players to the cap. Suppose two clubs started lowering wage offers substantially, to get down to maybe £1-1.5m a year? Started saying to players who were likely to leave because oof this, if you want to go, find a new club now and we will release you?

With 'no relegation' this year, they would be safe doing that. Cutting costs massively (and as time goes by, costs drop), but keep the PRL money coming in, and watching attendance fall down to their core support? Not mentioning any names (Falcons and Irish). In effect, if only one club goes 'down' each year, one of those two clubs keeps that up for two years and maybe survives with no loss of face.

Which prompted me to go look at the PRL table. Haven't done that for a while. Bristol at the bottom, Bath at 8th. Two clubs with all the money, but not the glory. However, the two clubs I expected there are there or thereabouts in 9th and 10th; Falcons and Irish.

Two teams out, one in. Two teams without a sugar daddy out, one with a sugar daddy in.

It still leaves the PRL with a problem. They need to get rid of one team (net) in the PRL. They need one more to go under. If those two clubs I mentioned aren't going to play ball and do that, they still have a problem. At some point, two teams have to go down, or one team goes down with no promotion (for Ealing).

And then, depending on what happens at Worcester (at this time they are gone completely), more than one club will be relegated from the Championship to keep that at 12.