Wasps update February 2024

[baldpaul101]

So, only the top staff, coaches, trainers maybe.

Players? Some might sign up.

I would be amazed if any of the former staff at any level, coaches, players or back room would sign up. They will already have moved on & taken new roles (hopefully!).
Why would any of them want to be involved with a club that made them redundant in the way Wasps did? Unless they need the money & Wasps have deep pockets? After all no salary cap in the URC?
Jury is out for me until I see how much of Wasps they resurrect, who's in charge & what competition they play in. I am saying that as someone is very local to the proposed Kent site & would potentially be a season ticket holder.

[InBetweenWasp]

Jury is out for me until I see how much of Wasps they resurrect, who's in charge & what competition they play in.

Suspect that sentiment is shared by a lot of us.  A completely new team, with little to no attachment to the previous teams wouldn't be the same (for me - and many others i'm sure). 

There's lots of moving parts to this whole situation.  The bottom of the league arguments perhaps make sense in principle.  But equally, let's say Wasps do have a backer willing to put a half-decent squad together.  Most of the Championship are semi-pro, below that it's basically amateur. 

The imbalance between a professional squad, both financially and physically would be enormous and completely farcical.  The reality is that from a safety perspective alone, the lowest down a resurrected professional Wasps team should be is the Championship.

I suspect there's a lot of political posturing going on behind the scenes but the RFU, the Premiership and the other Clubs and the Championship. 

Regardless of what they say, I really don't think many (or even any) of the Championship clubs want to play in the Prem because of the financial ramifications, but want to play the 'whats it worth to us to not kick up a stick to let Wasps/Irish/Warriors back into Championship' game to try and get some (well deserved) investment from the RFU.

[Heathen]

If Wasps intentions to go for the URC start to have a lot of foundation, I suspect that the RFU will shift significantly!

[InBetweenWasp]

If Wasps intentions to go for the URC start to have a lot of foundation, I suspect that the RFU will shift significantly!

All things being equal, I wonder whether the preference from both Fans and Owners/Management would be to play in the Premiership or the URC.

My bet is that if we do come back, it'll be in whatever league loses a team next.  At this rate, my money would be on a Welsh region (long mooted) or Falcons (but perhaps they have a saviour in Steve Diamond). 

The whole Prem 1 / Prem 2 thing seems to have legs in principle, but the PRL Teams won't dilute their P-Shares and I haven't seen any news about Sponsorship/TV deals being interested in an uplift to cover 18-20 teams worth of TV coverage.  So think that's a concept that's dead and buried as no one will agree to it.  If that's the case and the Premiership remains ringfenced, it makes no sense for Wasps to come back there.