I have at times on here been accused of only caring about England's interests and I will say that first and foremost I want what is best for our country and domestic game but never at the expense of others. That said I also believe that the domestic game of our premiership and the French model is what is right for both us and the international game and I will shamelessly plagiarise other peoples research and articles to show why.
Here is an article on the growth of the tier two nations and their ambition to compete and break into the top group of nations that dominate our sport. It is based entirely on fact and without any bias and I believe it to be a great read, please check it out if you are interested in RU growing on the global stage.
http://tier2rugby.blogspot.fr/2014/02/why-privately-owned-club-system-is.html
As another sidenote I would like to show an article on the "evil and greedy" PRL, who only have an interest in taking money from the game for themselves. It is entirely based on Saracens and their CEO Edward Griffiths' goals and opinions written in this weekends Telegraph after the world record crowd at HQ for a league game.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/10714959/Saracens-ready-to-take-rugby-world-by-storm.html
My opinion now. I have to agree with everything in the tier two article to be honest and it is all backed up in fact. Georgia have become a great side (well pack heh) and I hope they are admitted to the big table very soon. Obviously the English and French clubs are not doing it to help out but that is irrelevant frankly because that is the result, if we want the game to grow (and I think we are close to it exploding globally myself) this system and more specifically the top14 is how it will. I think the sky deal of 1992 for the football premiership in England being compared to this new French deal is a great call. As for the union run side, it clearly shows them to be selfish (just like the English and French) but in a way that is hurting the smaller nations.
I do see the threat to the international scene however and I think that it is imperative that the game as a whole work with clubs to ensure that players globally are released for the international games (tri-nations, 6N, AI and summer tours) with plenty of time and not just for the big boys.
In my humble opinion, these two articles alone show exactly how we grow the game, and I embrace the top14 because of it. England's Premiership can't compete for various reasons and we will also become a feeder nation to it but I can and do accept this. We all must.
The global game and how it improves.
posted on 28/3/14
But the point is Demus, if the RFU, and all the other unions, derived money from the Heineken Cup, then some of that trickled down to grass roots. If that money now stays with the participating clubs, there will inevitably be less to trickle down.
As has happened in football over the last 20 years, the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. If you think that is the way to improve the game, long term, then good luck to you. I just happen to have a diametrically opposite view.
posted on 28/3/14
I think the vast majority of the RFU revenue is from matches at HQ, they charge obscene amounts of money. It is why every union is desperate to play England in the AI.
As for the football model, it just isn't the case at all with the current prem. The wage cap is at a level that most clubs can afford and is therefore very equal, perhaps even cruel on the likes of Leicester.
Just because I didn't think the old HC system was fair, it doesn't mean I endorse everything that is a result of the breakdown mate. It just is far more complicated than that.
We could have a discussion about what has happened in football but frankly I think it is irrelevant to the future of NH rugby.
posted on 28/3/14
True about the international money, but if there is any dilution of the total, it is the very bottom, the grass roots, that will suffer most - as it has in football. FFS, why do we need to spend public money on football development when the game itself is awash with money?
Rugby will go the same way and it is us at Level 10, schools, colleges and youth development in general will be the worst off.
posted on 28/3/14
I'm hoping the WC will bring in vast amounts of money and more importantly interest that will boost the youth in this country. I actually think this current crop of outstanding English talent is a direct result of 2003. A few more on the horizon too, Itoje and Cowan-Dickie are both very exciting, huge potential.
posted on 28/3/14
Btw... how depressing was that Bath game, Sale just killed the game and the ref should have given a penalty try rather than 20min of continual scrums.
posted on 29/3/14
I'm hoping the WC will bring in vast amounts of money and more importantly interest that will boost the youth in this country.
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Very little of the money will find its way to the bottom and the interest of youth (those who aren't already interested) will be short lived.
Yup, I am that cynical.
I am looking forward to the tournament. Looking forward to Scotland playing at Kingsholm - it'll be strange to get a friendly welcome in The Shed.
That's probably the only one I'll get to. That's mostly due to work but it's a wee bit to do with my that most of it is being played in football stadia. I get the reason why this is but it just takes the top of the game further away from its roots. I don't even think they're playing at Welford Road, though I could be wrong on that.
posted on 29/3/14
Demus
On the Bath v Sale game, that's what you get when teams HAVE to win. They will do whatever they have to do (or can get away with). Now, you know what I'm going to say next, don't you. . That's all part of making survival at the top level - to share in the dosh - the over-riding priority.
I watched the Glasgow v Ospreys game. Wasn't a lot different by the sounds of it, but Glasgow ground it out and pretty much puts them in next season's super-duper Euro thingy without restonting to the patronising 'Oh you Jocks and Eyeties can have one of the Rabble Direct places any way, just because you're nice people ' guff they've come up with.
posted on 29/3/14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dd2XXxNDr4
posted on 31/3/14
Busier than a one armed bricklayer in Baghdad.
Just gotta love the guy.
posted on 1/4/14
Sweating like a gypsy with a mortgage another of his epic lines.