Ok, I am getting really frustrated with the effect internationals are having on the Premiership.

This weekend we have lost 4 players key to the way we play. Sarries  have lost even more. Hopefully ,it will be a great game, but so much more meaning if we both had full sides out. At the end, whoever loses, both sides  will be saying “what if…” You could argue that losing your 10 has more influence than a 3 or a 5.

I used to have a season ticket but had to give it up when I moved away. But even before that  I did feel that at £600+ for 11 first team games (+ a few Europe), of which at least 5 or 6 would be below strength because of international callups, was taking the ****. (Although I was too much of a fan to give up).

Most importantly, if we are to “grow” the game of rugby, we have to attract “ordinary people” to the club game, not the international game. I understand the latter provides RFU with revenue but internationals are now games for corporates, a few lucky club players and the rich.  To attract more of the general public we have to give Premiership club supporters a better deal. Time to insist on separating the Premiership from the international seasons (as they do in football). Fill those dates with cup games of some sort.

Ok, I am getting really frustrated with the effect internationals are having on the Premiership.

This weekend we have lost 4 players key to the way we play. Sarries  have lost even more. Hopefully ,it will be a great game, but so much more meaning if we both had full sides out. At the end, whoever loses, both sides  will be saying “what if…” You could argue that losing your 10 has more influence than a 3 or a 5.

I used to have a season ticket but had to give it up when I moved away. But even before that  I did feel that at £600+ for 11 first team games (+ a few Europe), of which at least 5 or 6 would be below strength because of international callups, was taking the ****. (Although I was too much of a fan to give up).

Most importantly, if we are to “grow” the game of rugby, we have to attract “ordinary people” to the club game, not the international game. I understand the latter provides RFU with revenue but internationals are now games for corporates, a few lucky club players and the rich.  To attract more of the general public we have to give Premiership club supporters a better deal. Time to insist on separating the Premiership from the international seasons (as they do in football). Fill those dates with cup games of some sort.

The only way to separate the club and Test games is to have fewer games for one of them. There aren’t enough weekends to have 26 (or even 24) rounds of the Prem, 11 Test weekends and 9 Euro weekends.

If your aim is to attract more people to club rugby (personally I’m not sure that’s the best route), having fewer Prem games would seem counter-productive. Even if the Prem clubs would agree to it.

So it’s fewer Tests. And therefore less cash for the RFU. Which directly impacts the grassroots game. So your local club will need a new cash injection.

Fortunately, it’s not a few lucky club players who get tickets. It’s a few lucky club members. Nothing to stop anyone becoming a social member of their local club.

Or you could tonten whole hog and become a sponsor of your local club.

Either route is of course open to you now. And gives you access to tickets.

Did you enjoy Quins last few games of last season? I know I did. That run leading up to our premiership final triumph will live long in our memories.However, if the season is structured as you suggest we would not have those memories to treasure.Without the loss of international players during parts of the season there would be no need for the playoff system and final. Many fans hate the system as it stands - as with Bristol last season, who finished 16 pts ahead the chasing pack - the team who finishes top of the league can end up with nothing to show for their labours.With this in mind, the best Quins could have hoped for is 4th place, with no guarentee of that without a playoff place to chase for.Your proposed system would have deprived us all of the best finish to a season there has ever been, denied us the fairytale story of Quins season and the rugby going and watching public of the spectacle of both the semi-finals and final!
As an aside, you don't need to spend £600 on a season ticket if you don't feel you are getting value for money. There are cheaper options!

I wasn’t suggesting we stop the playoff system - that is a different argument. So I am not sure I understand your point.
I would just like to see every team picking from all of its squad, allowing for injuries and rests, every game, and not have that limited by losing internationals. In the end the best 4 really would reach the playoffs.
Whether we pay £600 or £300 is irrelevant, but we do pay to watch our full team, and not half of the squad. The RFU appears able to ignore this in the search for more cash, which as pointed out in another post does not necessarily reach grass roots.
I realise this would involve a major overhaul of the season, and there are many implications, but just make the point that club supporters should not be taken for granted, as I feel we often are.
Imagine Quins v sarries with all internationals available, but that probably won’t happen in either game this season.

Fortunately, it’s not a few lucky club players who get tickets. It’s a few lucky club members. Nothing to stop anyone becoming a social member of their local club.

My mistype - I meant members. Thanks

As Yareet pointed out above, that's 45 weeks to fulfill fixtures out of 52. Allowing for a break and pre-season there is no more room.

I think that the WRU were trying to look at this as part of the global calendar and have Prem between September end of January, along with a couple of midweek fixtures and then an international window of 5 weeks (6 Nations, Rugby Championship etc) and then European/Super Rugby (probably franchised) early March till May then another international window (Lions and SH tours) till end of June.

I may have mis-rembered the key dates buy it was broadly something like that. It means we keep our players for the Prem but throws our normal routine out. We would still get big game though!!!

An obvious solution is to reduce the number of Premiership clubs, rather than increase them as currently planned. This is how the other home nations painfully reorganised - ask Neath. So who has the balls to impose a Saracens Harlequins merger? Unfortunately the current elastoplast appears to be among the best solutions to your frustration.

Is there nothing smart that can be done around when players take their holidays? The whole "you will train and play week-in, week-out all season long; then when it ends you can go blow off all that steam for a few weeks, get out of shape; then come back to us and we'll spend 6 weeks getting you reconditioned" thing seems a little counterintuitive.

I haven't landed on the exact solution but in tinkering with this, you might be able to shorten preseason and provide players with "little and often" breaks through the season - freeing up vital weeks elsewhere...?