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Author Topic: London Scottish become first Championship club to turn semi-professional after RFU funding cut  (Read 306 times)

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deadlyfrom5yardsout

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London Scottish become first Championship club to turn semi-professional after RFU funding cut
RFU have announced a cut in annual contribution per club from £534,000 to £288,000, to be phased in over the next two seasons
 
London Scottish finished ninth in the Championship this season Credit: GETTY IMAGES

London Scottish have become the first Championship club to announce they are turning semi-professional after the RFU announced they were cutting funding to the second-tier ahead of next season.
The RFU announced in February they were cutting their annual contribution per club from £534,000 to £288,000, to be phased in over the next two seasons.
And London Scottish have become the first club to give up their professional status as a result of the changes.
In a newsletter to club members, chairman Malcolm Offord wrote: "We switch our model from a full-time professional environment with daytime training to a part-time model where our players do real jobs in the daytime and train in the evenings."
London Scottish finished ninth this season in the Championship after the season was brought to a premature end due to coronavirus, and they will become the second semi-professional team in the division alongside neighbours Richmond.

That means Saracens, who will be playing the Championship next season having been automatically relegated due to salary cap breaches, will be coming up against at least two sides made up completely of part-time players.
 
London Scottish are likely to see an exodus from their playing staff, with Australian centre Matt Gordon announcing he was moving to Edinburgh.
Matt Williams, who spent six seasons coaching Oxfordshire side Chinnor, has been named as London Scottish director of rugby for the 2020-21 season, in part due to his experience managing part-time rugby players.
The Exiles only returned to full-time professional status for the 2012-13 season. Having spent the 1998-99 season in the Premiership, the side was relegated after falling into administration with the original amateur club re-joining at the bottom of the English rugby pyramid and working their way up seven divisions in 10 seasons. They were promoted to the Championship for the 2011-12 season.

MadMax

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Worth saying that according to the London Scottish Chairman they will be joining five other part time clubs in the Championship - Bedford, Nottingham, Ampthill, Hartpury and Richmond.

never sleep

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I have a good feeling about Richmond for next season. Their full amateur setup will give them a bit of an advantage against some of the teams that are rebuilding as semi-pro.
They don't have the pressures of negotiating contracts etc.

honkytonk

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Ealing seem to be showing no sign of letting up.  Have apparently signed Ryan Burrows, Guy Thompson and Charlie Walker.  They are losing Sloan to Sarries though

never sleep

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Sorry, let me just be clear about my Richmond comment above. When I say 'success' - I mean 'avoid relegation'.
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toast

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In effect this move to semi pro in the championship  will ultimately create the ‘ring fence’ so often talked about, as the relegated premiership club will win every game against the semi pros .

FWIW I’d bet within two years, at most three,  a formal agreement is in place to ring fence with whoever is left of the professional clubs once this C19 thing is done and sport can be watched again.
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Brown Bottle

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Sorry, let me just be clear about my Richmond comment above. When I say 'success' - I mean 'avoid relegation'.

You didn’t say ‘success’ so no problem. :)

 

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