ComeAllWithin
Rugby => ComeAllWithin Board => Topic started by: Boonie on Friday 18-Jan-2019, 16:38*
-
Well, I guess he would say that, having just been promoted, wouldn't he?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/46922849
Rugby's Premiership should be ring-fenced for a three-year period, Bristol Bears owner Steve Lansdown has said.
At present, one side is relegated from the 12-team top flight each season and replaced by the Championship winners.
Lansdown, 66, wants the existing 12 teams and London Irish - who were relegated last term - protected.
"After that three-year window, a club that wins the Championship and has good infrastructure should play-off with the bottom team," he told BBC Points West.
"I'd never say take away the opportunity [for promotion forever] but it's got to be controlled a bit more.
"If you look at a number of clubs who could come up from the Championship - I don't want to be disrespectful to any of them but - they don't have the wherewithal to add value to the Premiership.
"So you have got to give them the opportunity to build that infrastructure. Then you're not having a club coming up that plays on a park, adding no value to the Premiership."
Bristol Bears were promoted from the Championship last summer and are 10th - seven points above bottom side Newcastle Falcons - after 12 matches so far this season.
Asked if he thought the Rugby Football Union were on board with his proposal, Lansdown replied: "I would doubt it at the moment, but they would be silly not to recognise that the opportunity is there to do this."
In December, private equity firm CVC concluded a deal that will give them a 27% stake in Premiership Rugby in exchange for more than £200m investment into the competition.
"I would like to see the Premiership clubs have the opportunity to use this investment from the CVC deal to invest in their infrastructure and academy players, so the Premiership becomes free-standing and established," Lansdown added.
Lansdown, who also owns second-tier football club Bristol City - who share their Ashton Gate ground with the Bears - believes the proposed investment can help rugby union "become a more worldwide" sport.
He also feels the league should look to expand into markets in China as well as the United States, where Saracens have already played two league matches.
"There are a lot of people in China, a lot of people who are mad-keen on sport and want to be involved. It's a mass consumer market," Lansdown continued.
"The United States is another mass consumer market. That's where we've got to go to, not the small countries. That's where you get your marketing and economic benefit."
Asked if we might see Premiership matches played in China in the future, he responded: "I'm sure you might.
"Those are the two main areas, east and west, China and the US. If we can develop those markets the game will be well on its way.
"Look what the NFL are doing, and the NBA are now here [in London]. With America bringing their sport to Europe, we've got to take our sport to the US, China and the rest of the world.
"We can't just sit back thinking our traditions are great and everything else. We'll get swamped."
-
Spends an fortune getting Brizzle promoted with a Championship team on pretty much Premiership costs after years and years of failing to be promoted - I can see why he'd want to protect his investment.
I don't disagree too much with him to be honest - realistically there aren't too many teams who would have a snowballs chance of competing. But... I think the way he went about promotion and buying in very expensive players is part of the reason why there is such a huge gulf between Prem and Champo. Not the only one by any means but a fair size one.
-
We need relegation or 70% of games will be totally pointless, in fact probably 100%...
-
We need relegation or 70% of games will be totally pointless, in fact probably 100%...
So there’d be no interest in qualifying for the Champions Cup? The play offs? The league? In my heart of hearts I’d like to keep relegation but I can see the merits in ring fencing, particularly in terms of player welfare. Apart from this season there’s been a whipping boy in pretty much other season who has been all but down by Christmas. I’m not entirely sure that’s far at all from ring fencing.
-
We need relegation or 70% of games will be totally pointless, in fact probably 100%...
70 - 100 % ? , That presumes teams wouldn't care if they got beaten when they had no chance of winning the Prem .
Personally not in favour of Ringfencing but feel there is a big desire for it from the money men so would expect it to happen sooner rather than later.
Hopefully they will restructure to give proper incentives to all teams to compete until the end of the season .
-
Ealing want to join Pro14..
-
Ealing want to join Pro14..
I doubt that will happen unless there's *major* ructions. Even when London Welsh & London Scottish were mooted as joining an expanded Pro12 as was a few years back, the issue of having clubs that were part of the English Union (even though they had formal links with SRU and WRU respectively) playing in a different league than all other RFU governed clubs was deemed a non-starter. For an English Team to take part in the Pro-whatever would be even harder to square...
-
Yes but throw in an Investor Equity Fund and.....
-
My point is,
- if we win, we stay up
- if we lose, we stay up
- if we lose 100 nil then we stay up
- if we win the league then who cares as it does not matter if you win or lose
If it is all about getting in the top 6 then scrap the league and bring in a euro league.
-
My point is,
- if we win, we stay up
- if we lose, we stay up
- if we lose 100 nil then we stay up
- if we win the league then who cares as it does not matter if you win or lose
If it is all about getting in the top 6 then scrap the league and bring in a euro league.
This is a really odd way to look at things. Yes, I agree that relegation makes life "interesting" at the bottom of the table, but in most years it's painfully obvious who's going down almost immediately, and the vast majority of teams aren't in danger of relegation.
We watch rugby because we enjoy it, and as Quins supporters we like to see our team play well and win. You seem to think if that we're not in danger of relegation there's no point watching.
-
Jammy...think of it as...if you are totally useless at work and you lose your company millions then it does not matter...or it does matter...
-
I could imagine that losing week in week out and finishing bottom of the league would seriously sting for any professional player with an ounce of pride in themselves.
-
This years prem is very close it isn’t like that every year. Often the top 4 are fought out by maybe 6 teams then you have those that are safe but not challenging. You normally have 2/3 with possible relegation. Take that away and you make many matches especially at the end of the season nothing more than friendlies. So I am totally against no relegation.
-
Or you could make a condition that over a three/four/five year period, the club winning/scoring the fewest games or points, whichever metric you chose, is relegated. That gives clubs a three year time slot in which to build a side that is competitive or you are replaced, unless no other club is “fit” to be promoted...
-
Relegation is going to go. All the clubs want it, they now have the cash and power - league will give in shortly.
They may do an NFL style division system.
But either way trap door is about to shut.
-
Jammy...think of it as...if you are totally useless at work and you lose your company millions then it does not matter...or it does matter...
Losing money is still going to matter.
John Kingston lost his job despite us not getting relegated - turns out that performance matters, crowds matter, entertainment matters, player retention matters.