Italian sides in Magners League, feelings?

Filan

I'm hopeful it will benefit the league,Italian rubgy needs it more than the 'celtic' nations need them, but I'm optimistic.

uberwolf

has this been decided upon?

either way I think it's a positive move for rugby. More intermediate level exposure and more frequent game time. Can only bring them on

thomond2006

No excuse for Connacht to finish bottom now.

Shame that all the big Italian stars play in France/England, they wouldn't dream of going back to Italy I fear.

GiftofGab

It's good for rugby as a spectacle. Growth is good for the game. We need more European countries to take the sport seriously.

Filan

Long term maybe other countries such as Spain , Portugal and Georgia could form their own league?...Yeah fairly sure it's close to a done deal with the Italians, with Treviso and one other side, can't remember the name. They are being offered bounties by the Italian Union to sign Italian Internationals.

thebossanova

A Milan based team isn't it? I'm sure traveling supporters will have mouths watering at the chance to travel to Italy twice a year and not just once every 2 years as it is with Italy in the 6N. Great move for the league and Italian rugby. Surprised this didn't happen earlier.

ScrubsfanChris

I'm wondering where these extra four weekends are going to be placed. At the moment there are no MG games during International weekends, so is this about to change. Or will the league just start earlier and finish later?

thebossanova wrote: »

A Milan based team isn't it?

Aironi

Italian participation from 2010

On 18 July 2009, the FIR announced that Aironi and Praetorians Roma had lobbied successful bids and will compete in the Magners League from the start of the 2010-11 season - beating bids from Benetton Rugby Treviso and Duchi Nord-Ovest.

Praetorians will be based in Rome and will play at the city's Stadio Flaminio, while Aironi will be based in Viadana but will play some matches in the city of Reggio Emilia.[13]

On October 2, the Federazione Italiana Rugby decided to propose Benetton Treviso in place of Praetorians Roma

irishbucsfan

thomond2006 wrote: »

No excuse for Connacht to finish bottom now.

Shame that all the big Italian stars play in France/England, they wouldn't dream of going back to Italy I fear.

Parisse says that he'll sign for an Italian team if he's confident that it's being run to a high standard.

Nice of an Argentinian to say that :pac:

TheCandystripes

why not have a brittany team?

LeopoldButters

not a big fan of this move, two games that people will have no interest in going to and if it leads to an increase in season ticket prices it could be enough for people to give them up considering the state the country is in at present

johnnysmack

italian teams joining will only be a good thing and im certain they will provide some surprise results. they wont be the whipping boys of the league, not by a long way.

TitoPuente

TheCandystripes wrote: »

why not have a brittany team?

That would be really good actually.

zenmonk

This just doesn't make sense. Surely the Italians would be better off in one of the lower French leagues. All the logistics involved, 2 more games for Musgrave park I suppose.

rockman15

having played in italy i can honestly say the physicality is above what we have here, across all levels of the game. technical play will get better for them on their exposure, its a case of having to get better really.

they play with a passion and arent afraid to have a go from anywhere. i see no reason why they should not be allowed into the magners league. its another style of rugby other teams must look to compete against. ultimatly this will benefit existing ML sides, but also bring the standard of italian rugby up and make them more competitive in international fixtures, particularly if their presently foreign based players sign to the FIR

its a win/win scenario...also means more exotic away venues than cardiff and glasgow for ourselves

irishbucsfan

rockman15 wrote: »

its a win/win scenario...also means more exotic away venues than cardiff and glasgow for ourselves

I know its a bit selfish but this is what matters most to me. I cant wait to head to Italy for a match!

Even if the Italians come in and get stuck at the bottom of the league for a while (which is what I'm expecting) at least it gives Connacht 4 games to target for victories each season, so it will benefit Irish rugby in that way.

toomevara

irishbucsfan wrote: »

I know its a bit selfish but this is what matters most to me. I cant wait to head to Italy for a match!

A man after me own heart! Just more excuses to combine two of my favourite things Italy and rugby. This is bad how.......?

I'm really not familiar with the Italian domestic league, the Super 10, or the internal politics of the FIR, but it seems to me that Italian rugby could really benefit from a provincial style system, possibly with the current super10 acting as feeder clubs much like we have in Ireland. I don't think there's any reason why Italy cant furnish the Magners with a least two/three decently competitive sides. Given the nature of the league wins will also be more frequent, giving these teams something positive to build on instead of an endless, soul destroying diet of defeat after defeat.

So, yep I'm all for it, but I'd like to see the Italian league system rationalised along provincial lines to maximise limited resources.

thebossanova

Is it just me, or is a European Super League on the horizon much like the Super 14?

Will the inclusion of the Italian teams in the Magners affect the way they qualify for the HC?

thomond2006

thebossanova wrote: »

Will the inclusion of the Italian teams in the Magners affect the way they qualify for the HC?

They will probably qualify automatically every season, like Edinburgh and Glasgow.

PhatPiggins

thebossanova wrote: »

Is it just me, or is a European Super League on the horizon much like the Super 14?

quote]

With home and away fixtures and the top eight teams going into a playoff system? Maybe they could get a major Dutch brewer to sponsor it and the Irish provinces could take turns in winning it...... oh wait.

Just kidding

thebossanova

PhatPiggins wrote: »

thebossanova wrote: »

Is it just me, or is a European Super League on the horizon much like the Super 14?

quote]

With home and away fixtures and the top eight teams going into a playoff system? Maybe they could get a major Dutch brewer to sponsor it and the Irish provinces could take turns in winning it...... oh wait.

Just kidding

Exactly! Oh wait... :rolleyes:

Well I kind of think the Heineken Cup is not as intense as the S14. If a team was lucky enough they could get to the Semi's in the HC without too much stress if the draw was kind, and to get to the final you play a max 8 games, whereas in S14 its much more(can't remember, is it 12 round robin and then top 4?)... anyway I think a S14 winner is a much more comprehensive winner.

sock puppet

thebossanova wrote: »

Is it just me, or is a European Super League on the horizon much like the Super 14?

Will the inclusion of the Italian teams in the Magners affect the way they qualify for the HC?

It's the Italian union that decide which teams are represented in the cup. They've two slots so they'll surely just give them to the two teams in the ML.

padser

thebossanova wrote: »

Is it just me, or is a European Super League on the horizon much like the Super 14?

Really couldn't see either the French or English agreeing to it - it would kill their domestic leagues completely.

Think about it - if you took the top 3 or 4 teams from the French and English league each year it would become a second string competition. No way would the clubs agree to it.

Also given that it would concentrate all the top Egnlish and French players into 3 or 4 teams I don't think they the national bodies would want it either, it would reduce the national teams strength in depth.