General Rugby Discussion II

b.gud

I also forgot to mention that at the end of the season we also have the Lions tour with 3 test plus how many warm up games?

Buer

MarinersBlues wrote: »

The international game must take precedence.

Scrap the 2020 champions cup and pro14.
Carry over the international games and scrap the extra derbies in the pro14.

That's a start, and only works if the sesaon starts in September

It's just not realistic to expect the domestic seasons to be scrapped. Financially, the international games are the most important part of rugby and essential for the maintenance of the game. But there will not be a time where the domestic seasons are cancelled.

In the current situation, international travel simply isn't feasible. NZ and Australia are already set to lockdown their borders until 2021 so we won't see any November tests. This window could be used to have a single warm up test against another nation and then finish the remaining games of the 6N.

Obviously this is all pie in the sky and we don't have a clue how things will work out. I think there absolutely has to be some reduced format of the club competitions. If they're proceeding with a 24 team tournament, I hope they don't introduce home and away QFs as it's completely unnecessary. I'd also be fine with scrapping the playoff in the Pro14 and going straight to a semi final if not straight to a final.

The calendar will need to buy back a couple of weekends somewhere. I don't see them cancelling the Lions tour or next summer's tours due to financial impact so a late start will almost certainly need to accommocate some sort of respite to the players somewhere.

Eod100

Panda Killa wrote: »

World rugby has cancelled all international games in July

Only surprised it took this long to do tbh

MarinersBlues

Buer wrote: »

It's just not realistic to expect the domestic seasons to be scrapped.

Well something has to give.
Start with international games, then domestic, then European and that would be the order of importance to each union financially.

If anything, they will add more international games to inject money into lower levels. This will be at a cost to Europe and to a similar extent domestic games.

Buer

I totally agree; something has to give somewhere in the calendar. I think they need to row back on the domestic/European competitions somewhere. I would be in favour of something along the lines of reducing the Pro14 to purely your own conference plus home and away against other teams in your nation. That would make for 16 games in the season (obviously Italy, Scotland and SA would double up on those domestic games). Then go straight to semi finals and a final so there would be a maximum of 18 game weeks in the season instead of the current 24.

In Europe, reconfigure the season to allow at least one weekend back if not more. Maybe 4 pools of 6 with the winners going straight to semi finals and only 1 match between teams within pools which would get 2 weekends back from the current format. There needs to be exceptional measures taken.

This would hopefully get 8 weeks back to the calendar which will be needed as it seems possible at this stage that both the domestic and European seasons are going to be completed which will take up pretty much all of the above weekends.

If there are any available weekends, I'd like to see those used to add in at least one international fixture. Get the Lions to play an invitational match in the Millenium Stadium and share the revenue. Have a domestic tournament for the A teams next summer along with the senior tours of southern hemisphere nations.

The unions are going to need to be flexible and innovative in how they attempt to deal with this but I can see it being extremely difficult. The likes of the French and English clubs are not going to be easily won over or reduce their domestic seasons to satisfy test rugby. They have big wage bills to satisfy and reduced games is not going to cut it for them.

I would not rule out entirely the possibility that the European season is hugely reduced or under threat entirely. But I'd hate to see it being discarded in the one season that Saracens are in Division 1 (and yes, I know they can't qualify for the following season either).

Eod100

Yeah it's hard to see rest of 6N, Champions Cup, Pro14 and July and November tours all being played along with start of new Pro14, Champions Cup season plus with Lions tour next summer.

I'm not sure if talk of global calendar is off the agenda but would be interesting to see a rough timeline of how these can all be played.

Clegg

Sounds like Malcolm Marx and PSDT are moving to Europe. No doubt some French club will make out like bandits.

https://twitter.com/MartGillingham/status/1261207251660034049?s=19

PTH2009

https://youtu.be/Veupw6hOvnU

Fair ****s to Ulster back then

But **** me the northern accent/enthusiasm is a challenge to like. Comes off as too serious and little craic

Thrashssacre

PTH2009 wrote: »

https://youtu.be/Veupw6hOvnU

Fair ****s to Ulster back then

But **** me the northern accent/enthusiasm is a challenge to like. Comes off as too serious and little craic

A fantastic achievement, fair play to the ulster supporters too always show up and make a great bit of noise. Even the champions cup match against leinster last year they had the aviva rocking, place was more lively then I've seen when we faced any French or English side.

PTH2009

PTH2009 wrote: »

https://youtu.be/Veupw6hOvnU

Fair ****s to Ulster back then

But **** me the northern accent/enthusiasm is a challenge to like. Comes off as too serious and little craic

Ah yes, the mighty Colomiers

Thrashssacre

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ah yes, the mighty Colomiers

A good side at the time, ulster also knocked out stade and toulouse to get to the final so fair dues to them.

Iamabeliever

PTH2009 wrote: »

https://youtu.be/Veupw6hOvnU

Fair ****s to Ulster back then

But **** me the northern accent/enthusiasm is a challenge to like. Comes off as too serious and little craic

Are you referring to the commentator ?
Because don't get me started on Shane Jennings

Buer

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ah yes, the mighty Colomiers

They were a very good side at the time. It's like someone looking at the 2006 final now and saying "Ah yes, the mighty Biarritz".

Their half backs were Labit and Galthie with Skrela on the bench. Jauzion was with them. Jean Luc Sadourny was their full back, a guy who was almost an ever present in the French national side for a decade. They never kicked on and their team was plundered by the bigger clubs took their best players.

sydthebeat

Stephen Jones doing his best "Stephen Jones" in today's Times.

Linking saracens extra-contractural payments as a means to aid mental health of players for when they retire......


I'll just leave that there......

Eod100

sydthebeat wrote: »

Stephen Jones doing his best "Stephen Jones" in today's Times.

Linking saracens extra-contractural payments as a means to aid mental health of players for when they retire......


I'll just leave that there......

Right so.. No word on the mental health of the players who could have won competitions if it wasn't for their cheating presumably?

thomond2006

No word on the mental health of people losing their jobs due to the (deserved) relegation either I imagine.

sydthebeat

Nothing of course...

And he still pushing the "not found to have done anything deliberate" line... Without explaining the level of proof needed to reach that conclusion.

He's continues to paint sarries as victims in this whole process, it's really pathetic cheerleading

Eod100

sydthebeat wrote: »

Nothing of course...

And he still pushing the "not found to have done anything deliberate" line... Without explaining the level of proof needed to reach that conclusion.

He's continues to paint sarries as victims in this whole process, it's really pathetic cheerleading

Most people would have been embarrassed to push that line ever, nevermind still continue on it with it. He's a charlatan.

Dave_The_Sheep

Odd spelling of 'c*nt' there, eod.

RugbyLover123

Saili to Biarritz. I thought they had no money? He’s been a poor enough signing for Munster and Harlequins for what he was probably getting paid.

Kiwi_knock

A once-off or a start of a trend in Australia. All 3 linked with Japan, so if the money is there in Japan or Europe hard to see how more players won't be looking to move on.

The Queensland Rugby Union (QRU) has stood down Izack Rodda, Isaac Lucas and Harry Hockings, following discussions with the three players and their agent.

The QRU made the decision following notification through the players’ RUPA accredited agent that three of his clients were unwilling to accept a reduction in pay and their nomination for the federal government’s JobKeeper subsidy, notwithstanding RA and RUPA‘s recently negotiated player-payment reduction agreement.

https://reds.rugby/news/2020/05/17/queensland-rugby-union-stands-down-izack-rodda-isaac-lucas-and-harry-hockings

Burkie1203

https://twitter.com/nickheathsport/status/1262441174457094144?s=19

Eod100

Burkie1203 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/nickheathsport/status/1262441174457094144?s=19

Yeah didn't seem like a runner at all. Would be interesting to see if there's a rough plan/timeline for all the competitions to fit them all in.

Buer

Eod100 wrote: »

Yeah didn't seem like a runner at all. Would be interesting to see if there's a rough plan/timeline for all the competitions to fit them all in.

If Italy and Ireland can be squeezed in somewhere, they only need one other weekend available to complete the final round. You'd have to think it can be accommodated in the November window given the southern hemisphere teams are potentially not going to travel.

Burkie1203

Eod100 wrote: »

Yeah didn't seem like a runner at all. Would be interesting to see if there's a rough plan/timeline for all the competitions to fit them all in.

The group's of 3 for Europe has one option available

England v France
Round of Pro14 played

Pro14 v France
Round of GP fixtures played

Pro14 v England
Round of top14 played.

Otherwise groups of 3 are a waste.

Eod100

Copeland off to France https://twitter.com/robocopey/status/1262448485191671810?s=19

Interested Observer

3 years is a bit mad but good luck to him.

bilston

PTH2009 wrote: »

https://youtu.be/Veupw6hOvnU

Fair ****s to Ulster back then

But **** me the northern accent/enthusiasm is a challenge to like. Comes off as too serious and little craic

Odd post

bilston

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Ah yes, the mighty Colomiers

The hard work was done in the earlier rounds

bilston

Eod100 wrote: »

Yeah didn't seem like a runner at all. Would be interesting to see if there's a rough plan/timeline for all the competitions to fit them all in.

It might happen, but it would have to be a completely separate competition to the Six Nations.