U23 Irish Scottish Welsh League

ClanofLams

According to Wales online there will be an u-23 league from next season featuring the Irish provinces and Scottish and Welsh regions.

Will replace the b&i cup for Ireland. Welsh regions are developing these sides as there was a concern Welsh premiership rugby wasn’t sufficient to develop best young talents. Anglo Welsh Cup is also being scrapped.

About 10-12 games to be held in two blocks around September-October and April is the plan seemingly.

Link https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/full-details-todays-radical-shake-14462329

CIARAN_BOYLE

Heard this discussed before. Supposedly it will be as u23 as the Olympic soccer so there will be a number of exceptions for teams to use on fringe players as required.

damianmcr

Happy enough with this.

Get the youngsters experience.

Some of the older members of the Ulster team who cant get a game with the seniors play on the A team. Id rather play one of the kids.

Bridge93

Seems a good idea on paper anyway.

Squidgy Black

Could also be a boost to the AIL also. More senior players who would have played B&I when not called up to the starting 23 should be released to play with AIL squads to fill the void left by the A teams.

The Lost Sheep

ClanofLams wrote: »

According to Wales online there will be an u-23 league from next season featuring the Irish provinces and Scottish and Welsh regions.

Will replace the b&i cup for Ireland. Welsh regions are developing these sides as there was a concern Welsh premiership rugby wasn’t sufficient to develop best young talents. Anglo Welsh Cup is also being scrapped.

About 10-12 games to be held in two blocks around September-October and April is the plan seemingly.

Link https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/full-details-todays-radical-shake-14462329

10-12 games in 2 blocks? This could be interesting but will need more older pros playing club rugby as this would decimate some clubs at these times,
Its a good development provided other sides from scotland, wales are stronger than their sides generally have been in the british and irish cup

The Lost Sheep

ClanofLams wrote: »

According to Wales online there will be an u-23 league from next season featuring the Irish provinces and Scottish and Welsh regions.

Will replace the b&i cup for Ireland. Welsh regions are developing these sides as there was a concern Welsh premiership rugby wasn’t sufficient to develop best young talents. Anglo Welsh Cup is also being scrapped.

About 10-12 games to be held in two blocks around September-October and April is the plan seemingly.

Link https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/full-details-todays-radical-shake-14462329

10-12 games in 2 blocks? This could be interesting but will need more older pros playing club rugby as this would decimate some clubs at these times,
Its a good development provided other sides from scotland, wales are stronger than their sides generally have been in the british and irish cup

ArmchairQB

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

10-12 games in 2 blocks? This could be interesting but will need more older pros playing club rugby as this would decimate some clubs at these times,
Its a good development provided other sides from scotland, wales are stronger than their sides generally have been in the british and irish cup

Yeah wont be good for clubs more academy games clubs tend to get access to players on their way up not on their way down this would put a stop to that and would make a lot of clubs moving away from playing academy players as causes far to much disruption with players who are there already if you only see the provincal players 3/4 times a year. Under 20s returning from World cup will be most affected. Rumours of change to AIL for next season even though publicly saying it will be season after next. New replacement for B&I will likely make changes inevitable

joseywhales

Would be nice to see these games played at other venues around the country, with E10 gates or whatever.

irishfan9

joseywhales wrote: »

Would be nice to see these games played at other venues around the country, with E10 gates or whatever.

costs enough as is.

The Lost Sheep

ArmchairQB wrote: »

Yeah wont be good for clubs more academy games clubs tend to get access to players on their way up not on their way down this would put a stop to that and would make a lot of clubs moving away from playing academy players as causes far to much disruption with players who are there already if you only see the provincal players 3/4 times a year. Under 20s returning from World cup will be most affected. Rumours of change to AIL for next season even though publicly saying it will be season after next. New replacement for B&I will likely make changes inevitable

Academy games are needed. Any changes will affect a small enough proportion of clubs but will affect them quite a bit but these are the top clubs who generally have best strength in depth so ....

joseywhales wrote: »

Would be nice to see these games played at other venues around the country, with E10 gates or whatever.

Wouldnt matter what gate is but would be fantastic to see games in other venues. Ive talked about it plenty of times and while Munster have been best of provinces to move games around the others could do more. Like Ulster playing A game in somewhere in Donegal or Monaghan.
Leinster playing in Carlow, Birr, Mullingar. Connacht in Sligo

joseywhales

irishfan9 wrote: »

joseywhales wrote: »

Would be nice to see these games played at other venues around the country, with E10 gates or whatever.

costs enough as is.

Yes I'm sure it's a pure cost as is, price of development. I wonder is it much more to play 20 miles away for the sake of encouraging grass roots support, I'm sure the clubs would be delighted with the bar receipts etc.

The Lost Sheep

joseywhales wrote: »

Yes I'm sure it's a pure cost as is, price of development. I wonder is it much more to play 20 miles away for the sake of encouraging grass roots support, I'm sure the clubs would be delighted with the bar receipts etc.

Its far from bar receipts that clubs would be happy with. Its that getting games like that are great ways to get new people into the club as if they go to a provincial game in the ground you can entice etc them to come again for a club game.
The cost shouldnt come into it. There has been A level and other games played in Donnybrook with relatively small crowds that certainly would be matched or surpassed if played in a provincial venue and same with Connacht and playing outside of the Sportsground