URC 2024/25

standardg60

I actually looked away from the conversion it was such a gimme, how did he miss that?

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123148329#Comment_123148329

Entertaining for sure, but absolutely horrendous skills on display.

RAKM

I don't have a link but a friend has just texted to say the London Times reports that an Eddie Jordan led consortium has bought Ldn Irish and they want to join URC.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123161318#Comment_123161318

Link here:

https://www.thetimes.com/article/8794509d-6960-4ac0-ad36-6468823c8580?shareToken=0fdd82803d294eb97046c951d0cc70d2

letsbefair

Would be fantastic to have London Irish in the URC, a whole new market in London.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123163046#Comment_123163046

Have the URC indicated they are open to expansion? I'm reading that two clubs would need to join. In a perfect world we lose one welsh side and add London Irish.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123163228#Comment_123163228

Its sounded over the years that they're always open to it. At one stage they were courting US teams which would have been a horrific idea. If that was even a minor possibility, a London Irish team is a much safer bet.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123163257#Comment_123163257

I remember the Us club thing, what a mess that would have been. Was that during the pro 16 era or URC? Urc is a decent comp now, if the Welsh and Zebra get going we'd be laughing

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123163273#Comment_123163273

I think it was in the Pro14 era just after the Kings and Cheetahs joined. You're right, would have been a complete mess.

awec

Expanding the league any further would not work fixture wise, so the best option would be to bin a Welsh team and replace them.

But I don't really see how this could work. I don't see how London Irish would have the money to compete with the union-funded clubs. We'd be replacing a crap Welsh team with what's likely to be a crap London Irish team, no real net benefit to the league.

What would the purpose of this LI side be? To make money? Not going to happen in the URC.

PMC83

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123163348#Comment_123163348

Private investor? No idea tbh. Would they make money in the prem? Not sure if any of them do at this stage. Looks like the name is bought and that's about it. Nothing around any type of facilities sop you'd assume they will need some serious start up cash if this is to happen

Larbre34

Its silly to imagine that a London based team would be a fit for the URC.

The league is convoluted enough as it is. A smaller sport like rugby union only thrives with a healthy domestic and derby element. A local support base, local rivalries. If the professionalisation of the game in Wales has taught us anything, its that.

Yes, there are two Prem Clubs operating in north and west London, but its a huge market, perhaps the best bet for the new London Irish would be an east or south London base, perhaps as a ground share relationship with somewhere like Fulham FC in Hammersmith, or Leyton Orient in Stratford/Walthamstow, or Crystal Palace in Croydon, or Charlton Athletic at Greenwich.

niallm77

Nacho Brex rumoured to be off to Toulon next season. Big loss for Benetton if it happens.

bilston

I think a London based URC team would have massive potential because of the number of Celts and South Africans who live there, many of whom would have an interest in rugby.

However if the RFU need to give their consent then I can't see what is in it for them. Then there is the question of how to fit them into the URC. They'd have to replace someone, preferably a Welsh team. It would probably benefit Welsh rugby in the medium to long term to operate 3 regions. Take the 10 or so best Dragons players and share then around the other 3 sides and you strengthen them a bit and make them more competitive, it may also allow them a few extra quid in funding.

Ben Bailey

Would love to see London Irish in the URC. Preserving the present format of 16 Clubs seems optimal, so LI would join the re-jigged Welsh Shield & play their home games at Gtech.

pickarooney

Dragons are financially the best-off team in Wales. I don't think they or Cardiff would go. Most likely Ospreys and Scarlets merge if they needed to lose a team.

But I can't see how a tram based in London would have permission to play in a league not run by the RFU.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168340#Comment_123168340

Would the RFU have much of an input? As LI were out of business, kicked out of the league and left effectively unaffiliated, I would have thought that they were relatively free to do what they want?

Strangford Ellis weren't the only interested party in taking the club over, so you'd have to assume that a return path has been navigated otherwise there would be no logic in the takeover.

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168340#Comment_123168340

If the Club doesn't apply to play in RFU sanctioned competitions & are not in receipt of any RFU funding ?.

In the event of LI qualifying from the URC for the EPCR they would not be displacing any Prem Club.

Would the RFU oppose it ?. Yeah, probably, as they might fear that other Clubs would follow independently of them.

Cookiemunster

Any club playing rugby in England needs permission from the RFU to actually play. It doesn't matter what league they play in, if it's in England it's their jurisdiction.

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168437#Comment_123168437

Just because it's Rugby Union ?.

I can understand that World Rugby, made up of Unions, would only approve of a Club (presumably LI would regain membership of the RFU) entering any WR sanctioned event if the home Union of the nation concerned agreed to it. But how would it look if the RFU insisted that a Club could only play if it played in their competitions ?.

Particularly if it was public knowledge that the RFU was entertaining joining the URC ?.

bilston

I can't think of many reasons why the RFU would agree to it, other than It could give them the best of both worlds....access for its players (presumably there'd be a strong English player element at LI) to the Prem and URC (which is probably a higher level at the top end).

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123168939#Comment_123168939

It doesn't matter what the sport is, you need the local authority to sanction any official game in their territory.

So in the same way no official football match can occur England without the FAs sanction, no official rugby union match can occur in England without the RFUs sanction.

And the RFU are not PRL. They have no interest in the URC.

icdg

I wonder if the consortium’s interest in joining the URC is really by way of leverage over the RFU, if the talk is that they’re being blocked from joining the Championship. The argument going something like “you can’t stop us playing rugby, so let us play rugby against English teams, or we’re going to play in a foreign league on English soil”. Once the genie is out in terms of LI playing in the URC in England, then other English teams playing in the URC becomes viable, something the RFU (and PRL) will want to avoid.

Anyway, Round 11. or the Origin Round if you prefer. All games live in Ireland this round for once!

Fri 7:35pm

Ospreys v Leinster TG4 BBC Two Wales Prem 1

Edinburgh v Zebre Prem 2

Saturday

12 noon Lions v Stormers Prem 2

3pm Bulls v Sharks Prem 2

5:15pm Munster v Scarlets RTE2 S4C Prem 2

5:15pm Treviso v Ulster Prem 1

7:30pm Connacht v Cardiff TG4 S4C Prem 1

Sunday 2pm Dragons v Glasgow Prem 2

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123169655#Comment_123169655

you can’t stop us playing rugby

Except they absolutely can stop them.

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123169695#Comment_123169695

Except they absolutely can stop them.

The RFU can only stop them by mandating that no other English Club member of the RFU can play against them.

The RFU alone cannot stop them playing non-RFU Clubs. The RFU would have to rely on WR mandating that no member Clubs in any WR Union could play agianst LI. However, since the URC is a WR sanctioned championship, WR would have to choose between the RFU and the URC. If the RFU oppose LI playing either in the English Championship or the Premiership and also in the URC, are not the RFU restraining trade ?.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123169848#Comment_123169848

Is this in your mind or have you quoted something without linking to it?

icdg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123169695#Comment_123169695

To be clear, I was making no comment as to whether the RFU actually have the power to stop London Irish playing rugby - more that this may perhaps be the argument that they will be making.

My hypothesis is that their real intention is to get into the English pyramid rather than the URC.

Exclamation Marc

You would assume that any investor taking the club over would have legal advice that there was an avenue to join the URC if they are claiming that they are considering it. Unless it was purchased for peanuts, nobody would commit capital to a lost cause.

It wouldn't be a useful bargaining chip against the RFU (to pressure the RFU to rejoin the English pyramid) if the RFU knew it wasn't legally possible for them to join the URC.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123169848#Comment_123169848

The RFU have to sanction ANY official rugby union match between ANY teams that is played in England. LI absolutely could not play non English teams in any official competition without RFU sanctioning it.

Exclamation Marc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123170375#Comment_123170375

As another poster noted though, what would the reason be for not sanctioning it if they're not prepared to let them re-enter the rugby pyramid. A restriction of trade lawsuit waiting to happen.