AIL 25/26

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123948604#Comment_123948604

Its still AIL even with regionalised leagues and you have to look at off the pitch if it helps clubs get more going to games home or away then it shouldnt be seen as a bad thing. having more local games shouldnt be a bad thing. may help with some players who mightnt want or be able to travel over nights before games

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123948637#Comment_123948637

I argued a while back in a previous seasons threadS that we shouldnt have been regionalising all of division 2. good to see 2A will remain fully nationwide but no harm in trialling a split for divisions 2B/2C. i doubt Shannons plight was of much concern and theres been many clubs with academy players from other provinces for years in divisions 2A/B and 2C. Could or Should IRFU provide more assistance for travel? of course but cutting travel costs shouldnt be seen as a bad thing. I dont think you can say because teams promoted last season are doing well in the higher division shows this decision as baffling.

Strand1970

Buccaneers, Sligo, Malahide, Navan will play the ulster teams in the northern division. For these clubs the new regional division makes no difference for travel. Only change is possible relagation after 1 season.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123948820#Comment_123948820

There was always going to be clubs who would still have extensive travelling no matter the format. Like Sligo. No matter the format theyve extensive travel.

This change isnt a big deal or should be a problem. Long term if this stays in place i think this can be good for the league

Strand1970

It's just tough on the 2B teams effectively all being relegated into the bottom division with the prospect of becoming a junior club if they have one poor season.

Chirpo123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123948604#Comment_123948604

Absolute nonsense.

There is very little difference in terms of standard between 2B and 2C.

The whole argument against this is entrenched in old men stuck in the past, ultimately when they split the leagues into 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C they went from 3 leagues to 5 and they kept a 1 and a 2 in front of the leagues to keep some old blazers happy that they were still a "division 1" club when no one in their right mind thinks being in 1B means you are in the top division, as if there is any difference between being relegated from 1A to 1B than there is from 1B to 2A - it's just a label, it became a 5 division league long ago, and now its becoming a 4 Division League.

There will be an annual reshuffle between 2BN and 2BS by the Dublin based teams, as being in North or South doesn't really impact them as much as other clubs, so promotion from Junior or relegation from 2A will be dealt with like that.

More local derbies in 2BN and 2BS will be good for clubs, more through the gate, more through the bar and less on travel.

If a club finishing 2nd in 2B this season finds itself finishing bottom of 2BN next season, losing a playoff against the bottom team in 2BS or beating them and then losing to the loser of the Junior Playoff then something has gone seriously wrong, and they deserve to get relegated.

And let's be real - players will go to the clubs that offer them the most money regardless of what the league they are in is called. Look at the amount of ex Div 1 players at Dolphin, Bective and Monkstown in 2C.

It's a one off transition season and clubs just have to suck it up.

My biggest gripe is the timing of the announcement - the season had already started and they tell 2C clubs there's no point in finishing top 4, and 2B clubs it doesn't matter if you finish bottom.

The clubs that have chucked big funds into recruiting players - well shove it up them, they shouldn't be doing it.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949332#Comment_123949332

Would agree with this. Look the league has gone through huge changes from the very beginning in 90-91. and there has been splits before like 1A/1B then divisions 2 and 3. And the split with 1A/1B compared to 2A/B was in part to differentiate that full contracted players could play division 1 and not 2. then the split to 1A/1B and 2A/B/C, And totally agree a club who finishes 10th in 2B then finishes bottom of 2B North or South and loses playoff deserves to go down.

totally agree on timings. Now clubs new this was coming as its based a lot on feedback from them but it should have been publicised before league started so clubs new what was what from round 1 of the league

Steamy Beamy

Feel like a lot of clubs that are unaffected by the changes are telling clubs and 2B/2C that this is a good thing for them but don’t have to face the prospect of it themselves.

What impact will this have on recruitment and playing numbers for these clubs? Will players look to move to 2A and above clubs to play in fully All-Ireland league rather than regional? Will a team like Galwegians be able to keep their academy players if they don’t make it into 2A by the end of the season? (Not the best example seen as they have a very realistic chance of going up, bur you get my sentiment).

Having more local games is great in theory but if the quality of those games drops then attendances will follow.

Has the potential to create an intermediate-esque level between senior and junior rugby, which I’m not sure is a good thing.

The timing of it all is madness too, quarter of the way through the season you’re telling clubs in 2C that all you need to do is avoid relegation. Some clubs in 2B could have been looking at a year of consolidation before pushing for promotion in 26/27 but now are caught on the hop.

Kilteragh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123950473#Comment_123950473

This is it exactly. For years the IRFU were trying to push for just 2 AIL divisions. The Clubs repeatedly rejected it because a majority were against it. (50 teams in 5 divisions, with not all in the top two divisions in favour either).

Now they've managed to alter the proposal to the bottom two divisions and got a critical mass vote with 2C largely in favour and 2B mostly not. I would imagine this alteration swung it for many in 2A as well but many 2B Clubs will be raging.

For 2A Clubs the immediate focus has to be to avoid relegation at all costs and then start planning to be a permanent member of the top 3 divisions. Hopefully this will have the effect of raising standards.

Chirpo123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123950473#Comment_123950473

I don't buy this drop in standard argument.

2C is stacked with quality clubs- you have strong 4 clubs just out of Junior in Bective, Ballyclare, Thomond and Monkstown, 3 Clubs who were division 1 not that long ago in Bruff, Harlequins and Dolphin, 1 club just down from 2B in Malahide and 2 2C stalwarts in Clonmel and Midleton.

You then have the prospect of one or 2 of the strongest Junior Clubs in Enniskillen / Dromore / Seapoint etc coming up to replace to 1 or 2 of the weakest teams.

Seeing both Instonians and Clogher shoot straight through 2C into 2B and be finishing top 4, Ballyclare top 4 and Monkstown 5th in 2C and the start Thomond and Bective have made this season shows the incoming Junior sides are very strong - it's a very strong case that there is very minimal difference in standard between 2B and 2C.

You then look at 2A and the start Dungannon have made with minimal recruitment and Wanderers have slotted right in shows the top of 2B is not much better than the middle of 2A.

With this new model any club who is near the top of 2B this year, should still be at the top of their 2BN/2BS next year and still have the same opportunity for promotion.

It seems the main opposition to the restructure is coming from Dublin based clubs, who don't face the same travel issues and costs as clubs in the rest of Ireland.

Strand1970

The main opposition is from both leinster and connacht clubs. These are the clubs on the dividing line. This new format is no benefit to them, similiar amount of travel. If Corinthians were relegated in theory they could be playing in north while galwegians 5km away be playing in south. New format benefits mainly munster and ulster clubs. Players will move to 2A clubs if there is one nearby especially academy players. I am surprised the IRFU didn't go full in and have 2A in regional setup also. That would make more sense concentrating the talent in the top 20 clubs.

Kilteragh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123950967#Comment_123950967

These things are voted on by the Clubs. The IRFU, under Nucifora have tried time and time again to go to just 20 Clubs but the Clubs have rejected that proposal many times.

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123950473#Comment_123950473

Maybe but the points being made still stand. I dont think it will affect many clubs from recruiting even in some of the areas with far more clubs and competition for players is higher. Galwegians will be able to keep their players and this change wont affect that. Connacht have been trying to keep the academy players in Connacht clubs. this change wont impact that.

Ive seen affect of more local games and yes even with a lower quality the nearer, and easier to get to games, will see more attending

The timing you have a point on but clubs did know this was coming and contributed to the changes being made as all were consulted. I dont think any club will have been caught on the hop.

Lost Ormond

Comfortable win for Shannon over ballymena in thomond

Nearly over and OK crowd helped by some coming in early for munster game

typhoony

Watching nure v hinch, both gabriel and dan martin very prominent the latter should definitely be involved at provincial level

StevenToast

Another spanking for Nenagh today....finding the going tough with the big dogs....

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123955559#Comment_123955559

no surprise. just dont have squads compared to the bigger clubs. playing bateman cup at home to tarf next week i think so maybe change of comp may give them something to aim for and why do you keep focusing on Nenaghs results? Strange…

mun1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123955599#Comment_123955599

It looks like the nenagh management put too much stock in winning the MSC last season, and assumed that was the required level for 1A games.

Not a lot they can do about it now as a return to 1B looks likely. No shame in that, and they can regroup next season and push again.

I doubt there is any team in 1A that depends on “homegrown”:players as much as nenagh. The players just aren’t there to compete at 1A.

I reckon if you put the best AIL players(excluding contracted players) from limerick teams onto one , they wouldn’t be any more competitive than the team YM put out yesterday.

YM had to do without 7 players playing for munster that they could normally expect to call upon for a 1A game (Quinn, EOc, Murphy, O’riordan, MCarthy, Butler, gibbons, ). Would expect a good few of these players available for more 1A matches as season goes on. But that the peril of depending on contracted players.

It was a great win v Belvo all things considered.

CBC14

interesting results yesterday, Terenure flying it after loss to Con, Spencer seems to have followed on from Skehan seamlessly. Nenagh conceding 100 points in two games is concerning, big pack and some good players but watched some of the stream of their Nure game, defence is appalling, will need to seriously improve in that area. Mary’s top of the pile, they seem to be a real force for a second season running. Tarf winning with a BP, I actually thought it would be much more significant on the scoreboard. I’m not sure who is coaching UCD but they are doing some job keeping that team competitive week to week. Con have lost 3 of the first five, need to reset during the break. Cookies have 12 points I think having lost 4 of 5, shows how close they have been, bizarre how their teamsheet changes season to season to the extent it does, shows the difficulty of building a contender in Limerick.

luke9311

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123956871#Comment_123956871

emmet macmahon still head coach of the students i think?

Lost Ormond

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123950899#Comment_123950899

Its 10 plus years ago that Bruff were division 1 nearly 10 years since Dolphin were division 1, tbink you are over egging the standards of 2C a bit tbf. I think the way junior sides coming up have done more shows there isnt any gap between top junior sides and bottom AIL sides more than any gap 2B/2C.