Rhys Webb banned for four years for doping violations. Have to imagine that's his career over.
I don't know, having games on a Saturday and a Sunday works for me as I usually don't have the time to watch more than one game in one day, and can plan the day around a match, so would usually watch one match on a Friday and one on a Saturday, or one on a Saturday and one on a Sunday. I'd probably find it hard to organise to be free for 3 full matches on a Saturday, much as I would like to, and I suspect a lot of people would just pick the one game to watch, and numbers might actually drop off.
Tested positive last July & contested the test finding.
Reckon he knew this was coming.
Probably trying to argue there was a steroid he was unaware of in his fake tan or something.
Synthetic growth hormone in fake tan ?. Wouldn't be surprised 😁
He's got so much fake tan that he's in danger of a headbutt from Jaminet
Edit: not worth bothering with such nonsense.
+1
The Sunday games are always a bit of a damp squib.
A Friday night game and two later kickoff Saturday games would be ideal. Both for fans watching, but also for rugby clubs. It gives two nights of lots of people in the bar spending money.
Put the worst game of the weekend (which would have been on Sunday) early kickoff on Saturday, have the 8pm Friday and 6pm Saturday slots for the big games.
Three games all on the Saturday will cause serious problems for clubs trying to fit in first and seconds games before any of the games kickoff. And limit casual fans coming in to the bar to just one day. And also just generally be too much rugby for a lot of fans, its a lot to watch in one go - 6+ hours straight.
Sunday games are awful
How many clubs have firsts and seconds playing Saturdays though. In ireland at least. Not case for majority of clubs here. Getting casual fans into clubs as much as possible should be the aim. Anything we can do to get more fans or casual fans into sport beyond the pro side of the game the better.
Friday games are good TV, though a bit rubbish for travelling fans. I do worry that you dilute the "Super Saturday" effect by having all games on saturdays every week to be honest.
They could have a Friday game in Rd 1 and Rd 3 to reduce the impact but that would be too sensible.
Are they getting rid of the rest weeks? That would be a good change
Not good for the players, or indeed for the quality of rugby by the time the fifth consecutive week rolls around
They're professional players, they're well capable of playing 5 weekends in row. Most of the non Irish lads do it week in, week out.
Just the coming season 2024-2025, they play club rugby the 3 preceding consecutive weekends, and then after the 6 nations straight into another 10 consecutive weeks of club rugby.
Unless you are suggesting they take 1 of the off weekends after the 3 club rugby weekends but before the first round of 6 nations games, then play 5 weekends consecutive 6 nations, then have another off weekend, before jumping into the 10 weekends of club rugby?
Or do away with those 2 rest weekends entirely, leaving them playing 18 weekends in a row?
Players need rest, regardless of being profrssional, given collisions and injuries you could say professional players need more rest, professional rugby is relativly new.
And they'll get it. At other times. They could play 5 weeks in a row and would take rest breaks at other stages of season then. Pro rugby is 30 years old or there abouts. Why do you need to being that up though. ..
My club has firsts and seconds playing on Saturdays and has had for years. Seconds game is on early, then the firsts immediately after. Both over by 5pm-ish. Its the case for most clubs I know of currently anyway.
Having a game on Friday night and two on Saturday will get far more casual fans watching the sport (and into rugby clubs to watch the games) than a marathon three games every Saturday.
Where's your club?
It isn't case for majority of clubs here that firsts and seconds both play Saturdays.
Agreed , typically odd numbered teams play Saturdays (1sts , 3rds etc.) and even numbers play Sunday (2nd's , 4ths etc.)
That might vary depending on what league your "1sts" play in though , but having a team and the level immediately below them playing on the same day would be hard for a lot of clubs as the bench for the 1sts are usually starters for the seconds etc. , certainly in smaller clubs
Ill definitely watch less games if they are all on a saturday. i just can't tell my family that I am completely booked for 5 full Saturdays during the six nations.
And I doubt I'm the only one.
For those who might be interested;
Leinster Rugby Referees are holding their next New Referee Course on Sunday 1st September in Westmanstown Sports & Conference centre. For more details contact sean.gallagher@irfu.ie
Yes, they should be capable of playing 5 weeks of 6Ns in a row. They'll be rested plenty prior to that through normal rotation. It's an area that could stand us to good stead for the WC if our players were conditioned to that sort of intensity.
Don't want to dox myself too badly given some of the stuff thats happened on boards before but its a small club in Dublin - no 3rds.
@Quin_dub My understanding has always been having the two teams playing on the same day actually makes it easier to get numbers for the games - much easier to share players as required when both teams are down at the club ready to play on the same day.
American Football has been professional for much longer, and give players long breaks to recover - the collision and concussion issue is why players welfare and proper rest is important, rather than paying lip service. Thats why.
Its mid July and the international players are still playing, while the provinces are probably returning to pre season, madness
It's fine at lower levels where you can keep thr 2nds just playing same league as 1sts but there's very few leagues like that countrywide. For rest the clubs firsts and seconds will be in leagues playing very different teams every week so you can't do that with them playing same venue and team
American Football is a closed league played in 1 country and not comparebale for few other reasons as well.
The players get plenty of rest and recovery. Yes provinces are coming back but the players that are back will have been off for 5/6 weeks already and any who finished later will be back for pre season later. The players also get breaks during season as well so unless you have a proposal to totally change entire structure that keeps incomes for everyone simular or better then what can you do?
NFL is a closed league, there's college football. There's some European leagues as well.
Player welfare is far more important than a couple of extra euro.
The players don't get nearly enough rest. International players that is.
And Player welfare is fairly high. The international players get rest through season as well. Several weeks. Never said player welfare was less important than €€€
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