Championship Rugby

[Banquo]

14 team league is the signed off ‘direction of travel’, assuming all the existing 12 teams meet mos they then form the first 12 teams in; there is in theory a promotion relegation playoff between prem and champ, assuming again the champ side meets mos.
In theory again, one side could come up from NL1, if they’ve applied, then one side from the applicants. Practically a couple of Champ sides are likely to fail mos - whether that means immediate demotion is not known.


Ie lots of unknowns

Lots of unknowns? Well colour me surprised! I get that things are still in motion, especially with the clubs that went bust, but the basic outline should be know. By now you’d hope. But if someone in your position doesn’t have clarity, then there’s serious issues in play still it seems.

They have a concept of a plan.

Mind, the fact that they are excited about tenders from clubs who don't have a) a stadium, b) confirmation of enough money to pay off the debts they already owe, let alone run operating expenses going forwards, and c) any players, is probably a guide to the level of hopefulness involved. Who needs details when you have **dreams**?

Puja

tbh its wuss and wasps fans who are getting most excited.Massie-Taylor shouldnt be saying anything.....

[FKAS]

Lots of unknowns? Well colour me surprised! I get that things are still in motion, especially with the clubs that went bust, but the basic outline should be know. By now you’d hope. But if someone in your position doesn’t have clarity, then there’s serious issues in play still it seems.

They have a concept of a plan.

Mind, the fact that they are excited about tenders from clubs who don't have a) a stadium, b) confirmation of enough money to pay off the debts they already owe, let alone run operating expenses going forwards, and c) any players, is probably a guide to the level of hopefulness involved. Who needs details when you have **dreams**?

Puja

tbh its wuss and wasps fans who are getting most excited.Massie-Taylor shouldnt be saying anything.....

The Worcester infrastructure is still all there. It wouldn't be a massive stretch to revive that side. A cash injection then start the rebuild, might take a while to unpick all the damage from the fecking cowboys that ruined it though.

Wasps have sweet FA can't see them realistically coming back in anything close to a sustainable manner unless they merge with Worcester.

[Banquo]

They have a concept of a plan.

Mind, the fact that they are excited about tenders from clubs who don't have a) a stadium, b) confirmation of enough money to pay off the debts they already owe, let alone run operating expenses going forwards, and c) any players, is probably a guide to the level of hopefulness involved. Who needs details when you have **dreams**?

Puja

tbh its wuss and wasps fans who are getting most excited.Massie-Taylor shouldnt be saying anything.....

The Worcester infrastructure is still all there. It wouldn't be a massive stretch to revive that side. A cash injection then start the rebuild, might take a while to unpick all the damage from the fecking cowboys that ruined it though.

Wasps have sweet FA can't see them realistically coming back in anything close to a sustainable manner unless they merge with Worcester.

Wouldnt underestimate the antipathy towards phoenix clubs , but my real point is that wuss supporters seem to think the process is a slam dunk for them

[Margin_Walker]

For what it's worth, I'm not remotely excited from a LI point of view.

Before you even get to the rights and wrongs of having the opportunity bid for a tier 2 slot, they are a million miles away.

The bloke doing all the talking doesn't even own the club. I've not seen anything in the way if news that doesn't look sourced directly from him. Not convinced he actually has the money to do what he's trying to. Just a bunch of paper companies and a third or fourth tier women's football club that he's just sold. There's plenty of money showing in unaudited accounts on companies house, the veracity of which were pretty heavily questioned by Reading FC fans when he was trying to buy them.

[FKAS]

On a lighter note here's young Archie Van Der Flier kicking a 50:22 for Notts whilst on loan from Tigers. I think Dan Cole and the other established members of the ABC club might have 'views' on this sort of thing.

[francoisfou]

On a lighter note here's young Archie Van Der Flier kicking a 50:22 for Notts whilst on loan from Tigers. I think Dan Cole and the other established members of the ABC club might have 'views' on this sort of thing.

He'll be quickly be drummed out of the Front row union!

[FKAS]

England need a new crash ball centre apparently, this one's 6 foot 4 and 19 stone with a kicking game...

[Banquo]

Beat our first fully pro side yesterday- but Pirates in big trouble off the park. In other news, Ampthills model looks a challenge when they can’t get the Sarries lads, going down 92-0 and Blues make Doncaster even more unhappy.

[FKAS]

Archie Vanes off the bench grabbing the Cambridge winner.

What's the story with Cornish Pirates? A quick Google suggests that they've renewed sponsorship with St Austell Brewery but nowt else.

[Banquo]

Archie Vanes off the bench grabbing the Cambridge winner.

What's the story with Cornish Pirates? A quick Google suggests that they've renewed sponsorship with St Austell Brewery but nowt else.

Vanes is absolutel nails, great guy on loan. Sadly because of the prem cup farrago we don’t have a game for a month- then round one of Not the Premiership Cup Cup v Chinnor

On Pirates, Sir Dicky Evans has been piling in cash for the playing side for years, but his sunset clause kicks in in Jan, and they will have to move to semi pro; they have little matchday income as catering and bar is outsourced. Need more sponsors, but Penzance isn’t in fine fettle. Lovely guys and gals trying very hard. In theory quite well placed to be a feeder for Exeter and/or Bath, but facilities aren’t the best.

[Puja]

Archie Vanes off the bench grabbing the Cambridge winner.

What's the story with Cornish Pirates? A quick Google suggests that they've renewed sponsorship with St Austell Brewery but nowt else.

Vanes is absolutel nails, great guy on loan. Sadly because of the prem cup farrago we don’t have a game for a month- then round one of Not the Premiership Cup Cup v Chinnor

On Pirates, Sir Dicky Evans has been piling in cash for the playing side for years, but his sunset clause kicks in in Jan, and they will have to move to semi pro; they have little matchday income as catering and bar is outsourced. Need more sponsors, but Penzance isn’t in fine fettle. Lovely guys and gals trying very hard. In theory quite well placed to be a feeder for Exeter and/or Bath, but facilities aren’t the best.

They desperately needed the Stadium for Cornwall to go through about 7-10 years ago - had that happened and not been killed by various interests (and austerity and Cameron's government conveniently forgetting they'd promised in their 2015 manifesto to fund it, as soon as they won every seat in Cornwall), then they'd be one of the strongest teams in the league by now.

ETA: Found this while getting annoyed about the missed opportunities: https://web.archive.org/web/20150718172 ... story.html

Out of curiosity, I googled to see whether the road project that he "specifically mentioned" as a 2015 priority for levelling up Cornwall was done. It was, but only after two further elections (where it was presumably used as a "Vote for us and we'll deliver this!" promise, with first shovels working in 2022. Typical.

Puja

[Banquo]

Archie Vanes off the bench grabbing the Cambridge winner.

What's the story with Cornish Pirates? A quick Google suggests that they've renewed sponsorship with St Austell Brewery but nowt else.

Vanes is absolutel nails, great guy on loan. Sadly because of the prem cup farrago we don’t have a game for a month- then round one of Not the Premiership Cup Cup v Chinnor

On Pirates, Sir Dicky Evans has been piling in cash for the playing side for years, but his sunset clause kicks in in Jan, and they will have to move to semi pro; they have little matchday income as catering and bar is outsourced. Need more sponsors, but Penzance isn’t in fine fettle. Lovely guys and gals trying very hard. In theory quite well placed to be a feeder for Exeter and/or Bath, but facilities aren’t the best.

They desperately needed the Stadium for Cornwall to go through about 5-6 years ago - had that happened and not been killed by various interests (and austerity), then they'd be one of the strongest teams in the league by now.

Puja

I don't think the numbers ever worked. That's Rugby

Even so, they've spent all the sugar daddy cash on players, put zip into their own facilities, don't run own bar and catering offers, so to some extent they didn't do the right thing for as long as they've been propped up. Hindsight? Mebbe.

[Mellsblue]

Dean Adamson, Bedford born and bread, is the top try scorer in Champ Rugby history.

[francoisfou]

Dean Adamson, Bedford born and bread, is the top try scorer in Champ Rugby history.

Sliced bread?

[Mellsblue]

Dean Adamson, Bedford born and bread, is the top try scorer in Champ Rugby history.

Sliced bread?

lol. Bloody autocorrect (I think/hope!). More like a hot knife slicing through butter.

[Banquo]

Dean Adamson, Bedford born and bread, is the top try scorer in Champ Rugby history.

Sliced bread?

lol. Bloody autocorrect (I think/hope!). More like a hot knife slicing through butter.

at least going to France didn't Rouen him

[Mellsblue]

Sliced bread?

lol. Bloody autocorrect (I think/hope!). More like a hot knife slicing through butter.

at least going to France didn't Rouen him

I think you’re making a mountain out of Richard moleHill over one season in France.

[francoisfou]

Sliced bread?

lol. Bloody autocorrect (I think/hope!). More like a hot knife slicing through butter.

at least going to France didn't Rouen him

Mind you, no club was Racing to sign him

[Banquo]

Dean Adamson, Bedford born and bread, is the top try scorer in Champ Rugby history.

Try of the week this week

https://x.com/i/status/1848733185632329816

[Mellsblue]

Dean Adamson, Bedford born and bread, is the top try scorer in Champ Rugby history.

Try of the week this week

https://x.com/i/status/1848733185632329816

Insert aubergine emoji here.

[Which Tyler]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jqbllb
interview with Jon Sharp owner of Coventry Rugby

[Banquo]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jqbllb
interview with Jon Sharp owner of Coventry Rugby

always puts his mouth where his money is

[Mellsblue]

Not The Prem Cup. Brilliant!!!!

[Banquo]

Not The Prem Cup. Brilliant!!!!

Aye! Got a fair bit of coverage. It was originally Not the Premiership Cup Cup. Which I thought was funnier

[Banquo]

Not The Prem Cup. Brilliant!!!!

Aye! Got a fair bit of coverage. It was originally Not the Premiership Cup Cup. Which I thought was funnier

https://www.cityam.com/appalling-laugha ... exclusion/