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The Rugby Thread

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
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30,495


Surely this is BS? I can’t see it happening tbh.

No more 6N, no more summer tours and it’d even put the lions in doubt. Plus, as was said in your tweet by Leo and Sopoaga, it’s a massive fuck you to the Pacific islands.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47418895

Looks like it’s dead in the water now anyway so hopefully they don’t pull out of the WC as that would be very sad. Totally understandable though as what other card do they hold?

You get the feeling this isn’t going to go away though. World Rugby obviously want to shake things up so just a matter of time until a new proposal is put forward.
 

SugarRay

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2011
7,984
11,110
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47418895

Looks like it’s dead in the water now anyway so hopefully they don’t pull out of the WC as that would be very sad. Totally understandable though as what other card do they hold?

You get the feeling this isn’t going to go away though. World Rugby obviously want to shake things up so just a matter of time until a new proposal is put forward.

It’s about money. The Southern Hemisphere teams are struggling financially and the rugby championship doesn’t make anywhere near as much moolah as the six nations does.
It started out as a suggestion to pool all the money and the dish it out equally amongst the competing nations apparently. I suspect the NH sides laughed at that suggestion.

Obviously not involving the Pacific island teams or Georgia, yet having the USA and Japan involved only proves that further. Fiji, Samoa and Tonga absolutely piss all over USA and Japan and pretty much always have done.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
It’s about money. The Southern Hemisphere teams are struggling financially and the rugby championship doesn’t make anywhere near as much moolah as the six nations does.
It started out as a suggestion to pool all the money and the dish it out equally amongst the competing nations apparently. I suspect the NH sides laughed at that suggestion.

Obviously not involving the Pacific island teams or Georgia, yet having the USA and Japan involved only proves that further. Fiji, Samoa and Tonga absolutely piss all over USA and Japan and pretty much always have done.

Agree re USA but Japan are pretty good these days
 

Barmy_in_Palmy

El Presidente In Absentia
Jun 6, 2005
16,254
17,215
It’s about money. The Southern Hemisphere teams are struggling financially and the rugby championship doesn’t make anywhere near as much moolah as the six nations does.
It started out as a suggestion to pool all the money and the dish it out equally amongst the competing nations apparently. I suspect the NH sides laughed at that suggestion.

Obviously not involving the Pacific island teams or Georgia, yet having the USA and Japan involved only proves that further. Fiji, Samoa and Tonga absolutely piss all over USA and Japan and pretty much always have done.
This isn’t just Southern Hemisphere wanting money, this is everyone wanting more and no one really giving a shit about the rest as long as they get their share.
 

LSUY

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2005
24,010
66,826
All about money. Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Georgia all miss out whilst USA get an invite...

That's modern sports. Cricket has the IPL, football has an ever expanding world cup and the Olympics is pursuing e-sports. The actual sports bit doesn't matter anymore as the primary concern is making as much money as possible.
 
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E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/47435119

World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont has called an emergency meeting to discuss the future of the international game.
Representatives from all tier-one countries - along with Fiji, Japan and the players' union - will gather in Dublin at the end of the month.
It follows widespread criticism of the latest proposals for a World League.
"I look forward to a constructive debate with my colleagues and productive outcomes," said Beaumont.
"Only by working together in the interests of the global game can we achieve something truly impactful in this important area for rugby's future global growth."
Beaumont added that "no decisions have been made" amid concerns over player welfare and the marginalising of the likes of Georgia and the Pacific Islands.
World Rugby insists it is in support of a promotion and relegation system in the league, but the Six Nations remains opposed to the concept.
This has contributed to the impasse, with sources fearing the Six Nations' stance could prove to be a roadblock for the development of emerging nations.
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Thewobbler

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2016
3,814
5,701
https://www.skysports.com/rugby-uni...estigation-into-saracens-salary-cap-explained

https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/rugby/saracens-facing-probe-into-salarycap-claims-a4082131.html

Saracens insist they comply with the league’s salary cap after a report revealed owner Nigel Wray is involved in businesses with members of the squad including England stars Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy.

Premiership Rugby will look into Saracens’ dealings and whether they breach the salary cap after the report in the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reveals how companies such as VunProp Ltd (the Vunipolas), Faz Investments Ltd and Wiggy9 Ltd (Richard Wigglesworth) have involvement from Wray.

The salary cap is contentious but club owners insisted that it would not be raised or lifted when private equity firm CVC bought a minority share in Premier Rugby Ltd (thought to be around 27 per cent) in December. “We take all information relating to the Salary Cap Framework very seriously,” said a Premiership Rugby spokesperson.

“We have received all the relevant information and will consider it in detail to determine if any action needs to be taken.”

A spokesperson for Saracens said: “It is not policy to supply specific details on publicly available information. The club readily complies with Premiership Rugby salary regulations and information relating to remuneration is declared to the salary cap manager.”

@talkshowhost86 you were asking the question about sarries and now the League is looking in to it.
 

mpickard2087

Patient Zero
Jun 13, 2008
21,886
32,513
That is no surprise about Sarries, they have been doing it for years it's well known and is how they stay under the cap. They've invested in all number of ideas their players have - one to reward them in other ways that doesn't count towards the salary cap, undoubtedly, but to be fair also it does help them with life outside and after rugby. A couple of their players started a brewery and are doing well at, and I think another player started a burger/meat/pie company, as a couple of examples. Property as mentioned in that article is another area where I've seen numerous stories/rumours before about how they operate.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
What a fucking joke Welsh regional rugby is at the moment. Ospreys and Scarlets to merge. Amazing the national team have performed as it has in recent weeks with all this shit going on.

Lots of coaches/players going to be out of a job. Still, we’re going to have a north Welsh region now. Great.
 

E17yid

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2013
16,985
30,495
Absolute shit for players coming up now too. I understand we’re the poorest nation in the pro 14 but this is a joke. How the dragons have survived I don’t know. Would’ve made more sense to merge Dragons/Cardiff imo.
 

teok

Well-Known Member
Aug 11, 2011
10,836
33,607
Rugby has this huge problem in that the pacific islands produce an insane amount of it's top stars that contribute towards it's success on an unbelievable scale relative to their population.

On the current model you just can't reward them financially because the infrastructure isn't there to get loads of european fans over to watch test matches. The lions is a big enough ask as it is but (and yes I have been to fiji and the cook islands) it's another massive plane journey even from NZ. There isn't really enough hotels or any thing to have such a huge influx of tourists.

So you really can't blame these guys for wanting to play for the bigger nations where their wages will literally pay for their families/extended communities.

There really isn't an obvious solution though. The only thing I can think of is having maybe a PI equivalent of the lions that played in the 6N or some thing? Having it based in europe and giving the money to the PI rfu's?

Can you imagine a combined team of all the PI players based in europe? They might even win it. They would certainly entertain.
 

Japhet

Well-Known Member
Aug 30, 2010
19,232
57,392
Rugby has this huge problem in that the pacific islands produce an insane amount of it's top stars that contribute towards it's success on an unbelievable scale relative to their population.

On the current model you just can't reward them financially because the infrastructure isn't there to get loads of european fans over to watch test matches. The lions is a big enough ask as it is but (and yes I have been to fiji and the cook islands) it's another massive plane journey even from NZ. There isn't really enough hotels or any thing to have such a huge influx of tourists.

So you really can't blame these guys for wanting to play for the bigger nations where their wages will literally pay for their families/extended communities.

There really isn't an obvious solution though. The only thing I can think of is having maybe a PI equivalent of the lions that played in the 6N or some thing? Having it based in europe and giving the money to the PI rfu's?

Can you imagine a combined team of all the PI players based in europe? They might even win it. They would certainly entertain.

I don't know what the figures are but there must be a load of PI players in the Aussie, SA and NZ leagues as well. It would probably be an issue if a PI team was established in a European competition. It's a real shame because, as you say, they could be a real force. The Maouris could be influential too but more in respect of how losing their players would weaken NZ - and we can't have that, can we.
 
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