Development of Rugby using the Amlin Challenge Cup

[Jayatron]

The big “Six Nations†for the best part of one hundred years have dominated Rugby in the Northern Hemisphere. However, unlike the teams of North America where they are generally left to there own devices, we have a unique opportunity to develop rugby within Europe. Without doubt rugby has been taken to new audiences and huge advancements have been made, the only thing I question is, is the Amlin Challenge Cup being used to its full potential as a means to promote and develop rugby in the 2nd Tier Nations of European Rugby?

Within the last few months the IRB have announced plans to help promote rugby on an international scale to these second tier sides with a new “integrated scheduleâ€. See below.
http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediazone/pressrelease/newsid=2037367.html

But I ask is the clubs of Europe doing enough. These are the feeder clubs to the international teams and no team can survive without a strong base. Let the best players of these countries play their trade in France and England but do not stop developing there! Here is what I found on Wikipedia, -

“It is also hoped that VVA-Podmoskovye Monino the 'Russian Air Academy' from the Russian Professional Rugby League will be able to enter a team into the competition in a near future.
With the move towards professionalising rugby union in Germany, led by the SC 1880 Frankfurt, it is hoped that the Wild Rugby Academy in Heidelberg will be able to field a German team in the competition in the near future. The academy hopes to be able to field a team under the name of Wild ***ans by 2010. The later plan was delayed but a German team is now scheduled to enter the competition from 2011, alongside other academy teams from Russia, Spain and Georgia.
It's been suggested that Portugal will enter the competition in the future with a team made up from the top sides in the country, in a similar way to Bucureşti Oaks, from Romania.â€

These countries, with the help of the IRB and European Rugby should be building professional rugby structures where a stronger, fitter and greater depth of players should be bred. With the inclusion of these teams, if it ever actually happens, would be a huge boost for the European Nations of Division 1 and with further expansion Division 2.
List of Teams- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Nations_Cup_(Rugby_Union)

We need more professional leagues with the winners being offered a place in the Amlin cup which would be funded by European Rugby or the IRB, and where the clubs have the responsibility to not make this a game of rugby but an event the whole city and/or region can enjoy.

How else, if at all can we keep developing rugby in Europe?

 

[Daylightfire]

I think this is a great idea,,

It would definitely open up chances across Europe for smaller leagues to get more game time against tier 1 sides.

Also it would open up great opportunity's for travelling to new places and drinking them dry!

 

[Feicarsinn]

It's done **** all for the Spanish eams that enter, they still get trounced by some of the poorestpro teams in Europe.

 

[Jayatron]

That's true they do get smashed, but if they where to maybe develop the idea of the "Super Ibérica de Rugby" then they could become more competitive. A professional league divided into regions that involve teams from Portugal and Gibraltar with the winners, or the highest ranked teams winning a place in the Amlin, like the Magners. This competitive environment would soon raise the standard. Its one think to grow a strong competition within your peninsular but to help your national team you need a cross bored contest and for the emerging rugby nations the Amlin, with some form of professionalism within there leagues, is that stepping stone.

The information I found on Super Ibérica de Rugby was on Wiki, but run the references through google translate and you got some good reading.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superibérica_de_Rugby

 

[dragos03]

I think the Amlin Cup should be expanded to include more teams from countries such as Russia, Georgia and Portugal.

As a Romanian, it's great for me to be able to watch the Bucharest Oaks play against the likes of Leeds or Stade Francais. Even if the Oaks don't win many games in the competition, every victory is great (like the latest one vs Crociati) and we at least get the chance to see quality rugby in Bucharest. It is also a very useful experience for the Romanian players involved, and I think such an experience should be extended to a few other countries from tier 2, as soon as they are ready for it.

Can't wait for December 11, when the Oaks will face Stade Francais in Bucharest. Even if we have almost no chance of winning the game, it will be great to watch.

 

[Toko_11]

It is a great idea and just what we need to make rugby even more popular here in Georgia. this idea is not new. our rugby union has been trying to bring international club rugby to the country for some time now and this summer they finally managed to organize the first ever international club tournament in Georgia called the black sea cup. It is to turn into an annual competition and should help the development of rugby in the countries around the region. this year teams from Romania, Ukraine and Georgia competed for the cup. next year they hope that Portugal Spain and Russia will join the tournament. unfortunately Russian rugby teams did not compete this year we will invite them next year again and hopefully they will change their mind. this tournament helps the development of the sport in our countries but if it were possible to play teams form UK, France, Ireland.. etc it would significantly improve the quality of play in Georgia. I hope this is not just promotion talk from IRB and we will see something done soon

 

[Faatau82]

Teams from the lower leagues in Europe, such as Germany, Spain, Russia, Romania, Georgia, Portugal etc could compete in a Magners League Division 2 or 3. So the last placed team in the Magners League would play the best team from the rest of europe's pro clubs and have a promotion/relegation play-off.. they'd lose no doubt, but it'd be something for all the clubs to aspire to.

 

[Jayatron]

I think cross boarder competition is the key for up and coming European nations. Even though Sale and Brive handed out a real hammering to El Salvador I think this is the road that European nations need to take. We only got to look at Italy to see how far they have come on the international and the domestic stage.
Maybe bringing back the old third tier European cup back could help, were teams from Spain, Germany and so on can perhaps play the French D2 teams or the English Championship teams?
Do you agree Toko 11 and dragos03 that the future of your national teams lies in a professional domestic league involved in a cross boarder competition?? Your better players will surely benefit from playing in France and England but the rest need to have some sort of structure in which they can develop??
As for a Mangers League idea I’m against the current format. I personally think that the 30 million Euros both teams spent getting into the league could of been better spent developing the game inside of Italy. Italy has already a strong structure which should be worked on rather than being abandoned. They have the player base, the money, support and the national team is strong enough to support their own league. While the likes of Spain and Portugal have none of this they need to develop from within, without running up huge league costs, transport and so on. Like I said a professional domestic league with a cross boarder European competition.
Agree?

 

[Toko_11]

Yes of course! we need good domestic competition that is the whole point of international tournaments we learn from stronger teams and then become as strong as them... every single game is of great importance for the future of Georgian rugby

 

[dragos03]

Of course I agree. I think rugby should in time drop its current close-format competitions and move to an tier one that would allow promotion-relegation between the tiers, that would be a great development for both national teams and clubs.

My country does have professional club teams, but the internal competition is all they can hope for, besides sending players to play for the Bucharest Oaks in the Amlin Cup. There is also the "Central European Cup", which includes teams from Romania, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Rep, but the level of the opposition is so low that the two Romanian teams that take part always meet in the final.

The answer would indeed be a competition with teams from Romania, Georgia, Russia, Spain, Portugal, maybe even a few more countries + eventually lower league English and French teams.

 

[cyRil]

Yeah but where are the Fijian, Samoan and Tongan club teams going to play? They need to be involved and we aren't doing enough to support their development.
I blame the Celtic nations.

 

[Jayatron]

So Romania already has a professional league? I knew about the Oaks who enter into the Amlin, but had no idea. This, I believe, is the way all European development countries should go. I love to see this happen in Germany and Belgium, as I have friends in both countries who play rugby.
Completely agree about the Pacific Island teams, the IRB need to put something in place on a more professional bases, especially after the performance of the Samoans and Fijians this autumn, and I also mean more that the Pacific Rugby Cup. Maybe getting involved the Japanese Top League would be a benefit or the NPC?
So how do you mean that it is the Celtic countries fault?

 

[dragos03]

Romania has had a professional league for years. The Bucharest Oaks are actually not a team in the league, but a "best of". The Oaks were created because IRB refused to allow teams based in other cities than Bucharest to play in the Amlin Cup on their home grounds.

 

[Dougydeluxe]

The IRB have got to be smart in the next coming years. Now that 7's is an Olympic sport, there will be a lot more countries developing rugby. They need to use this added boost to help create opportunity for these countries to get involved in XV's. I am not sure, but look at Kenya. They are playing great 7's, but I have heard nothing about a XV's team. Some how the IRB have got to start creating chances for these lower tier teams to have meaningful tournaments/games that actually have an outcome that can be a positive, like promotion.