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England 2024/25

My understanding is it's an eight team franchise that travels the globe like F1. It's more 'events weekend with rugby' rather than just rugby.

It'll die a death like rugby X did and probably not even get off the ground.
 
My understanding is it's an eight team franchise that travels the globe like F1. It's more 'events weekend with rugby' rather than just rugby.

It'll die a death like rugby X did and probably not even get off the ground.
Apparently several England players are willing to join for a lower workload and higher pay.
 
My understanding is it's an eight team franchise that travels the globe like F1. It's more 'events weekend with rugby' rather than just rugby.

It'll die a death like rugby X did and probably not even get off the ground.

It may, it may not but I'd take it seriously. And even if it flops there will be another idea along soon.

We've already seen peak years players give up on the international game for money whether ABs through Japanese sabbaticals or English players going to France. Short career, concussions, one injury away, other sportsmen getting paid far more etc, you can understand the temptation to cash in.

The ABs are exploring the possibility of playing in the Middle East and Beaumont recently said that going there was inevitable as the sport needed the money. At least he was honest enough not to BS people about growing the game.

I suspect that the only certainty is that the next 10 years will probably see more changes in the game than the previous 120. But that's what happens when the money men get involved. Invite them through the door at your peril, as make no mistake, they don't give a **** about anything other than sweating the assets to make short term money.
 
It may, it may not but I'd take it seriously. And even if it flops there will be another idea along soon.

We've already seen peak years players give up on the international game for money whether ABs through Japanese sabbaticals or English players going to France. Short career, concussions, one injury away, other sportsmen getting paid far more etc, you can understand the temptation to cash in.

The ABs are exploring the possibility of playing in the Middle East and Beaumont recently said that going there was inevitable as the sport needed the money. At least he was honest enough not to BS people about growing the game.

I suspect that the only certainty is that the next 10 years will probably see more changes in the game than the previous 120. But that's what happens when the money men get involved. Invite them through the door at your peril, as make no mistake, they don't give a **** about anything other than sweating the assets to make short term money.
Playing in the Middle East is just a vanity product. They not going to sell many tickets they at all or even get a higher broadcast revenue.
 
Playing in the Middle East is just a vanity product. They not going to sell many tickets they at all or even get a higher broadcast revenue.
I wouldn't mind as that's where I'm currently based and Ire vs Arg will finish at 1am tonight. However, you're not going to sell out stadiums regularly around the world year on year. It will be a novelty, nothing more.
 
The RFU will block any players who join the breakaway league from representing England but other countries might not do so - so international tournaments will be a mess as England could be relying on players currently no where near selection while some countires abandon their league and still select their best.
 
Playing in the Middle East is just a vanity product. They not going to sell many tickets they at all or even get a higher broadcast revenue.

Probably get quite a big appearance fee though.

The game's mostly in a mess. You're increasingly going to see teams and players following the money wherever that might be.
 
I wouldn't mind as that's where I'm currently based and Ire vs Arg will finish at 1am tonight. However, you're not going to sell out stadiums regularly around the world year on year. It will be a novelty, nothing more.

That's what they said about franchise cricket and that's played in even fewer countries than rugby.

There's no real sporting merit to it. But everybody has a price, it's just a question of finding it.
 

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