Italian teams in Magners League from 2010/2011 season

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

http://www.magnersleague.com/570_3111.php
Statement from John Hussey, Chairman of Celtic Rugby on behalf of the board of Celtic Rugby.

The Celtic Rugby Board yesterday considered the possibility of the introduction of two Italian teams to the Magners League. Resulting from these deliberations it has advised the FIR that they have agreed in principle to invite two Italian teams to join the Magners League in season 2010/2011 subject to a number of conditions being met. These conditions, which will be clearly defined, fall under main headings of Playing and Facility standards, Finance and Commercial including Television. This will be a comprehensive process and will take some time. The Board therefore decided that participation could not commence before 2010/2011 season.

The Magners League is one of the top professional rugby union tournaments in the world. The quality of the Magners League is demonstrated by the fact that in the deciding Six Nations match between Wales and Ireland no less than 42 out of the 44 players that took part in that historic match play their rugby in the Magners League. Four of this seasons Heineken Cup quarterfinalists are Magners League teams. It is essential that any changes to the structure of this great competition maintain the highest standards.

 

[An Tarbh]

good for the Italians to know they have a concrete date.

Plenty of logisticals to work through in the meanwhile, will the Italian sides be made up of some amalgamations of existing sides, will it be the top 2 sides in the Super 10, what in turn will happen to the Super 10. Given we have a league structure it seems a qualification system for Italian sides into the ML via the Super 10 wouldn't work, it would make the domestic calendar too congested for one thing. Whether the ML sides would agree to that is another thing.

The TV deal also needs to be worked out, which UK and Irish broadcasters would get the rights to games in Italy, I know a new deal has been done in Italy so presumably that would cover that side of it.

Wonder what impact this will have on the proposed playoffs, you're already talking about an expanded domestic schedule with 10 teams, wonder whether the IRFU will agree on the same system with 12 sides.

 

[Cymro]

Playing Standards? Thats poor that is!

No team discussions either!

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

I've heard suggestions that the FIR want one of the franchises to be based in Rome (as an amalgamation of the two existing Roman teams in the Italian league). Some of the other rumoured locations have been Milan as a stand alone team, a Venetian team and a team from Parma.

 

[An Tarbh]

but I think it was danit who was saying that Brescia??? would be one of the best options, surely you have to go with the heartlands rather than the hope that it's in the capital will attract more support.

 

[Cymro]

Where are they going to get the players from? I presume if they base a club in Milan what players are going to play for them?

 

[An Tarbh]

you'd assume it would come from the existing Super 10 teams but you'd hope that the FIR would be able to centrally contract players and get the likes of Parisse et al back playing their rugby in Italy.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

The fact that the FIR have 18 months to finalise their bid will probably increase their chances of bringing in some quality players. I'd be surprised if the likes of Parisse can be brought back immediately but some of the lesser Italian squad members (like Carlo Del Fava or Andrea Masi for example) should be well within reach.

 

[Cymro]

True you do expect them to bring in centrally contracted players. But if you take the players out of the Italian main league what will happen to them?

 

[An Tarbh]

well it might worth their while pushing the boat out to try and get him back cause it might get people thinking if they can't get Parisse why should I be interested in this at all.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Mar 26 2009, 03:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

well it might worth their while pushing the boat out to try and get him back cause it might get people thinking if they can't get Parisse why should I be interested in this at all.[/b]

I've no doubt Parisse, Bergamasco, Bortolami, Castrogiovanni et al will be approached but would they really be interested in joining a start up team when they're currently earning excellent money with some of Europe's elite clubs? If the finance is there to bring them "home" I'm sure they'll be tempted (money talks) but it may take a couple of years for the Italian teams to get off their feet and start attracting top players.

 

[danit]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (snoopy snoopy dog dog @ Mar 26 2009, 01:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

The Board therefore decided that participation could not commence before 2010/2011 season.[/b]

still a long long time for the italian sides to argue on which clubs/teams/franchises will be choosen...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Mar 26 2009, 02:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

good for the Italians to know they have a concrete date.

will the Italian sides be made up of some amalgamations of existing sides, will it be the top 2 sides in the Super 10, what in turn will happen to the Super 10. Given we have a league structure it seems a qualification system for Italian sides into the ML via the Super 10 wouldn't work, it would make the domestic calendar too congested for one thing. Whether the ML sides would agree to that is another thing.[/b]

the 2 sides will be jointly formed by some of the actual clubs and the FIR (I guess the northern side will be an amalgamation of some of the actual clubs, the Rome side will be mainly created by the FIR), no way to create a qualification system via the Super 10, the italian premiership will become very similar to the actual welsh and scottish

 

[An Tarbh]

how easy will it be though to get sides to merge, is there much opposition, if any among the clubs to what's being proposed?

 

[Cymro]

Presume the Italians will go through a similar system of when Wales Regionalised and it caused some problems down South!

 

[danit]

chapter players
many of them have already been contacted and I guess some of them have already signed a precontract
btw I don't think there's actually a way to contract Parisse and Castrogiovanni, it could be a little bit easier for the Bergamascos, Canale, Bortolami, Masi, Perugini, Festuccia, Del Fava, Ongaro
for sure there will be (divided in only 2 sides, not 10...) the best players actually playing in Italy, i.e. Ghiraldini, Zanni, Reato, Picone, Marcato, etc. and some talented youngsters i.e. Favaro, Rubini, Bacchetti, Sepe, Quartaroli etc.
players over 30 like Nieto, Dellapè, Lo Cicero should be out interest

chapter location
Rome is sure, stadio Flaminio is the most probable Stadium
for the northern side everything is still to be decided, Brescia, Venezia, Treviso, Padova, all of them are possible location in the heartland of italian rugby, I don't think a big city like Milan or Turin should be picked, that's a bad idea, that side must be based in the northeast, any other location should be wrong

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Cymro @ Mar 26 2009, 03:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Presume the Italians will go through a similar system of when Wales Regionalised and it caused some problems down South![/b]

That's exactly what I foresee happening.

This is going to sound very cold. The Super 10 gets paltry crowds. If you **** off, say, 1500 Gran Parma fans by "merging" their team with another, who really cares? There's potential for the new franchises to get crowds which are multiples of the current Super 10 clubs if the introduction of Italian franchises is done properly. Hell, visiting fans from other countries will make up a significant proportion of their gate, as is the case with Les Catalans in that well known rugby league heartland of Perpignan. To (badly) paraphrase: build a franchise and supporters will come.

 

[Cymro]

Most Magners League Fans are looking forward this to be honest because of the away trips to Italy and the cheap flights that will be on offer!

 

[danit]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (An Tarbh @ Mar 26 2009, 04:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

how easy will it be though to get sides to merge, is there much opposition, if any among the clubs to what's being proposed?[/b]

actually there's a huge mess...

many projects have been advanced but I dunno which ones the FIR has choosen / is going to choose

2 projects based in Rome, one with Treviso by itself, one with Viadana + Parma, one with Padova + Venice, very recent rumors (this morning) say Treviso could accept to join his forces with Padova and Venice and that maybe Rovigo could join them too

basically the most traditional sides (Padova, Rovigo) have always been against the entrance in the CL but when the FIR officialised the project everyone tried to set up a franchise, so now there's a lot of confusion under the sun

we just gotta wait and see, we're not in a hurry now as the admittance from 2010 gives plenty of time to choose the best option and set up everything in the best possible way

 

[Sir Speedy]

My main concern with this is will the sides draw in the crowds?

I'm afraid that the Italian matches will end up being turgid, lifeless affairs with atmospheres matching those of U16's matches. Otherwise, YAY.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

Bringing the thread on a bit of a tangent, will the admission of 2 Italian teams have a knock on effect on the Heineken Cup? Bascially, Celtic rugby is now in control of 11 of the 24 places in Europe's top competition. Will the French and English clubs kick up about this and demand increased representation at the expense of the Magners League?