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Italians may join Magners League
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<blockquote data-quote="snoopy snoopy dog dog" data-source="post: 239068"><p><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Canadian_Rugger @ Jan 20 2009, 02:27 PM) <a href="http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=372230" target="_blank"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div></p><p>Love the idea and it's something I see happening in the future. </p><p></p><p>I think the only way it's a runner is if more than 30 teams are included though. None of the old 5 Nations countries or representative bodies of the clubs would agree to it if they lost clubs/districts/provinces. I believe such a league would be possible if the entire current Magners League, Guinness Premiership and Top 14 teams (numbering 36 in total) were added. Add 2 Italian sides initially plus strategically placed new teams (in cities like Madrid, Marseille, another team in Paris, Barcelona for example) and bring the number up to 42 sides. After a couple of years, underperforming teams will become self evident and can be primed for relocation into new territories - Connacht would fall into this category, as would a few of the lesser French teams. Split the teams into 6 groups of 7 teams which preserve current rivalries (and develop new rivalries such as the Irish provinces and London Irish, the Basque teams of Biarritz and Bayonne battling with Spanish representative Madrid, the Catalans of Perpignan and Barcelona etc). Here's a quick outline:</p><p></p><p>Group 1:</p><p>Munster</p><p>Leinster</p><p>Ulster</p><p>Connacht</p><p>Glasgow</p><p>Edinburgh</p><p>London Irish</p><p></p><p>Group 2:</p><p>Ospreys</p><p>Scarlets</p><p>Dragons</p><p>Cardiff Blues</p><p>Bath</p><p>Bristol</p><p>Gloucester</p><p></p><p>etc</p><p></p><p>Split it like the NFL so you play each team in your group on a home and away basis plus another, say, 10 or 12 games against teams in other groups on a home or away basis. Perhaps add a full round in a new market like Germany (huge potential TV market plus good crowds in Hanover for the 7s tournament played there), Portugal (help increase interest in the game on the back of their appearance in RWC07), Romania (as a former power which was neglected by the then iRFB). Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore (purely for the money). 23 to 25 regular season games in a high octane tournament would provide massive revenue in terms of both gate receipts and TV contracts. </p><p></p><p>I'd run with a 16 team playoff system of the 6 group winners plus the 10 teams with the best records who didn't win their groups. Basically what I advocate is a trumped up Heineken Cup which can catch the imagination more so than the system currently in place and allows for a swift expansion of the sport into continental Europe (outside of France and Italy). It's something David Moffett spoke about and Mark Evans recently hypothesized about too</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="snoopy snoopy dog dog, post: 239068"] <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Canadian_Rugger @ Jan 20 2009, 02:27 PM) [url='index.php?act=findpost&pid=372230']<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/url]</div> Love the idea and it's something I see happening in the future. I think the only way it's a runner is if more than 30 teams are included though. None of the old 5 Nations countries or representative bodies of the clubs would agree to it if they lost clubs/districts/provinces. I believe such a league would be possible if the entire current Magners League, Guinness Premiership and Top 14 teams (numbering 36 in total) were added. Add 2 Italian sides initially plus strategically placed new teams (in cities like Madrid, Marseille, another team in Paris, Barcelona for example) and bring the number up to 42 sides. After a couple of years, underperforming teams will become self evident and can be primed for relocation into new territories - Connacht would fall into this category, as would a few of the lesser French teams. Split the teams into 6 groups of 7 teams which preserve current rivalries (and develop new rivalries such as the Irish provinces and London Irish, the Basque teams of Biarritz and Bayonne battling with Spanish representative Madrid, the Catalans of Perpignan and Barcelona etc). Here's a quick outline: Group 1: Munster Leinster Ulster Connacht Glasgow Edinburgh London Irish Group 2: Ospreys Scarlets Dragons Cardiff Blues Bath Bristol Gloucester etc Split it like the NFL so you play each team in your group on a home and away basis plus another, say, 10 or 12 games against teams in other groups on a home or away basis. Perhaps add a full round in a new market like Germany (huge potential TV market plus good crowds in Hanover for the 7s tournament played there), Portugal (help increase interest in the game on the back of their appearance in RWC07), Romania (as a former power which was neglected by the then iRFB). Dubai, Hong Kong or Singapore (purely for the money). 23 to 25 regular season games in a high octane tournament would provide massive revenue in terms of both gate receipts and TV contracts. I'd run with a 16 team playoff system of the 6 group winners plus the 10 teams with the best records who didn't win their groups. Basically what I advocate is a trumped up Heineken Cup which can catch the imagination more so than the system currently in place and allows for a swift expansion of the sport into continental Europe (outside of France and Italy). It's something David Moffett spoke about and Mark Evans recently hypothesized about too [/QUOTE]
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