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Rugby breakaway league coming.

Rugbyfan564

Academy Player
Joined
Aug 6, 2023
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According to various paywalled articles a breakaway rugby league is coming that may or may not end international rugby entirely or only partly. (The Times says it won't but the Daily Mail says it would!
 
Yeah, I'll believe when I see it.....crash and burn after it's first season, with sides of pub league players with one or two internationals making 50x as much as their team mates playing to crowds of maybe double figures
Maybe but who knows. The England team all sound kean apparently and don't like the RFU enough to risk never playing internationals again.
 
Maybe but who knows. The England team all sound kean apparently and don't like the RFU enough to risk never playing internationals again.
Don't believe everything you read.
Including things that are stated without any links, background, or real information.
 
Yeah, I'll believe when I see it.....crash and burn after it's first season, with sides of pub league players with one or two internationals making 50x as much as their team mates playing to crowds of maybe double figures
Sacha Baron Cohen Thumbs Up GIF by Amazon Prime Video
 
The logistics alone make this ridiculous. In football it was whole clubs with their infrastructure looking to break away. In golf, there are already courses around the world and players are individuals, so it's feasible. I don't see how there can be any breakaway rugby league without the support of the clubs.
 
The logistics alone make this ridiculous. In football it was whole clubs with their infrastructure looking to break away. In golf, there are already courses around the world and players are individuals, so it's feasible. I don't see how there can be any breakaway rugby league without the support of the clubs.
They will set up new clubs. The existing clubs will have to promote talent from lower down the chain.
 
I'd love to know what models they've run to suggest this will be successful,
We've seen what happens when you force new clubs on an area and tell the locals to support them
 

While any negotiations are at an early stage, and above the players' heads in many cases, most stakeholders are thought to be united in the view the league would only be viable if involvement in it does not jeopardise players' Test prospects. Clearly, that would require the league to take place around the current Test windows in July, November and between February and March.

Club v country

Top players considering a move to join the breakaway could face an uphill battle, however. RFU insiders are said to be relaxed about news of the developments and having just signed a binding £264 million, eight-year Professional Game Partnership deal with Premiership Rugby, the union will not allow players who are not based in England to play for the national team, which will force those who sign up to the breakaway deal to choose between club and country.
 
Isn't this what murdoch's plan in 95 was? Professionalize the players but not the club.

All French players are out of the question. English players probably not but also who knows how much cash?

Welsh and Scottish players maybe but if they leave wales they'd be better off going to France.

At best this would be ANZACs touring the world with South Africa's Currie cup players and a bunch of tier 2s who can't get pro contracts. Maybe some good amateur players would join but who would want to see this.

Premier lacrosse league has essentially this structure but it quickly lost all its moment and is returning to a real league setup.
 
Isn't this what murdoch's plan in 95 was? Professionalize the players but not the club.

All French players are out of the question. English players probably not but also who knows how much cash?

Welsh and Scottish players maybe but if they leave wales they'd be better off going to France.

At best this would be ANZACs touring the world with South Africa's Currie cup players and a bunch of tier 2s who can't get pro contracts. Maybe some good amateur players would join but who would want to see this.

Premier lacrosse league has essentially this structure but it quickly lost all its moment and is returning to a real league setup.
Apparently some French players are interested. Most players have a price where they would abandon international rugby.
 
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