Should Welsh pro teams join the English Premiership

[dullonien]

Few more articles recently on WalesOnline about a potential merger between the Prem and URC. Aparently 2 options on the table

- 2 tiered competition with promotion/relegation.
- conference system with an Anglo/Welsh conference and Ire/Sco/Ita/SA? cobference.

Apparently an extra £4m on offer from likes of Sky for a 2 tiered comp, with the jeopardy adding aditional value to viewers. Assume WRU will be pushing hard for Anglo/Welsh conference though.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/two-choices-tabled-urc-english-30094854

 

[stevenp]

Please could somebody add a poll to this thread so we can better see what people's opinions are on this subject say yes or no type poll.

Thank you!

 

[stevenp]

A. Would this make English rugby better or worse or stay the same?
B. Would this make Welsh rugby better or worse or stay the same?

Query please explain I do not understand what the answer is?

 

[higgik]

How about starting again from scratch.
What towns or cities would deserve a team in an British & Irish League.
Celtic conference (10 teams)
West Ireland Stags
Dublin Blues
Belfast Ravens
Edinburgh
Glasgow Warriors
Caledonia Reds (Perth)
North Wales Crusaders
Cardiff Dragons
Swansea Scarlets
Cornish Pirates

Anglo Conference
Current 10 teams

4 divs of 5, home and away in division, 8 matches.
Home or away v other div in Conference (5 matches)
Home or away v 1 division in other Conference, (5 matches)

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Wow, not even I would put @munstermuffin out the job for the Pirates and an imaginary Scottish team.

Ruthless.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Merge URC and premiership.

Toulouse and Leinster play every year in twickenham beought to you by allianz every fall for champions cup.

Top 14 expands to 24 teams.

Boom, problems solved.

 

[Which Tyler]

Merge URC and premiership.

Toulouse and Leinster play every year in twickenham beought to you by allianz every fall for champions cup.

Top 14 expands to 24 teams.

Boom, problems solved.

I just threw up in my mouth

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Merge URC and premiership.

Toulouse and Leinster play every year in twickenham beought to you by allianz every fall for champions cup.

Top 14 expands to 24 teams.

Boom, problems solved.

Put us in the top 14 and I'm in.

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Does ulster go in the blue or red passport league?

 

[higgik]

Merge URC and premiership.

Toulouse and Leinster play every year in twickenham beought to you by allianz every fall for champions cup.

Top 14 expands to 24 teams.

Boom, problems solved.

Merge Celtic teams and premiership to have a 20 team league.
Top 14 becomes Top20, by adding the 2 Italian teams and 4 D2 teams.

 

[McTallshort]

Merge Celtic teams and premiership to have a 20 team league.
Top 14 becomes Top20, by adding the 2 Italian teams and 4 D2 teams.

What about the Saffa teams,?

 

[higgik]

What about the Saffa teams,?

Let them loose.
There is a suggestion they could be 8 teams plus SRA from Americas to make a Super Rugby Atlantic

 

[McTallshort]

Let them loose.
There is a suggestion they could be 8 teams plus SRA from Americas to make a Super Rugby Atlantic

Why? They have made the URC very competitive. Why would the Irish and Scots want to drop them just for the sake of helping the English premiership clubs out?

 

[dullonien]

Why? They have made the URC very competitive. Why would the Irish and Scots want to drop them just for the sake of helping the English premiership clubs out?

Travel costs for one. The SA trips are hideously expensive for sides, many of which are already struggling financially. Struggling to find the article now, but by all accounts it cost Glasgow over £1m to play in the final last year. That's obviously an extreme scenario, with last minute travel and hotel booking fees pushing the price right up, but constantly flying to and from SA with large squads of players and staff just isn't very economical.

The Welsh regions this season have a playing budget cap of £4.5m. What percentage of that are they also paying on travel costs to SA throughout the season? 25%, higher?

I have never had an issue with the quality the SA sides bring, they are right up there with the best in the NH, but should they really be playing in the URC / europe? I know for SA the travel is a non-avoidable reality regardless of who they play, and time differences makes UK the better option than playing in super rugby, but honestly that's kinda for them to sort out.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

I've always maintained that I'd rather lose the Welsh teams than move to an B&I league, the South African games always feel bigger than any other URC game outside of Munster.

I'd be disappointed to see the Welsh teams go, there's a lot of history of the competition there, particularly Ospreys and Scarlets. But giving up games v the South Africans and Benetton for English sides just doesn't really excite me.

I'm not convinced the URC is the root of Welsh rugbys issues but if they can convince the prem to become Anglo-Welsh and they make it work, more power to them.

 

[Welsh Exile]

I'm not convinced the URC is the root of Welsh rugbys issues

That would be the WRU.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Welsh teams turn into regions, lose all their fans.

WRU still have no clue why they can't get their supporter base up!

 

[pagliaccio_euforico]

Welsh teams play in England at the top level in most sports, so it does make sense.

However, that would have been the rational decision 30+ years ago and now wales is in a situation where they have bastardized their club game and now fly down an entire continent instead of taking a train east. Between England and wales you could have had three tiers of solid rugby.

But what now does welsh rugby have to contribute to the Anglo-welsh pro league? Could they get their clubs to the right level or would they send over four regions no one cares about?

Disclaimer: my opinions on welsh rugby are heavily influenced by welsh emigrates in America.