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<blockquote data-quote="Rinkadink" data-source="post: 951278" data-attributes="member: 74190"><p>So I've been sat on this a while and I think it's time we all started talking about it as it's not getting enough coverage in the rugby media nor discussed amongst rugby people. For a some background Leeds Carnegie (formerly Leeds Tykes, formerly Headingly and Roundhay) have been involved with tier 1 and tier 2 of English rugby for the past 20 years or so. Around 5 years ago (during their longest stint in T2) Leeds Carnegie controversially renamed themselves Yorkshire Carnegie (after the county) in spite of two other teams other than themselves also residing in Yorkshire (Rotherham and Doncaster). County rugby is also still played in England albeit not having the same status as it once did.</p><p></p><p>Fast forward a few years and the deal with Carnegie University who was sponsoring them to the tune of £1million per year is due to end. Many people expected this to impact the premiership aspiring outfit significantly yet the sounds coming out the club indicated otherwise. During the previous 18-19 season, Yorkshire Carnegie (whom I shall refer to as Leedshire from hereon out) found themselves adrift at the bottom of the RFU Championship at Christmas. A new low as such. Their plan? Raid the southern hemisphere, particularly Mitre10 cup players and by retaining their place in the Championship save the half a million pounds of central funding from the RFU which all T2 clubs get (I believe the funding is £80,000 or less if they drop into T3). It worked and Richmond were relegated from the league.</p><p></p><p>Here is where things get murkier. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that Leedshire were aware of their perilous financial situation as rumours were abound before the season's end. To make a long story short (I'll put links in for deeper reading later) Leedshire are right on the brink and are unable to fulfil player contracts, both of their new season-saving recruits and long standing players, coaches and backroom staff. Basically insolvent and facing expulsion from the league. All the staff and players contracts are essentially torn up and a mass exodus ensues. Leedshire with the apparent blessing of the RFU have entered into a CVA; <a href="https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/domestic-club-rugby-union/33068/yorkshire-carnegie-facing-oblivion-after-failure-to-pay-debts/" target="_blank">https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/domestic-club-rugby-union/33068/yorkshire-carnegie-facing-oblivion-after-failure-to-pay-debts/</a></p><p></p><p>... which has subsequently been accepted. Now there's a precedent set with London Welsh who also ended up in a similar situation but did not receive similar treatment from the RFU and so found themselves way down the bottom of the league structure in an essentially amateur format. As of today, Saturday 3rd August 2019, Leedshire has officially appointed one Director of Rugby and signed the services of Joe Ford as a player-coach for the upcoming season which starts soon - 7 weeks left to sign an entire squad and staff to compete in a largely professional T2 league. There is also the issue of a 28 points deduction if all their creditors do not agree to the CVA in 6 days time. Rumour has it that there will be no relegation from the Championship this year as the premiership is looking to expand. The 28 points deduction proposed by the RFU that would normally see a side relegated is effectively meaningless if this is true.</p><p></p><p>What about Richmond? Well they aren't happy (along with most of the clubs in T2) and released a public statement on their website in the last week; <a href="https://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/news/1129-statement-on-behalf-of-richmond-fc" target="_blank">https://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/news/1129-statement-on-behalf-of-richmond-fc</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Within the past 24 hours players some have had enough and started making public the fallout from dealing with Leedshire, particularly this Twitter thread;</p><p></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/danieltemm3/status/1157377902079565824?s=20" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/danieltemm3/status/1157377902079565824?s=20</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In the Twitter thread players are being threatened with debt collectors as Leedshire are refusing to pay for treatment they ordered and would ordinarily pay for. Unfortunately this has taken longer to type from mobile than I'd have liked and have other commitments so will have to finish another time. With that said I would also like to quickly discuss an issue which has been overlooked in this saga by nearly all parties.</p><p></p><p>Leedshire sold their P shares in Premiership Rugby to Exeter Chiefs around 2012 if my memory serves me correctly. The valuation at the time was around £5million. This was allegedly ring-fenced off from the day-to-day operating of Leedshire. Indeed, as posted on their website;</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.yorkshirecarnegie.com/news/article/statement-regarding-sale-of-p-shares-to-exeter-chiefs/" target="_blank">https://www.yorkshirecarnegie.com/news/article/statement-regarding-sale-of-p-shares-to-exeter-chiefs/</a></p><p></p><p>What happened to this money? Surely the fans would not mind it being used to pay players? If it's gone, where did it go and when? This question has yet to be answered.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rinkadink, post: 951278, member: 74190"] So I've been sat on this a while and I think it's time we all started talking about it as it's not getting enough coverage in the rugby media nor discussed amongst rugby people. For a some background Leeds Carnegie (formerly Leeds Tykes, formerly Headingly and Roundhay) have been involved with tier 1 and tier 2 of English rugby for the past 20 years or so. Around 5 years ago (during their longest stint in T2) Leeds Carnegie controversially renamed themselves Yorkshire Carnegie (after the county) in spite of two other teams other than themselves also residing in Yorkshire (Rotherham and Doncaster). County rugby is also still played in England albeit not having the same status as it once did. Fast forward a few years and the deal with Carnegie University who was sponsoring them to the tune of £1million per year is due to end. Many people expected this to impact the premiership aspiring outfit significantly yet the sounds coming out the club indicated otherwise. During the previous 18-19 season, Yorkshire Carnegie (whom I shall refer to as Leedshire from hereon out) found themselves adrift at the bottom of the RFU Championship at Christmas. A new low as such. Their plan? Raid the southern hemisphere, particularly Mitre10 cup players and by retaining their place in the Championship save the half a million pounds of central funding from the RFU which all T2 clubs get (I believe the funding is £80,000 or less if they drop into T3). It worked and Richmond were relegated from the league. Here is where things get murkier. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that Leedshire were aware of their perilous financial situation as rumours were abound before the season's end. To make a long story short (I'll put links in for deeper reading later) Leedshire are right on the brink and are unable to fulfil player contracts, both of their new season-saving recruits and long standing players, coaches and backroom staff. Basically insolvent and facing expulsion from the league. All the staff and players contracts are essentially torn up and a mass exodus ensues. Leedshire with the apparent blessing of the RFU have entered into a CVA; [URL]https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/domestic-club-rugby-union/33068/yorkshire-carnegie-facing-oblivion-after-failure-to-pay-debts/[/URL] ... which has subsequently been accepted. Now there's a precedent set with London Welsh who also ended up in a similar situation but did not receive similar treatment from the RFU and so found themselves way down the bottom of the league structure in an essentially amateur format. As of today, Saturday 3rd August 2019, Leedshire has officially appointed one Director of Rugby and signed the services of Joe Ford as a player-coach for the upcoming season which starts soon - 7 weeks left to sign an entire squad and staff to compete in a largely professional T2 league. There is also the issue of a 28 points deduction if all their creditors do not agree to the CVA in 6 days time. Rumour has it that there will be no relegation from the Championship this year as the premiership is looking to expand. The 28 points deduction proposed by the RFU that would normally see a side relegated is effectively meaningless if this is true. What about Richmond? Well they aren't happy (along with most of the clubs in T2) and released a public statement on their website in the last week; [URL]https://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/news/1129-statement-on-behalf-of-richmond-fc[/URL] Within the past 24 hours players some have had enough and started making public the fallout from dealing with Leedshire, particularly this Twitter thread; [URL]https://twitter.com/danieltemm3/status/1157377902079565824?s=20[/URL] In the Twitter thread players are being threatened with debt collectors as Leedshire are refusing to pay for treatment they ordered and would ordinarily pay for. Unfortunately this has taken longer to type from mobile than I'd have liked and have other commitments so will have to finish another time. With that said I would also like to quickly discuss an issue which has been overlooked in this saga by nearly all parties. Leedshire sold their P shares in Premiership Rugby to Exeter Chiefs around 2012 if my memory serves me correctly. The valuation at the time was around £5million. This was allegedly ring-fenced off from the day-to-day operating of Leedshire. Indeed, as posted on their website; [URL]https://www.yorkshirecarnegie.com/news/article/statement-regarding-sale-of-p-shares-to-exeter-chiefs/[/URL] What happened to this money? Surely the fans would not mind it being used to pay players? If it's gone, where did it go and when? This question has yet to be answered. [/QUOTE]
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