We Need To Talk About London Irish

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

London Irish fear proposed new owners could sell training base to NFL

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Bloody hell,

I did think it was weird that they were interested in Irish tbh - I thought maybe the plastic paddy angle, but that makes more sense

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

I've said it on here before but the premiership games need to be on a different time to the 'community' game.

Having them all play 15:00 on a Saturday is just stupid. Shooting ourselves in the foot there.

100% agree. Imagine any other business model where you televise your product at the exact time you know for a fact that the majority of your customer base won't be able to watch it. Mental.

 

[Arcturus]

Granted some obviously are academy but feel we could reduce numbers to benefit the league and integrate players dropping out of Wasps, Wuss and Irish.

The URC is a bit of an odd one due to the closed nature (although the same could be argued of the Prem now), whilst the South African sides have a ridiculously competitive domestic pool that puts England to shame.

Playing during the international window is one massive own goal that dilutes the brand and forces teams to mitigate with non-6N players.

On a side note, Christie, Taylor, and Tompkins didn't just come through the Sarries academy, they were English-born, but selected for Scotland/Wales on ancestry grounds. Christie and Tompkins were both in the England U18 and U20 setup. Christie (until his injury) has been our joint-best player alongside Earl.

Personally I feel the way to go and it's simpler is to get rid of a cap on clubs own home grown players, and set a smaller cap for external players.

I've always thought that clubs should be rewarded for developing home grown talent and penalised for overseas marquee players. Instead we have a system that acts against clubs building up academy prospects, and of course the international window requires diversification to mitigate gaps.

 

[Which Tyler]

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

So the RFU and premiership get their 10 team wish by basically giving tight timescales.

Well this is a really sad day for rugby.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Sad but then people complained the RFU wasn't stronger in regards to wuss and wasps.

This at least gives the players time to find new clubs in most places of the world.

Obviously need to wait and see what sort of offer was being given to the RFU but looking at who is involved I wouldn't be surprised if it was shady looking

 

[TRF_Olyy]

American Consortium sounds dodgy as hell tbh,
As above: this is exactly the action people want the RFU to take in this circumstances, its just sad that it's ended so badly at the first instance

 

[TRF_Olyy]

London Irish to be suspended from Premiership as offers made for Henry Arundell and Tom Pearson

Exclusive: RFU imposed a deadline of May 30 for Irish to complete a takeover or provide proof of funding for the entire 2023/24 campaign

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

I wonder if all the other clubs could provide that if asked.

I know it's maybe slightly pessimistic but feels like the RFU and prem rugby want London Irish to fail to fit their 10 team plan.

 

[BPM]

It also sounds like you want that to be the narrative.

American Consortium sounds dodgy as hell tbh,
As above: this is exactly the action people want the RFU to take in this circumstances, its just sad that it's ended so badly at the first instance

I'm with @TRF_Olyy on this one …

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

It also sounds like you want that to be the narrative.


I'm with @TRF_Olyy on this one …

I only say that because premiership CEO Simon (whatever his name) said that the premiership has agreed to be 10 teams for the 2025 season and talked at length how that's the only way forward.

It's probably the cynic in me but for the RFU and prem rugby to agree on anything is rare but to say they only should have 10 teams and then this happens. Maybe pure coincidence.

I know I'm not presenting a well balanced article but if you listen to Simon (think it's the eggchasers or good bad rugby) on the podcast then it really made me wonder.

 

[higgik]

A shame, but it means 2 London teams one in North and 1 in South, so good for building rivalry.
Would still like the IRFU to support it and bring it into the URC with a draft system in place.
For younger players, maybe opportunity to get away from home, without too much change.

 

[Which Tyler]

It also sounds like you want that to be the narrative.


I'm with @TRF_Olyy on this one …

Gotta say - it sounds like it was the RFU's fault on Wasps and Wuss because they didn't do anything, and now it's the RFU's fault on LIrish because the RFU did the thing.

Wasps took a gamble, which was failing before Covid hit (though not fatally), and Covid massively affected that and made it fatal.
Wuss were bought by cowboys because the RFU didn't do the due diligence that they weren't allowed to do.
LIrish have failed because their owner wants to sell up, and to sell to cowboys who are failing the RFU's new powers of due diligence.

Anyone claiming that both Wuss and LIrish are the RFU's fault is cherry picking their facts to fit their preconceived opinion.
IMO, anyone actively blaming the RFU for any of these 3, hasn't been paying attention.

Generally, the same people thinking that the RFU are Machievallian geniuses pulling the strings from behind the scenes are the same people who think the RFU couldn't organise a pi$$-up in a brewery.

 

[BPM]

I only say that because premiership CEO Simon (whatever his name) said that the premiership has agreed to be 10 teams for the 2025 season and talked at length how that's the only way forward.

It's probably the cynic in me but for the RFU and prem rugby to agree on anything is rare but to say they only should have 10 teams and then this happens. Maybe pure coincidence.

I know I'm not presenting a well balanced article but if you listen to Simon (think it's the eggchasers or good bad rugby) on the podcast then it really made me wonder.

I understand your cynicism. I just don't think there's a conspiracy here.

It's definitely convenient for Prem Rugby though.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Seems Irish have meet a criteria and the RFU have given them another week

Does that put the conspiracy theory to bed?

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Seems Irish have meet a criteria and the RFU have given them another week

Does that put the conspiracy theory to bed?

It does for me. Really happy to be wrong by the way. We will see what teams go into the championship in the next couple of years before the 2025 deadline for 10 teams (unless i misunderstood what he said).

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Definitely promising signs, I don't think they'd have been too squeamish to suspend them today if there wasn't genuine progress

 

[BrokenWing]

Generally, the same people thinking that the RFU are Machievallian geniuses pulling the strings from behind the scenes are the same people who think the RFU couldn't organise a pi$$-up in a brewery.

Ah, the Schrödinger's RFU.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Last night club backtracked by saying it would now only pay 50% of May salaries and on the proviso that the players didn't submit breach of contract letters the rest would be covered by the new owners. Players given 15 minutes notice of a late night meeting and told if they didn't accept this offer there would be no pay and the club would go under.

Hard to see this ending well. RFU may make a decision as early as today.