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RoyalBlueStuey
Guest
Can anyone think of a reason why this doesn't make sense :
London Welsh ask to play in the Magners League
London Welsh ask to play in the Magners League
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getofmeland
Guest
Well I dont blame them, as currently anything below the Premiership in the English League is underfunded...
Teams like the Pirates, and such others manage in the league, just about, but there is such a depth of tallent available in the lower leagues, under the Guinness Premiership, a good example is Bristol, they have a lot of players that were with them in their NL1 days...
The RFU should be looking to bridge this gap in funding, I would love to be able to watch some NL1 Rugby on Sky or BBC on a weekend but currently restricted to one game a week in the Guinness Premiership... its time for someone to invest in the NL1..
Teams like the Pirates, and such others manage in the league, just about, but there is such a depth of tallent available in the lower leagues, under the Guinness Premiership, a good example is Bristol, they have a lot of players that were with them in their NL1 days...
The RFU should be looking to bridge this gap in funding, I would love to be able to watch some NL1 Rugby on Sky or BBC on a weekend but currently restricted to one game a week in the Guinness Premiership... its time for someone to invest in the NL1..
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RoyalBlueStuey
Guest
Agreed but wildly quixotic schemes involving struggling 2nd tier teams playing rugby in the top tier another country's league isn't the way forward.
Plus I've never encountered a more cockernee rugby team than London Welsh.
Plus I've never encountered a more cockernee rugby team than London Welsh.
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An Tarbh
Guest
Yeah they're not up to the standard and it would mean extra games which isn't welcome, if it's at the expense of one of the other welsh teams then fine but if not then it's not welcome imo.
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Prestwick
Guest
BBC Sport: London Welsh mooting move to Magners League.
Wales might just get it's 5th region back. The 2nd best exiles club, London Welsh, want to move to the Magners League if the conditions in the current English league set up change in the next few years.
They do insist however quite bluntly that it will remain an idea until they can get the funding to get into the Magners League, get a decent web site and so forth. They will not be seeking any help from the WRU so (for now) the current big four of Welsh rugby can breathe a sigh of relief.
Wales might just get it's 5th region back. The 2nd best exiles club, London Welsh, want to move to the Magners League if the conditions in the current English league set up change in the next few years.
They do insist however quite bluntly that it will remain an idea until they can get the funding to get into the Magners League, get a decent web site and so forth. They will not be seeking any help from the WRU so (for now) the current big four of Welsh rugby can breathe a sigh of relief.
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gjohn85
Guest
Don't want London Welsh as a fourth region, I want the Celtic Warriors, better still, I want Ponty back!
Nah, could be the right step forward for the side. Will be interesting what the outcome will be.
Nah, could be the right step forward for the side. Will be interesting what the outcome will be.
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Prestwick
Guest
The problem with the Celtic Warriors was that it didn't make financial sense, especially when being owned by a WRU lumbered with the debts incurred from building a brand spanking new national rugby stadium.
It neeeded to go. The WRU was already paying £2 Million per region anyway (with a smaller amount going to the single club teams) and in its position couldn't afford to sustain a 5th club on its own.
When presented with the choice of sabotaging the long term future of Welsh Rugby by keeping the Warriors or dissolving the franchise, he dissolved the franchise. A correct decision in my book.
It neeeded to go. The WRU was already paying £2 Million per region anyway (with a smaller amount going to the single club teams) and in its position couldn't afford to sustain a 5th club on its own.
When presented with the choice of sabotaging the long term future of Welsh Rugby by keeping the Warriors or dissolving the franchise, he dissolved the franchise. A correct decision in my book.
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Cymro
Guest
To be honest I think its an interesting idea! They are a great club with allot of history. To be honest they would probably be better than Borders and Connacht. My oinly quibble is theur funding.
They say they can fund themselves but I dunno how they could sustain it!
They say they can fund themselves but I dunno how they could sustain it!
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Cymro
Guest
London Welsh is by far a very historical club for Welsh players and I would welcome them into the Magners League!
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O'Rothlain
Guest
What next, London Irish?
Intersting idea. I'm not opposed to it one bit.
Intersting idea. I'm not opposed to it one bit.
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Bullitt
Guest
Guess it means I'll never get to laugh at their "ground" on The Rugby Club's ND1 roundup anymore...
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An Tarbh
Guest
There's quite a gulf between NL1 and the Magners League. You've a high opinion of London Welsh who are only mooting this idea cause they're too crap to be included in a ringfenced system of the top 2 league so they think they're worthy of a place in the Magners league, absolute madness.
As for saying they're probably better than Connacht and Borders, that seems an overstatement if ever there was one, you have Borders in the HEC and Connacht have twice gotten to the semi finals of the challenge cup which is of a far higher standard than NL1. Even Borders have finished ahead of more established Welsh clubs like Newport and Bridgend before the franchises came on stream so not much chance of London Welsh holding their own.
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RoyalBlueStuey
Guest
I was unaware such a thing existed...I've never seen cameras at 'loo. Do they just cover the southern clubs.
If they've been at Blundellsands I was the one with the pint looking depressed....oh wait that's all of us.
It'd be bonkers to let London Welsh into the Magners. Is there no rugby culture in North Wales or Inverness/Aberdeen? Surely that's where expansion needs to happen.
What's wrong with this picture? :
SB
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An Tarbh
Guest
it would be bonkers alright, even in England they're looking at reducing the number of clubs in the premiership to 10 so it would be bonkers to increase the matches in the ML at the same time. Now I doubt the premiership proposal would see the light of day unless there's some serious compensation for the clubs but the fact remains it's about reducing the workload of players not increasing it.
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Prestwick
Guest
It'd be bonkers to let London Welsh into the Magners. Is there no rugby culture in North Wales or Inverness/Aberdeen? Surely that's where expansion needs to happen.
What's wrong with this picture? :
SB
[/b]
As a student of RGU in Aberdeen, I feel best placed to answer that question.
The main problem is that you have a top SPL soccer team (Aberdeen) up there as well as legions of Irish student (usually trainee pharmacists) who, yes, like rugby, but mainly play alot of gailic games. Aberdeen Uni and RGU both have very strong Gailic football teams for example but weak Rugby and even soccer teams.
The main Rugby club is the old Aberdeen RFC but that has it's ground a bit out of town. Its easier to get to Pittodrie on the coast near Brig 'o' Don than it is to get to A-RFU's ground.
Haha, deviating slightly, I remember training for the Aberdeen OTC's Rugby team in Seaton Park, dodging heroin syringes and broken glass or torn up Tennants cans. We did have an amazing Canadian full back though who did ballet as a hobby. He was fast, aggressive and sublime. Just what you need from a REAL (running) Full Back!
Anyway, however, I totally think Scotland could easily get a 4th region going based out of Aberdeen and playing in Aberdeen FC's Pittodrie ground. Its easy to get to, lots of seats and the only thing that I could think of that could keep punters away are the horrible -5 degree North Sea winds that blow over the place in Winter.
But I would say the Club would get more Irish and English Student supporters more than actual locals. Aberdeen's 120,000 odd inhabitants are mostly made up of outsiders (at least 30,000 are students!) so it'll take time to sell it to the good people of Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeenshire.
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SmokeyMonkey
Guest
What's wrong with this picture is that it's out of date because the Celtic Warriors are defunct:
New pic:
New pic:
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An Tarbh
Guest
<div class='quotemain'>
It'd be bonkers to let London Welsh into the Magners. Is there no rugby culture in North Wales or Inverness/Aberdeen? Surely that's where expansion needs to happen.
What's wrong with this picture? :
SB
[/b]
As a student of RGU in Aberdeen, I feel best placed to answer that question.
The main problem is that you have a top SPL soccer team (Aberdeen) up there as well as legions of Irish student (usually trainee pharmacists) who, yes, like rugby, but mainly play alot of gailic games. Aberdeen Uni and RGU both have very strong Gailic football teams for example but weak Rugby and even soccer teams.
The main Rugby club is the old Aberdeen RFC but that has it's ground a bit out of town. Its easier to get to Pittodrie on the coast near Brig 'o' Don than it is to get to A-RFU's ground.
Haha, deviating slightly, I remember training for the Aberdeen OTC's Rugby team in Seaton Park, dodging heroin syringes and broken glass or torn up Tennants cans. We did have an amazing Canadian full back though who did ballet as a hobby. He was fast, aggressive and sublime. Just what you need from a REAL (running) Full Back!
Anyway, however, I totally think Scotland could easily get a 4th region going based out of Aberdeen and playing in Aberdeen FC's Pittodrie ground. Its easy to get to, lots of seats and the only thing that I could think of that could keep punters away are the horrible -5 degree North Sea winds that blow over the place in Winter.
But I would say the Club would get more Irish and English Student supporters more than actual locals. Aberdeen's 120,000 odd inhabitants are mostly made up of outsiders (at least 30,000 are students!) so it'll take time to sell it to the good people of Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeenshire.
[/b][/quote]
I'd say given the fact that the standards are declining in gaelic football then I'd say interest might drop off in university teams abroad and you'll find that a greater number should be signing up with the rugby teams given the state of the game in the country at the moment.
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RoyalBlueStuey
Guest
It was more an illustration that North Wales could possible do with a rugby team...The Aberdeen option is a good'n...perhaps with the odd game at Inverness too.
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An Tarbh
Guest
I honestly don't think another team is an option unless they take over from one of the current crop.
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Prestwick
Guest
The only way that you'd be able to fit enough teams into a league like the Magners and keep the number of games down is to essentially split it into two divisions.
However that would be a very silly state of affairs to be honest, unless Ireland is willing to give up a space, I seriously doubt that there would be the capacity.
The same problem faces any entry of one, even two Italian teams. That how can you best deal with the increase of games?
If we had the ideal conditions for the entry of one or two new teams however, Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland would be fertile territory although expect similar crowd numbers to that of say Border Reivers and expect most of them to be Students initially!
Occasional games at places like Stonehaven, Peterhead, Dundee and Inverness would be a good way of spreading the name of the team and selling it to the North East of Scotland.
The very last thing you want to do however is to just call it "Aberdeen Rugby" as that would essentially kill any support for it outside of Aberdeenshire.
However that would be a very silly state of affairs to be honest, unless Ireland is willing to give up a space, I seriously doubt that there would be the capacity.
The same problem faces any entry of one, even two Italian teams. That how can you best deal with the increase of games?
If we had the ideal conditions for the entry of one or two new teams however, Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland would be fertile territory although expect similar crowd numbers to that of say Border Reivers and expect most of them to be Students initially!
Occasional games at places like Stonehaven, Peterhead, Dundee and Inverness would be a good way of spreading the name of the team and selling it to the North East of Scotland.
The very last thing you want to do however is to just call it "Aberdeen Rugby" as that would essentially kill any support for it outside of Aberdeenshire.
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