Derek Beaumont's 'Ultimate Rugby' league : Thu Sep 28, 2023 4:01 pm
Following on from Beaumont's recent rant, there is a lot of talk and support for his breakaway competition. It amazes me how people think this is going to work, or even get any traction at all.Will any clubs actually be willing to ostracise themselves from the RFL, and theoretically cut ties with the sport and all it's competitions? It would be highly unlikely that any clubs involved would be eligible for the Challenge Cup and 1895 Cup, possibly on a permanent basis.
I can't see any of the big clubs leaving the RFL anytime soon. The only ones that possibly would are the lower league teams struggling to make ends meet under the RFL guidance. And that wouldn't make for an attractive competition.
On the same lines, players who make the move would also likely find themselves ineligible for selection at international level. Would this cut down on the quality of players willing to play in the 'Ultimate Rugby' competition? I'm sure even the Leigh players are only contracted to play under the RFL banner, and could be released if the club moved to a new code.
Would the financial gains be any better for the clubs? That seems to be the only way to attract clubs to form a new splinter league. I understand that Beaumont has mentioned potential investors from the US and South Africa, but is this just talk? I can't see a new untested competition led by an irratic man with a vendetta, in a sport that is already struggling to turn a profit at top level, being an attractive investment option. Especially when they could invest in the sport already, with a plan in place by IMG to turn things around.
Would sponsors and TV broadcasters be interested in investing? Again, I'd suggest not. They aren't interested in Super League, do why invest more money into a competition that has no fan base at all? It would make no sense for them to do so.
So where would the financial incentive come from? The AB Sundecks profits? It just doesn't seem sustainable.
Bearing in mind this as all being spurred on by a controversial referee decision, where does Derek propose he is getting his officials from? Will he be writing the rule book himself and recruiting fresh officials from the Job Centre? Who is going train, mentor, and assess these officials? There is a whole experienced team behind RFL referees, and they still get it wrong.
Then there are the dozens of unseen positions needed for a professional sport. Everything from promotional teams to legal teams. All these will have to be funded, recruited, and instructed from scratch. This will likely take years to put in place if they want to be ready and looking professional before the first kick-off.
From every angle I look at it this is a non-starter.
What are your thoughts?
