Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:24 am  

Andy Gilder wrote:

The resignation of Martyn Thomas and the scrapping of the Cotton Review may yet save Johnson's skin.
I don't see Edwards being establishment enough to work with the blazers that run the RFU.

That's just an outdated stereotype though, isn't it? I thought the RFU had long since moved away from the classist old boys brigade that their supporters and indeed themselves worked so hard to deny existed in the first place.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:11 am  

Catalancs wrote:

That's just an outdated stereotype though, isn't it? I thought the RFU had long since moved away from the classist old boys brigade that their supporters and indeed themselves worked so hard to deny existed in the first place.

By establishment I wasn't so much meaning Edwards isn't of the right social standing or went to the right school, more that he hasn't been part of the RFU establishment in the same way the likes of Johnston, Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Dick Best etc were.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:14 am  

Catalancs wrote:

That's just an outdated stereotype though, isn't it? I thought the RFU had long since moved away from the classist old boys brigade that their supporters and indeed themselves worked so hard to deny existed in the first place.

The stereotype was usually not true except in the governing body itself. What was argued against was that it was a classist sport since that is simply a factually incorrect rewriting of history which is still perpetuated today. Edwards is far more establishment than the likes of Woodward, Ashton, Andrew, Robinson, Mitchell and Johnson himself.

Given the choice of Brendan Ventner, Jake White, Gatland and Eddie Jones I am sure the Blasers would much rather deal with Edwards.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:41 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

By establishment I wasn't so much meaning Edwards isn't of the right social standing or went to the right school, more that he hasn't been part of the RFU establishment in the same way the likes of Johnston, Woodward, Andy Robinson, Brian Ashton, Dick Best etc were.

I get you

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Nov 07, 2011 8:23 pm  

The much heralded scrum isn't as pure as we thought. Union used Cup like 'massive holiday' - Samoa captain. While Tongan and Fijian players received $1,500 each week, Samoan players got paid only $1,000 per week. This is despite the Samoan public raising more than 6.5 million Tala - around NZ $3 million - for the team's Rugby World Cup campaign.

The much heralded scrum isn't as pure as we thought. Union used Cup like 'massive holiday' - Samoa captain. While Tongan and Fijian players received $1,500 each week, Samoan players got paid only $1,000 per week. This is despite the Samoan public raising more than 6.5 million Tala - around NZ $3 million - for the team's Rugby World Cup campaign.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Nov 10, 2011 12:39 pm  

The Clan wrote:

The RFL. Have actually done a great job in the NE with almost 60 schools playing RL regularly and over 800 kids playing RL as their preferred sport. The RFL assessments at U15s & U16s were very well attended with around 30 to 40 players being invited back to trial for scholarships.

All this growth hasn't gone unnoticed by the RFU and their development officers. As a result an instruction from the RFU has been sent telling all Union clubs that if they host RL games or run dual code teams their central funding will be cut. Some RU clubs have actually changed training nights to create a conflict with RL clubs, scholarship and Academy training schedules and when the RL changed to avoid it the RU clubs just changed again.

The RFU held an emergency meeting to discuss the impact of RL on the NE sporting landscape and RU in particular. Letters have been received by a number of parents threatening to cut their kids from teams and RU Academies if they play RL as well. The letter also states that RL will only be a short term option for the kids and that the RFL will soon pull out leaving their kids with no where to play, which is sheer scaremongering. They've also tried to create animosity between players and some parents by suggesting that some scholarship lads are receiving £5,000 to choose RL while others are getting nothing.

There are around eight full time members of RFL, Thunder, University & College staff working in the NE and they're doing a superb job which is rattling the RFU who know that their sport is in rapid decline in the region and the Falcons are on thin ice financially.

Might not seem like much but it's a specific, planned campaign to derail and undermine the growth of RL in the region and anyone who thinks the RFU have changed their spots needs to think again.

As I said earlier, if they could destroy our game tomorrow they wouldn't bat an eye before doing so.

Sad and worrying. Thought they'd stopped those kind of antics long ago. Could it be true what they say about leopards?

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Nov 10, 2011 1:09 pm  

And yet, this is being allowed to pass unnoticed by the national media.

Can you imagine the outcry if the RFL did something similar along the M62 corridor? The OBN would have questions in the House and Sport England cutting off funding in a heartbeat.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Nov 10, 2011 4:21 pm  

This is very worrying though isn't it.

I thought this type of behaviour had stopped about 20 years ago,I think you hit the nail on the head Catalancs,they obviously don't.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Nov 10, 2011 8:08 pm  

Firstly, if this is true, I will use every trick I have learnt over the years to get this covered by a national paper, but before I do, I would very much like to see documented proof of this:

The RFU held an emergency meeting to discuss the impact of RL on the NE sporting landscape and RU in particular. Letters have been received by a number of parents threatening to cut their kids from teams and RU Academies if they play RL as well. The letter also states that RL will only be a short term option for the kids and that the RFL will soon pull out leaving their kids with no where to play, which is sheer scaremongering. They've also tried to create animosity between players and some parents by suggesting that some scholarship lads are receiving £5,000 to choose RL while others are getting nothing.

As I say, if it is true, I will look to get at least one national paper to cover this....or I will run up a massive phone bill from NZ trying.
Last time I got this angry was when SLY TV moved a quins away fixture in France at short notice......I believe if I reappear again a number of sports editors will print stuff just to get rid of me

If anyone has documented proof of this, please PM it to me in confidence. I will not do anything or publish it anywhere without express permission first.

Thanx

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Nov 10, 2011 9:34 pm  

All Blacks took steroids, claims former NZRU head

All Blacks took steroids, claims former NZRU head