Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Mon Feb 20, 2012 9:34 pm  

Cardif Blues captain Paul Tito warns of Welsh rugby union 'crash'. Former Wales captain Gwyn Jones has warned the nation's players face "massive" pay cuts amid a cash crisis. Cardiff Blues have recently decided to return to their former Arms Park home for some games because of falling crowds at the Cardiff City Stadium, where they signed a 20-year tenancy lease with Cardiff City Football Club. Falling crowd numbers have added to the financial pressures on the Welsh regions, who have already seen some of their leading players leave or announce they will leave for richer English and French clubs. The Welsh sides' self-imposed salary cap of £3.5m compares unfavourably to that imposed on English Premiership sides and is dwarfed by the £7.1m limit of French Top 14 clubs. With Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aironi and now possibly the Welsh clubs struggling financially, will the Pro 12 league become an annual two-horse race? The central contract system opersted by the Irish RFU could lead to their clubs pulling away from the others which does nobody any favours.

Cardif Blues captain Paul Tito warns of Welsh rugby union 'crash'. Former Wales captain Gwyn Jones has warned the nation's players face "massive" pay cuts amid a cash crisis. Cardiff Blues have recently decided to return to their former Arms Park home for some games because of falling crowds at the Cardiff City Stadium, where they signed a 20-year tenancy lease with Cardiff City Football Club. Falling crowd numbers have added to the financial pressures on the Welsh regions, who have already seen some of their leading players leave or announce they will leave for richer English and French clubs. The Welsh sides' self-imposed salary cap of £3.5m compares unfavourably to that imposed on English Premiership sides and is dwarfed by the £7.1m limit of French Top 14 clubs. With Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aironi and now possibly the Welsh clubs struggling financially, will the Pro 12 league become an annual two-horse race? The central contract system opersted by the Irish RFU could lead to their clubs pulling away from the others which does nobody any favours.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:24 pm  

Welcome to the real world, professional rugby union.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:34 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Welcome to the real world, professional rugby union.

Ireland are just about managing to live in the professional world but the route taken by the Welsh and Scottish RFUs has been staggering at times. A single Welsh team to compete in the English league? The Welsh domestic league would comprise of the traditional teams who currently play in the Welsh Premiership. This new side representing Wales could draw on players from the domestic competition, with each domestic club being assigned one player on a WRFU central contract.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:41 pm  

The provinces do seem to be coping much better with the transition than the Welsh regions or the Scottish super clubs, not sure why that is?

Be interesting to see whether the new rules on overseas players the IRFU are bringing in hurts their competitiveness at Heineken Cup level. The provinces will be restricted to just one player in each position who is not Ireland qualified from next season onwards IIRC.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:45 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

The provinces do seem to be coping much better with the transition than the Welsh regions or the Scottish super clubs, not sure why that is?
Be interesting to see whether the new rules on overseas players the IRFU are bringing in hurts their competitiveness at Heineken Cup level. The provinces will be restricted to just one player in each position who is not Ireland qualified from next season onwards IIRC.

It may bring the Irish clubs down to the level of the other nations but It will only widen the gap between the French and the 'have nots'.
What are the odds on long lost relatives from Waterford, Galway and Sligo surfacing?

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:21 pm  

And so it continues. Already off Mike Phillips (Bayonne), Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Lee Byrne (Clermont Auvergne), James Hook (Perpignan), Dwayne Peel (Sale), Aled Brew (Biarritz), Andy Powell (Sale), Rhys Gill (Saracens) On their way? Luke Charteris (Dragons) – Perpignan are in the hunt; Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) – Northampton, who are losing James Downey, are said to be interested; Huw Bennett (Ospreys) – New French big spenders Lyon may be the hooker's destination; Ben Morgan (Scarlets) – English clubs are sniffing around him

And so it continues. Already off Mike Phillips (Bayonne), Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Lee Byrne (Clermont Auvergne), James Hook (Perpignan), Dwayne Peel (Sale), Aled Brew (Biarritz), Andy Powell (Sale), Rhys Gill (Saracens) On their way? Luke Charteris (Dragons) – Perpignan are in the hunt; Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) – Northampton, who are losing James Downey, are said to be interested; Huw Bennett (Ospreys) – New French big spenders Lyon may be the hooker's destination; Ben Morgan (Scarlets) – English clubs are sniffing around him

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:30 pm  

Catalancs wrote: And so it continues. Already off Mike Phillips (Bayonne), Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Lee Byrne (Clermont Auvergne), James Hook (Perpignan), Dwayne Peel (Sale), Aled Brew (Biarritz), Andy Powell (Sale), Rhys Gill (Saracens) On their way? Luke Charteris (Dragons) – Perpignan are in the hunt; Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) – Northampton, who are losing James Downey, are said to be interested; Huw Bennett (Ospreys) – New French big spenders Lyon may be the hooker's destination; Ben Morgan (Scarlets) – English clubs are sniffing around him Ben Morgan has been capped by England.

Catalancs wrote: And so it continues. Already off Mike Phillips (Bayonne), Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Lee Byrne (Clermont Auvergne), James Hook (Perpignan), Dwayne Peel (Sale), Aled Brew (Biarritz), Andy Powell (Sale), Rhys Gill (Saracens) On their way? Luke Charteris (Dragons) – Perpignan are in the hunt; Jonathan Davies (Scarlets) – Northampton, who are losing James Downey, are said to be interested; Huw Bennett (Ospreys) – New French big spenders Lyon may be the hooker's destination; Ben Morgan (Scarlets) – English clubs are sniffing around him Ben Morgan has been capped by England.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Wed Feb 22, 2012 8:38 pm  

TrentBarrett wrote:

Ben Morgan has been capped by England.

Twice I think.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:05 pm  

Maybe one of the reasons the Irish are coping better is the already established network of county/provincial sports team in other sports - gaelic sport for example.

The idea of getting behind a team representing a whole region rather than just your home town isn't foreign to Irish sports fans in the same way it is to the Welsh and Scots.

Re: If you must discuss Union, do it here II : Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:26 pm  

Owen Farrell moved back to fly half. As I said, never a centre.
Wales, Ireland, France.