The Corso Marauders Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub, Amsterdam

First topic message reminder :

Hello and welcome to the Virtual Rugby Pub, a place where you can come in for a sly beverage and discuss whatever's on your mind, or just eavesdrop on the regulars if you fancy a break from all the rugby chat.

The Pub has made its way to Amsterdam in honour of original publican Gibson who is finally back in gainful employment. One small step for man ...

The only rule in this pub is one of mutual respect for everyone in it, oh and no tampering with the pictures of former Corso Marauder Lawrence Dallaglio or young ice hockey prize winner (thanks to the v2ers) Chris Boyd.



Old pub https://www.606v2.com/t34157p950-the-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-sea-of-tranquility-luna#1518392

Spoiler:

Rava wrote:

rugbydreamer wrote:

Also, if people really wanted to start panicking I could easily (ha!) see the Welsh throwing in their lot with the English.

A lot of people are of the school of thought taht the Rabo just isn't attractive enough and we'll only get the bigger crowds if we play the English more regularly so who knows.......

That could be an option worth looking at, from a Welsh point of view, though it would take massive league restructuring to achieve it. They could start by sending the best players off to London Welsh to help keep them in the Premiership this season and guarantee them a place on the Anglo-French Cup next season.

Rav we're one step ahead of you, why do you think we've sent them Gav

The media story with the Blues was clearly just a cover up for our sneaky ulterior motives.

Not sure if I should or

Did you not wonder how or why London Irish suddenly decided to sign half a dozen Irish players this year. Foster Horan, Ian Cross, Tomas O'Leary, Ian Humphreys, Conor Gaston etc

Exactly Stag, it's all making sense now.

The Scottish have been ahead of the game for years with the players they've got in the AP.

And laugh Rava, always choose that option!

If it was anyone other than Gav I would laugh Dreamer.

So I was on my way home last night after getting the podcast sorted. A bloke tripped and fell on the escalator at Holborn Station, and I wound up breaking his fall - somehow managed not to fall over when he rolled into my legs. He hit his head quite badly on the steps, blood everywhere. To add insult to injury someone coming down to help stepped on the guy's glasses

I have my official invite to the CCC England Kit Launch next Wednesday. It's at Drybrook RFC, 14 miles out of Gloucester! What's wrong with Twickenham anyway?

We have loads of balloons all around the office for the company's 10th birthday. I really feel for the poor bloke who has a phobia of the things. Work has given all staff a nice pint glass with "Happy 10th birthday ...." on it, and there's drinks (that I can't make due to netball) tonight.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:So is this purely a money thing?

I certainly think the AP clubs have been massively seduced by the £££ being lobbed at them by BT Vision and may be blissfully unaware of the broadcasting politics going on here. If they were blissfully unaware then they certainly aren’t now; and there’s a risk that they may end up with no European competition to enter at all. I cannot see them chucking in the HC once they realise what is going on here. What they (and the French clubs) really want is what they see as a fairer chunk of the HC cake.

BT are determined to get into live broadcasting and they have way more clout than Sky and ESPN to be able to knock both into a cocked hat when it comes to the amount of money they can pay. Probably picking up a huge chunk of Sky customers who have the TV, broadband and telephone ‘bundle’ along the way. If it comes off then the AP rugby deal is a huge start for them.

So the AP clubs may well have been used as pawns in the great financial game.

But the other thing is that Sky’s (almost) hegemony over live televised sport may be over. They have seen off ITV Digital and Setanta (not to mention the terrestrial channels) over most live football, cricket and test match rugby coverage (the 6N excepted). Now there is a much bigger kid on the block. Much, much bigger and Sky don’t like it.

Sin E called it on another thread. The ERC is actually made up of the Unions, including the RFU.... however the RFU don't have the rights to negotiate TV deals on behalf of the AP clubs.

If thats the case then the ERC, including the RFU, are pretty toothless here.

BUr the ERC would still control kick-off times ??

Leicester v Toulouse - 02:45 Tuesday morning anyone

All, we'll be on for a new pub after lunch. We already have a nomination for Dunblane & an Andy Murray pic, any other pics to go up?

Whoever is the head of sports acquisitions at bt please Pete

OK big news.... stag and Rava, we are staying in Belshaft tomorrow night so I'll be able to have 4 rather than my usual 3.

Your brave kiwi going to my neck of the woods!! Think drybrook won community team or something this year

Having read up on this mornings chat, it turns out that the English clubs gave their backing only TWO WEEKS AGO to the ERC to renew the sky deal.

Two week ago!!!!!!!


Shisters the lot of them!!!!!

rodders wrote:OK big news.... stag and Rava, we are staying in Belshaft tomorrow night so I'll be able to have 4 rather than my usual 3.

Notch likes this

i think facebook is having a negative influence on the way I think!

how only 2 weeks ago if the ERC deal was done back at the start of June?

porkie pies are being told somewhere!

Kiwi - can we please have a pic of Delme Thomas, King of Stradey, he's 70 this week

aaaargh I actually made myself lunch today and put it in the fridge but I forgot about it and have gone and blydi bought some more food blydi twpsen!

from the guardian, apparently this new BT deal is to "save" the Heineken Cup:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/sep/12/premiership-rugby-bt-deal-broadcast

Wowsers, this one will take some sorting. The AP really do hold all the cards here.

It's their way or the highway for the rest of us I'm afraid.

politics anyone!! Aren't the IRB involved somewhere as well?

As long as we beat Munster tomorrow I'm not bothered too much really.

Personally, I don't care whether its the money or the way the qualification from the Rabo is decided, thats behind it.

The HC belongs to everyone, unions, clubs and fans, and the AP clubs are riding roughshod over the lot.

There's a right way and a wrong way to do things, and this is plain wrong, Surely if you're heading into negotiations with other parties, the very last thing you should do is pish em all off before you start?

Even though Bath aren't involved this year, the HC is still the major attraction for me because of the quality of teams involved and the drama the ties create. The only purpose the AP serves this season is as a vehicle for Bath to qualify for next years HC. Please don't let it be the last.

I still have no idea who Bath have in The Other Cup, because I couldn't be less interested if I tried.

I misread part of it, it was signed and agreed with sky on June 6th

Hey where the flip is billser these days?

Has everyone jumped ship to the lounge? .....

New Pub:
https://www.606v2.com/t34889-the-hillsborough-memorial-dew-drop-inn-virtual-rugby-pub-liverpool#1543746