Pro 12 expansion (if H-cup fails maybe)?

There's been plenty of articles down about Scotland adding a 3rd team again, Wales a 5th and maybe 6th team, Itaaly wishing another. USA teams invited to join if H-cup fails etc etc,

But I just thought of another new idea?

How about all the European unions that cannot afford to run a Pro team with acamady, combine to create an Elite pro team and acamady?

The European Nations Cup First Division unions, + Germany, Holland etc get together and spilt running costs, and coaching costs between all the unions.

The players themselves would be centrally contracted to their home union who would pay thier wages, therefore the likes for Georgia could have 3 professsional players, and a number of acamady players centrally contracted, being coached and playing with and against the better player than if they were in Georgia.
Holland would be able to contract the likes of Sep Visser into the team, and if any promising young players appear they can offer them a development contract to train with this team.

It would mean that the best young players from each country could be kept and developed with the best players of the other countries.


Therefore the likes of Germany would hopefully be able to call on 3/4 fully professional players when the national team plays, hopefully this would increase performances, (untill they can have fully professional teams).
Hopefully staying and playing for this team on a central contract would prevent players like Visser representing a different country and the Netherlands would be able to entice him to play for them.

Logistics etc would have to be worked out. Where would the acamady be based, where would the team play etc etc.

But instead of say Romania entering a very poor team in the Almin, it would mean that they could enter the best Romanian players with the best other nations players into a team. The main benefit for Romania would be that it could offer development contracts to its best young players and have them train in top class facalties with top class coaches, with much better players than if they came though the Romanian clubs.

Personally within a number of years this team could become very competative, and if in the Pro 12 playing regulary, could improve very quickly.

Total players around 30000
Senior male around 7000

Which would be ablout on par with Somia, and not far behind Scotland Total players 38000 Senior male 11000.

Or two a western European Team, and a Eastern European team?

We can't bring in teams that won't add to the league. We would be better off creating a 2nd division and ask the IRB to cover the costs.

Teams from Romania, Spain etc would get absoulutely hammered. Even their national sides would get badly beaten. So it would be hard to attract crowds. Zebre have plenty of internationals in their team and have a few good players in their team but failed to win a game.

I think two tiers would be a good idea, keeping the current pro12 and adding new teams to a lower division with promotion and relegation.

Italy and Scotland could add three teams and Wales could add the Celtic Warriors and a North Wales team. Ireland seems pretty stuck on their four provinces which is a very good system but there is definitely strength in depth to create another side or two maybe two development teams, one based in Cork and another elsewhere maybe within Leinster.

This would extend the entire league to a 22 teams with five from Scotland from Italy and Six from Wales. Scotland could base one team in Aberdeen, one in Dundee and the other in the Borders therefore representing the four largest populations and the rugby heartland.

The teams in Wales would sort out all of the political problems regarding North Wales and teams feeling they aren't represented.

Wasn't it tried a long while ago (backint he pre-regional days), I am sure I remember Lanelli RFC playing against Belgium or Romania or some national sides in a European Cup or some form or another. But it was mid 90s if not earlier.

Didn't Romanian have a Police side and an Army side. It think one (or them merged) became the Oaks

Extending the league would be a disaster. The only really viable solotion would be for all the teams to play an extra game against each other.

One year the Ospreys could play an extra away game against Leinster and Munster, and have an extra home game against Ulster and Connacht for example, then switch over the next season. At least it would make up for the lost revenue on match days for the European Cup.

Or maybe teams could play an extra set of matches against teams in their countries. The Ospreys could play extra home and away games against the Blues, Scarlets and Dragons. While Leinster could play Connacht, Munster and Ulster. While you pair up the Scots and Italians.
6 extra games would make up for the 6 games lost by the Heinaken Cup.

If theres no HEC then I'd like to see a few more international games and a reduced season. The players from all Pro 12 countries would greatly benefit from an extended summer off.

There would also be less need for big squads which means money could be saved there.

If there's no h cup then countries in the pro 12 will have to have more internationals to support the pro teams or see them flounder.

I'm not thrilled about your idea of having a reduced season with smaller squads though. I think there should be a limit on the amount of matches any pro player plays in the course of a year, but we need to have many players exposed to high level rugby and having this limit, with the same season length accomplishes this.

I think bringing in a national side could work but could the countries that may get involved be able to fund this extra cost? I think that a Spanish side with a certain amount of imports would be a great addition to the league. But getting the money for this would be a problem.

I'm not in favour of a two teir leauge, Scotland and Wales cannot support more teams.

More internationals is an idea, but theres already enough complaints that there are two many, I wouldn't want to see this either.

If France are think or going to a top 16, and England to 14 teams, we should be able to look at expansion to 14 teams, and not have to play games durning international windows.

Personally I've said before two USA teams would be great, or one USA and one Canandian.

But two combuination European teams could work out.

West Europe and East Europe, as Intotouch says each Union could afford a team or acamady each (or have the number of quality players required) If say Spain, Germany, Holland etc, shared the costs for running a team and acamady and centrally contract thier top players to it, they could improve them own nation teams.

Bring back Borders and Caledonia Reds. Add two Italian teams. A Rome franchise and ..... another team from somewhere.

Then have a Super 15 style conference system. Four conferences of four teams. Only play the teams from the other conferences once, cutting travel costs. Play the teams from your own country three times. More derbies = better attendances. Winner of each conference enters the semi finals.