Pro12 Finals

First topic message reminder :

This year signalled a shift towards a neutral, predetermined venue for the "Grand Final". Belfast was a fantastic choice for this and was a wonderful venue however there are some calls to move the final to a larger stadium to create an atmosphere similar to that at Twickenham yesterday and therefore making it a bigger occasion. There are a number of issues with this, namely that it would mean the final would have to be held in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin or Cardiff every year but for argument's sake how do we look to fill out these larger venues?

Firstly it's worth remembering that (if we discount the Italians) we have a combined population of 10 million which is a sixth of the English, and this population is spread far less densely and with far more expensive and difficult transport links so it is logistically difficult. Also Twickenham is the home of rugby for english fans and therefore represents something close to a pilgrimage for English fans regardless of club allegiances, this is something you wouldn't get for a fan of the Dragons if the final was in Scotland or Ireland between clubs from Scotland or Ireland especially when you factor cost of transport and the fact that diehard rugby fans would have probably travelled long distances just a couple of months before for the Six Nations. Nevertheless giving the final to the top team is also difficult as it's hard to create a big occasion befitting of the league in just one week, so what it the solution?

The first step in my opinion would be to appeal to and, in many ways, reward the diehard fans. By that I mean give heavily subsidised tickets to the season ticket holders regardless of club and maybe organise travel from major population bases so Dublin, Belfast, Edinbugh, Glasgow and Dublin. That way you get a crowd with large numbers of real rugby fans who enjoy each others company. Of course you want to make sure the finalists have large numbers of fans there so it's a bit more partisan so maybe holding back 20,000 tickets until the play-offs and then give 2,500 tickets each to the semi-finalists and then after the semis give 5,000 each to the finalists to be sold at their own price and also divide up any remaining tickets. Anything they lose from cheap tickets they'll gain in the long run through a bigger spectacle and more sponsorship as a result.

Second step would be to make it more relevant to fans of every club so either a sevens tournament of sorts in the morning between the teams or perhaps more effectively some form of exhibition or charity game. Either between two "best of the rest" Pro12 XVs, or Pro12 XV against the Barbarians or two teams chosen by outgoing Pro12 legends in a kind of testimonial match.

Finally I'd try to make more of a spectacle of the event, you can say what you like about the SRU but they do put on a good show before matches. Say it was in Glasgow then there are a lot of local comedians and musicians who make a big deal about their allegiance to the city guys like Kevin Bridges and Amy Macdonald so get them involved have fireworks and really build up an atmosphere for the final.

Sin é wrote:

It gives the team who are used to it an advantage. That is ok in a home league game (home games nearly always do have an advantage) - just not suitable for a Final.

So no advantage was gained by the teams in the previous finals playing at their home ground?

[quote="Chunky Norwich"]

Sin é wrote:

It gives the team who are used to it an advantage. That is ok in a home league game (home games nearly always do have an advantage) - just not suitable for a Final.

So no advantage was gained by the teams in the previous finals playing at their home ground?

[/quote

Did I say there wasn't? It would seem that they are trying to get it to a neutral ground.

Sin é wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Sin é wrote:

It gives the team who are used to it an advantage. That is ok in a home league game (home games nearly always do have an advantage) - just not suitable for a Final.

So no advantage was gained by the teams in the previous finals playing at their home ground?

[/quote

Did I say there wasn't?  It would seem that they are trying to get it to a neutral ground.

I thought we were talking about the old rules?

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Notch wrote:The irony of it is, I think if the rules had remained the same as they have been for the past few years and the league played out the same way... we would have had Glasgow making this decision regarding their 'home' final; Ravenhill, Belfast or Murrayfield, Edinburgh. Those are the two closest grounds to Glasgow they could have got at short notice that meet the old requirements and I just can't see how they could have avoided it being narrowed down to those two.

Why wouldn't Rugby Park have met the old requirements?

It would have, no problem. Good luck negotiating it's use with it's owners and selling tickets in the span of four or five days!

In the new system it could be used as you have a year to plan the event. In the old system, with the changes to Europe, you'd have a week to plan the event. That's why it was nearly impossible to use non-Union owned stadium previously. Not because they weren't suitable. Because of the logistics involved.

Notch wrote:

Chunky Norwich wrote:

Notch wrote:The irony of it is, I think if the rules had remained the same as they have been for the past few years and the league played out the same way... we would have had Glasgow making this decision regarding their 'home' final; Ravenhill, Belfast or Murrayfield, Edinburgh. Those are the two closest grounds to Glasgow they could have got at short notice that meet the old requirements and I just can't see how they could have avoided it being narrowed down to those two.

Why wouldn't Rugby Park have met the old requirements?

It would have, no problem. Good luck negotiating it's use with it's owners and selling tickets in the span of four or five days!

In the new system it could be used as you have a year to plan the event. In the old system, with the changes to Europe, you'd have a week to plan the event. That's why it was nearly impossible to use non-Union owned stadium previously. Not because they weren't suitable. Because of the logistics involved.

Under the old system, teams can have things in place provisionally and formalise things them if they get to the final.

Wouldn't have mattered where it was played or who we played this year as we would have won it anyway

Must say Belfast put on a good final (people of Belfast superb hosts) and a cracking ground - a model The Warriors should try to emulate at Scotstoun if we can come to an arrangement with Glasgow City Council.

21st Century Schizoid Man wrote:Wouldn't have mattered where it was played or who we played this year as we would have won it anyway  

Must say Belfast put on a good final (people of Belfast superb hosts) and a cracking ground - a model The Warriors should try to emulate at Scotstoun if we can come to an arrangement with Glasgow City Council.

Suspiciously bulging brown envelopes and Masonic handhakes? Is that what you're suggesting?

Not at all Young James , not at all ! And no horses heads either . I did not mean An Arrangement . I meant a deal. First we need to get away from the bleeding SRU.

Oh fecc. How do I tell the neighbours kids that Trigger wont be coming back AND that Glasgow wont be getting a new stadium?

I'll leave that to you dude !