Would a British and Irish A league work?

NZ and SA seem to have it right in terms of opportunity for young players as they play in the ITM and Currie cup in Europe we don't really have that.

I would like to scrap the B&I cup and LV cup and have a proper British development cup aimed at players who are 22 and under not getting game time. As whilst plenty of senior players are getting overplayed they is a sizeable amount of youngsters who are getting next to none game time.

I know that some players get loaned out to championship clubs in the UK, But 1) It isn't a regular thing, 2) It they either don't train with the team they are playing for or they are not training for the club they are signed to. and i would rather see the Premiership open the academy league to championship teams so teams like Nottingham, Bedford and Doncaster say are able to try and be able to develop more home grown players and hopefully helps with tight budgets etc. I also think I

But would A league with the main intentions of playing U24 - U18 work? with 14 English clubs (Premiership and Irish + Leeds), 4 Irish clubs, 4 welsh Clubs, 2 Scottish clubs 24 teams in total

Could have a pool system of 4 pools of 6 or something and play it Monday's or something where TV companies are prob struggling for sports to show, and clubs could adjust if a youngster had played senior rugby on the weekend.

I mean Leicester for example could of had
1) Brugnara (22, senior squad, 88 mins for tigers this season)
2) Farnworth (21, Development squad, Eng U20 last year. 0 mins for Tigers)
3) Pasquali (21, Senior squad, 15 mins for Tigers)
4) Maksymiw (19, Devlopment squad, Eng U18 last year, 0 mins for Tigers)
5) Galletly (19, Development Squad, Scotland U20 player this year, 0 mins)
6) Beckett (21, Development Squad, England U20 last year, 0 mins)
7) Owen (21, Development, England U20 last year, 0 mins)
8) Tuilagi (18, Development player, 0 mins)
9) White (17, Academy player Eng U18 this season 14 mins)
10) Bryant (21, Devlopment player, Eng U20 last season, 56 mins)
11) Odogwu (19, Development player, Eng U20 this season, 0 mins)
12) Thacker (19, Devlopment player, Eng U20 this season, 0 Mins)
13) Catchpole (22, Senior squad, Eng U20 2 years ago, 252 mins)
14) Yawayawa (18, Academy player, Eng U18 this season 0 mins)
15) Worth (19, Development squad, Eng U20 this season, 8 mins)

16) Nairn (21, Devlopment squad, 0 mins)
17) Hills (19, England U20 last season, 0 mins)
18) Hogan (19, 0 mins)
19) Lewis (18, England U18 this season, 0 mins)
20) Povoas (20, 0 mins this season)
21) Treidder (20, 0 mins this season)
22) Umaga (17, England U19 this season, 0 mins)
23) Davies (17, England U18 this season, 0 mins)


Or is that not feasible? i don't know the situations with players around that age for the Celtic league teams.

Scrapping the LV Cup will cost a lot of money as it brings in good income for the English and Welsh clubs. The BIC is for English clubs, so you can't scrap that just to please the Irish.

Unless you can make the competition pay the required money for air travel and overnight accommodation, you're on to a massive loser.

PhilBB wrote:Scrapping the LV Cup will cost a lot of money as it brings in good income for the English and Welsh clubs. The BIC is for English clubs, so you can't scrap that just to please the Irish.

Unless you can make the competition pay the required money for air travel and overnight accommodation, you're on to a massive loser.

Well maybe ireland would benefit moving their A team to a competition such as this and like the Welsh and Scottish have teams from the all irish league represent it.

I don't quite see the difference cost wise for the irish and Scottish teams compared to what they would be playing for the B&I cup where they would be travelling anyway. Welsh and English costs prob but not by much.

I guess the aim would be to have LV or someone sponser it, esp if they could get BT to get TV rights.

Welly wrote:

Well maybe ireland would benefit moving their A team to a competition such as this and like the Welsh and Scottish have teams from the all irish league represent it.

I don't quite see the difference cost wise for the irish and Scottish teams compared to what they would be playing for the B&I cup where they would be travelling anyway. Welsh and English costs prob but not by much.

I guess the aim would be to have LV or someone sponser it, esp if they could get BT to get TV rights.

Do you know who much extra it costs to fly 25 players plus support staff for an overnight stay, compared to a day's coach hire?

What makes perfect sense is an Anglo-Welsh A league, once we in Wales have the finances to employ sufficient players.

PhilBB wrote:

Welly wrote:

Well maybe ireland would benefit moving their A team to a competition such as this and like the Welsh and Scottish have teams from the all irish league represent it.

I don't quite see the difference cost wise for the irish and Scottish teams compared to what they would be playing for the B&I cup where they would be travelling anyway. Welsh and English costs prob but not by much.

I guess the aim would be to have LV or someone sponsor it, esp if they could get BT to get TV rights.

Do you know who much extra it costs to fly 25 players plus support staff for an overnight stay, compared to a day's coach hire?

What makes perfect sense is an Anglo-Welsh A league, once we in Wales have the finances to employ sufficient players.

I do but don't Irish teams have to travel already in the B&! cup? To places like Rotherham, Cornwall, etc etc. and Scotland

I would be happy with a proper A league with Welsh teams as well though.

Welly wrote:
I do but don't Irish teams have to travel already in the B&! cup? To places like Rotherham, Cornwall, etc etc. and Scotland

I would be happy with a proper A league with Welsh teams as well though.

You're lumping additional costs on to teams who don't need them.