Aviva Prem fans only vote.

A lot of infighting recently wishing for an Anglo Welsh League, but out side of 1 or 2 Welsh fans is there an appetite for it?

I voted because you told me I couldn't.

Fup the man! 

It shouldn't be expanded. Players can only play so many games in a season. More games is not a good idea.

The AP should and believe will, only accept teams from the Championship.

To go through the development of the last decade with RFU accords, TV deals, relegation debates, salary caps, academy developments and the euro distraction has eventually matured into an increasingly viable structure despite a number of teams not resolving their stadia ownership and/or capacity, which is still the greatest weakness.

To then give access to Union elite team franchises is not acceptable.

Here comes Philbb.

Recwatcher16 wrote:The AP should and believe will, only accept teams from the Championship.

To go through the development of the last decade with RFU accords, TV deals, relegation debates, salary caps, academy developments and the euro distraction has eventually matured into an increasingly viable structure despite a number of teams not resolving their stadia ownership and/or capacity, which is still the greatest weakness.

To then give access to Union elite team franchises is not acceptable.

I'd agree with this.  I would only like to see the Championship clubs brought in to the Aviva.

Yorkshire Carnegie- So that there are three Northern teams in the league.
Cornish Pirates- They are in a rugby hotbed, I'd also like to see the RFU offer them loans to
Moseley- It would be good to have a prescence in England's second biggest city. THey would  need investment in their stadium (something I belive that is currently being undertaken.)
Bedford Blues- I believe this is scope for their stadium to be developed.


I know a lot of English fans disagree, but I'd offer the Celtic unions control of their exile teams and let them into the competition too.

London Welsh
London Scottish
London Irish

I would be tempted to separate the teams into two division so that the teams aren't flogged as much, could perhaps base this on two regional conferences

Division 1

Newcastle
Sale
Yorkshire
Leicester
Northampton
Wasps
Worcester
Moseley
Bedford


Division A

Gloucester
Bristol
Bath
Exeter
Cornish Pirates
Saracens
Harlequins
London Irish
London Welsh
London Scottish

Or something like that...

Not sure conferences really work in the UK ?

The LV should certainly be ditched - the welsh teams just see it as a money spinner.The ideal would be a 14 team league with a knockout comp held over international weekends.

Ultimately the season would need to be rejigged with preferably any euro comp done and dusted before the 6N or Easter at the latest.

Recwatcher16 wrote:Not sure conferences really work in the UK ?

The LV should certainly be ditched - the welsh teams just see it as a money spinner.The ideal would be a 14 team league with a knockout comp held over international weekends.

Ultimately the season would need to be rejigged with preferably any euro comp done and dusted before the 6N or Easter at the latest.

I can't think of when conferencing has been tried in the UK (which I concede is probably telling), but I would really like to see the club guys playing a bit less. I look at the Top 14 still going and think that is such a slog. How we would compensate for the loss of revenue from home games is another matter though...

I often think two conferences would be best.

With a trophy for topping conference and then top 2 play offs to have an ultimate winner. So two trophies to play for each season as well as Europe.

The teams who finish last in each conference then play to see who's relegated, but I'd change relegation to every other year to give new teams a bedding in period.

Straight away that means less games, more rewards, hopefully better quality too.

Also means you're playing the same clubs less often so creates a bit more interest.

Cumbrian wrote:

Recwatcher16 wrote:Not sure conferences really work in the UK ?

The LV should certainly be ditched - the welsh teams just see it as a money spinner.The ideal would be a 14 team league with a knockout comp held over international weekends.

Ultimately the season would need to be rejigged with preferably any euro comp done and dusted before the 6N or Easter at the latest.

I can't think of when conferencing has been tried in the UK (which I concede is probably telling), but I would really like to see the club guys playing a bit less. I look at the Top 14 still going and think that is such a slog.  How we would compensate for the loss of revenue from home games is another matter though...

Japan are in talks with the T14 about either playing some games there or playing some preseason games over there, just to really Frak their players up.

Cumbrian wrote:I would be tempted to separate the teams into two division so that the teams aren't flogged as much, could perhaps base this on two regional conferences

Division 1

Newcastle
Sale
Yorkshire
Leicester
Northampton
Wasps
Worcester
Moseley
Bedford


Division A

Gloucester
Bristol
Bath
Exeter
Cornish Pirates
Saracens
Harlequins
London Irish
London Welsh
London Scottish

Or something like that...

You sound like my relatives, they think anywhere south of Doncaster is "The South". Having Gloucester as the start of the Southern region is a bit too far south to make it effective.

How about and East / west divide:

Gloucester
Bristol
Bath
Exeter
Cornish Pirates
Sale
Wasps
Worcester
Moseley

as the West, the remainder the East

Of course it should only be championship teams.

And lets hope its not London Welsh....!!!

WELL-PAST-IT wrote:

Cumbrian wrote:I would be tempted to separate the teams into two division so that the teams aren't flogged as much, could perhaps base this on two regional conferences

Division 1

Newcastle
Sale
Yorkshire
Leicester
Northampton
Wasps
Worcester
Moseley
Bedford


Division A

Gloucester
Bristol
Bath
Exeter
Cornish Pirates
Saracens
Harlequins
London Irish
London Welsh
London Scottish

Or something like that...

You sound like my relatives, they think anywhere south of Doncaster is "The South". Having Gloucester as the start of the Southern region is a bit too far south to make it effective.

How about and East / west divide:

Gloucester
Bristol
Bath
Exeter
Cornish Pirates
Sale
Wasps
Worcester
Moseley

as the West, the remainder the East

Ah I’ve been a citizen of the south long enough to know the geography a bit now.

I split the divisions along those lines because that is how the country is split at youth level; the North, the Midlands, the Southwest and Southeast. I simply combined the first two and the latter two.

My preference would be for a Premier League of 20 teams, split into two divisions of 10.

However there are not enough competitive championship sides to make this viable atm.

If i was to do it in pools would go with (Actually two pools of 11 with each team getting a bye weekend sometime during the season).

Group A
Leicester
Saints
Wasps
Worcester
Doncaster
Leeds (they can change their name back)
Sale
Newcastle
Nottingham
Bedford
Rotherham

Pool 2
Bath
Bristol
Glous
Pirates
Saracens
Harlequins
Irish
Welsh
Scottish
Exeter
Jersey

But without major investment alot of those Championship teams would just be bottom fodder for a long time, and i like how competitive the AP is ATM.

Some of those Championship teams are also reliant on the three or four loans/DORs they get a season. Will those be so forthcoming if they were in the same league. Would you see tactical loans between the bigger and smaller clubs before the smaller club played a rival bigger club etc. I'd be nice to see that many competitive English teams but that isn't the case. Too many dead rubbers.

Could I vote for 'none of the above'?

OK, I wouldn't mind seeing a true B&I league, or a true Euro league and flush the Euro Rugby tournament. But at the moment I am not feeling it. Let's go it alone for a while, maybe add two Championship teams.

What a dastardly thread to set up!

It'll inflict a lot of pain on one poor brave warrior, who continues to fight the good fight alone against the outlander heathens from the North, the Romans in the East and the uncivilised Westward Devils who wear nothing but their own pelt into battle.

WRU had their chance before Regions but as ever the greedy bar stewards cocked it all up.

Wigan RL, the sooner we buy out the northern clubs and reunite the game the better.

Historically speaking they were always the strongest clubs.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Some of those Championship teams are also reliant on the three or four loans/DORs they get a season. Will those be so forthcoming if they were in the same league. Would you see tactical loans between the bigger and smaller clubs before the smaller club played a rival bigger club etc. I'd be nice to see that many competitive English teams but that isn't the case. Too many dead rubbers.

I doubt Doncaster will want any Tigers players next season mind.

I'd rather keep things English, just so we have a measure of control.

If, however, the well-being of the game elsewhere was under threat, then I hope we would keep an open mind. Not sure what kind of crisis would precipitate more radical change but it's not out of the question.

Certainly wouldn't want to turn this into a debate about the pros and cons of EU exit but it seems undeniable that leaving the EU would affect the economics of a lot of professional sport in Britain. Not worth making any plans until we see how the vote goes.

Welly wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Some of those Championship teams are also reliant on the three or four loans/DORs they get a season. Will those be so forthcoming if they were in the same league. Would you see tactical loans between the bigger and smaller clubs before the smaller club played a rival bigger club etc. I'd be nice to see that many competitive English teams but that isn't the case. Too many dead rubbers.

I doubt Doncaster will want any Tigers players next season mind.

Depends who they can keep hold of and what injuries they get. They took Bryant and Owen on loan and got them game time during injury spells and Brugnara got a few games as bench cover. Affordin squad depth is noreally the issue for them, I'd expect one or two cover loans. As we're back playing Notts in a friendly I'm guessing the renewed ties there will send some loans.

kingelderfield wrote:Wigan RL, the sooner we buy out the northern clubs and reunite the game the better.

Historically speaking they were always the strongest clubs.

Which is exactly why the southern based public school/Oxbridge lot wanted them out. I'd love to see a unified game but there's more chance of The Smiths reforming.