British and Irish Cup

How do people rate this cup.

Do you see it as a good development cup, playing differtent opposition, but not great from the fans prespective?

or

a welcome alternative when the internations are on?

Do fans of Championship clubs like it?

Can it be used as a valid reason for/against Wales having a Vally region? (Pontypridd got to the semi's last year, and crowd 5000.)
would a good run by Welsh teams show there is the strength in depth in the Prem for a 5th side?

Does winning it matter to your team?

Would a championship team that can't get promoted, rather win this or the championship (but remain there next year)? Do the welsh teams take it serously?

5000 isn't THAT bad if they could add to it with the fans of other clubs, rather than lose a load.

Don't follow any of the championship sides but I think it's good exposure for them. A lot of premiership acadamy players are registered with championship clubs and I think it would do them good to play against the Irish A sides.

Kingshu wrote:How do people rate this cup.

For me its a fantastic development tool

red_stag wrote:

Kingshu wrote:How do people rate this cup.

For me its a fantastic development tool

+1

Kingshu wrote:How do people rate this cup.

Do you see it as a good development cup, playing differtent opposition, but not great from the fans prespective?

or

a welcome alternative when the internations are on?

Tbh, a bit of both, a good development tool with a chance to play teams from other countries, pretty decent from the fans' perspective (I'll try to take in a couple of London Scottish's home B&I Cup games, but am unlikely to travel), and a welcome alternative during the international season

Kingshu wrote:Do fans of Championship clubs like it?

Yes, I do

Kingshu wrote:Can it be used as a valid reason for/against Wales having a Vally region? (Pontypridd got to the semi's last year, but crowd was only 5000.)
would a good run by Welsh teams show there is the strength in depth in the Prem for a 5th side?

I wouldn't have thought so, as the existing 4 regions' feeder clubs compete in it?

Kingshu wrote:Does winning it matter to your team?

No

Kingshu wrote:Would a championship team that can't get promoted, rather win this or the championship (but remain there next year)?

Difficult to answer - when the Chiefs got promoted, they treated it as an outing for second string and squad players, I guess believing that it would be too much to compete on both fronts

Kingshu wrote:Do the welsh teams take it serously?

Can't asnwer that one for you

Kingshu wrote: (Pontypridd got to the semi's last year, but crowd was only 5000.)

and that was against Bristol, whilst the final between Bristol and Bedford (2 sides with ambitions for the Aviva Premiership) attracted ................




..... 4375
(The other semi-final between Bedford & Worcester attracted 2,049 )

Finally, for Ponty, it would be the PRO12 not the Prem

I'd agreed it a fantastic development tool, which benifits the club/team
but from a fans point do you like it, would winning it make a big deal?

for me I doubt if i'd go to many games maybe one over a weekend when nothing else to do, but would rather see a wolfhound game if watching a 'A' side, would prob go to final if we reached it, and it was at home, but doubt if i'd travel, as if travelling it would be to see the senior team, can't afford all games and have to choose.

so for me from a fans point it hasn't really caugt the imagation.

5,000 is very impressive.

actually I'll edit that 5000 is pretty good, considering Edinburgh, Glasgow and Connacht are in the Celtic League, and would struggle to get this.

I think if Ponty keep going the way they are going ( topped prem last year, semi of BandI cup) they could make a case for a new Valleys region, but only if the WRU had the funds for it, and they played some home games in North Wales as well. Bridgeend would need to improve as well.

On a side note, with the IRFU better supporting Connacht and increasing funding, and players moving from other academys (making a bigger squad), are there plans for a Connacht A to enter any time soon?

It's a bit like a Europe third tier isnt it. Though Id like to see more Welsh clubs involved in the Amlin (like the Italians) instead of this.

When you take into account that Pontypridd RFC is semi-pro, while many of the other clubs are fully professional, they did extremely well to get to the semi's last season. Also the the amount of funding they receive from the WRUin is minimal compared to the likes of Bristol, Rotherham, Doncaster etc in the English Championship.
That crowd of 5,000 + wasn't the only big crowd that they had last season, as Kingshu mentioned, these were bigger than many Regional sides attendances.

I think its a great little competition. I look at the Ulster Ravens and think a lot of these young players wouldnt be getting anywhere near as much development and opportunnities to improve if they were just playing for their clubs in the AIB.

Great tournament.