sebbb says...

I think you are embracing relegation without accounting for any of its negative aspects. If you need a reminder of what they are, watch terrified teams in the T14 or Guinness Premiership trying not to lose.

Posted 12:29 11th March 2010

koeksister says...

To KiwiRooster : 100%. Relegation will put even more fire into Super 14 /15. Use the Currie Cup and NZ cup as a feeder for teams not fully represented in Super 14 to get a shot at a spot, per country and drop the team that finished last from each country. There's too many players and clubs in SA and NZ that can't get into the top sides, only because of numbers.

Posted 08:46 11th March 2010

KiwiRooster says...

I personally wish that no rugby club will ever be in the "Torres-Liverpool" situation. Out of a 6.3 Billion Euros debt the Football English Premier League totals a staggering 4 Billion on its own, followed by the Spanish Liga. Manchester United and Liverpool in spite of their recent good results in the Champions League have been digging their own grave, financially speaking. And it is mainly due to the players transfer where in some cases the annual amount of transfer fee equals 70 to 100% of the club's income. The result is: Manchester United has a total debt of 826 Million Euros against a decreasing 327 Million Euros income, Liverpool has a total debt of 370 Million Euros against 217 Million Euros income. In Spain, Valence one of the leader of the Liga totals 547 Million Euros of debt although they do not even qualify for the European Clubs Top 20 best income generators. It means their total income is probably much lower than 200 Million Euros against a staggering amount of debt. This is all down to transfer fees. Fortunately, rugby clubs are not in the same situation yet, but this is where decisions made by the Club Leagues (like the French LNR) or the Federations that own the players (like the New Zealand RU) are extremely important. The LNR will implement thresholds limiting the amount of foreign players in the first team of all French Clubs in the Top 14 and ProD2 (second division). The NZRU for the moment are injecting money into a few clubs to keep them afloat. There was a plan to take those clubs out of the NPC. In my opinion, this is a terrible mistake. What the NZRU should be looking out is not cutting off grass root rugby. Instead, they should try to find an agreement with the SA and OZ so the local clubs are promoted to the Super 14 and demoted from it. This would give the public a reason to support their club locally.

Posted 21:41 10th March 2010

sebbb says...

Eh, a couple of things there Ross, Brand Beckham did not such thing as turn its back on the 'mega-millions' of the LA Galaxy. He is heading back to LA after the World Cup, a tournament that is essential for him to sustain his marketability in the US (after all, what will yanks think of their star if he is languishing around the Home Deport Centre whilst Landon and Co. are in SA playing England).

I also think you missed a big point about the increasing importance of club rugby over international. Whilst not quite at the level of football, basketball, ect, the IRB are going to have to face the commercial pressures of clubs and provinces with separate overall agendas. I also disagree that promising youngsters won't be tempted to head abroad. I wonder who the first club will be to set up an academy in the South Pacific?

Posted 14:12 10th March 2010