Aviva Premiership: something exciting happens

[Peg Leg]

Scottish Rugby Union reportedly close to securing Worcester Warriors takeover
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/wr ... _takeover/

Union undermines its own competition by joining another...

[TerenureJim]

Can't see the RFU allowing that one, also wouldn't the SRU be better off getting a team going in the borders or perhaps in Aberdeen or Dundee/Inverness and possibly grow/support their own league and game....

[Peg Leg]

It's a great idea. SRU buy a new team with access to the huge money pot designed to crush them.

[enby]

There is so much wrong with this idea.

Imagine being a long suffering Worcester fan turning up for match after match in the freezing cold to watch your team playing abysmally only to find that your club is to become a nursery for a foreign ( well sort of foreign ) union. Equally those who devote thankless unpaid hours running the many clubs in the Borders heartland of Scottish rugby every week will be delighted to see their union resources spent on running an English club rather than on their own clubs.

[Oldschool]

Can't see the RFU allowing that one, also wouldn't the SRU be better off getting a team going in the borders or perhaps in Aberdeen or Dundee/Inverness and possibly grow/support their own league and game....

While the RFU might be able to block the IRFU it might be more difficult to block the scots or welsh because they're brits after all.

[Dave Cahill]

There is so much wrong with this idea.

Imagine being a long suffering Worcester fan turning up for match after match in the freezing cold to watch your team playing abysmally only to find that your club is to become a nursery for a foreign ( well sort of foreign ) union. Equally those who devote thankless unpaid hours running the many clubs in the Borders heartland of Scottish rugby every week will be delighted to see their union resources spent on running an English club rather than on their own clubs.

Also, English premiership clubs are contractually obliged to provide elite level academy facilities and development to young English players - are the SRU really going to stump up to help develop the next English team?

[paddyor]

I don't think they are obliged. They get a payment if 15 of the 23 are EQ. If they don't maintain it they don't get the payment.

[simonokeeffe]

If only there was a Scottish club in London they could do some link up with

But sure if that was the case theyd find some way to make a bags of it

[Oldschool]

If only there was a Scottish club in London they could do some link up with

But sure if that was the case theyd find some way to make a bagpipes of it

Fixed

[Fireworks]

Can't see the RFU allowing that one, also wouldn't the SRU be better off getting a team going in the borders or perhaps in Aberdeen or Dundee/Inverness and possibly grow/support their own league and game....

While the RFU might be able to block the IRFU it might be more difficult to block the scots or welsh because they're brits after all.

Always thought that would be a good plan, if possible. I would extend it to owning a French team as well.

[dropkick]

Can't see the RFU allowing that one, also wouldn't the SRU be better off getting a team going in the borders or perhaps in Aberdeen or Dundee/Inverness and possibly grow/support their own league and game....

While the RFU might be able to block the IRFU it might be more difficult to block the scots or welsh because they're brits after all.

Always thought that would be a good plan, if possible. I would extend it to owning a French team as well.

If the IRFU were going down that road then they could invest in a new pro14 franchise. If instance if there was a new German team they could invest in a share of it and send players there to get experience.


I'd prefer that to investing in a rival competition.

[simonokeeffe]

If only there was a Scottish club in London they could do some link up with

But sure if that was the case theyd find some way to make a bagpipes of it

Fixed

[paddyor]

Telegraph:

Any hopes the Scottish Rugby Union hold of investing in Worcester Warriors will almost certainly be dashed by the Premiership club, this column understands.

The SRU has been linked as one of two bidders for Worcester as a potential base for Scottish players to play in England’s top league.

It is understood the Rugby Football Union, who would have to agree any takeover, have not be made aware of any intention by the SRU to buy Worcester.

And senior Premiership sources suggested it would be black-balled in a similar fashion of Montpellier owner Mohed Altrad’s attempt to buy Gloucester because of the potential conflict of interest. The SRU own both Edinburgh and Glasgow, who could potentially face Worcester in European competitions.

[dropkick]

Telegraph:

Any hopes the Scottish Rugby Union hold of investing in Worcester Warriors will almost certainly be dashed by the Premiership club, this column understands.

The SRU has been linked as one of two bidders for Worcester as a potential base for Scottish players to play in England’s top league.

It is understood the Rugby Football Union, who would have to agree any takeover, have not be made aware of any intention by the SRU to buy Worcester.

And senior Premiership sources suggested it would be black-balled in a similar fashion of Montpellier owner Mohed Altrad’s attempt to buy Gloucester because of the potential conflict of interest. The SRU own both Edinburgh and Glasgow, who could potentially face Worcester in European competitions.

It would have been kind of funny to see a celtic nation use an AP club as a development side. That wouldn't look good from an AP point of view.


It also looks like the English operate a very socialist model compared to the more capitalistic French model. That explains why the French clubs have streaked ahead of them in the last decade.

[fourthirtythree]

It also looks like the English operate a very socialist model compared to the more capitalistic French model. That explains why the French clubs have streaked ahead of them in the last decade.

Is that a joke I don't understand or do you not actually know anything about either system? They are both capitalist. They are both rigged markets because all markets are rigged and always have been. In this case they both have an element of cartel about them.

I think you are conflating the theoretical concept of a "free market", which has never, will never, and cannot ever exist (all markets require regulation and some form of government to enforce them. Without the threat of force there is no reason to pay debts in a libertarian capitalist fantasy land), a "free market" is the equivalent of a physics problem stating "imagine a frictionless vaccum". It's a theoretical simplification, not to be taken seriously in the real world.

[dropkick]

It also looks like the English operate a very socialist model compared to the more capitalistic French model. That explains why the French clubs have streaked ahead of them in the last decade.

Is that a joke I don't understand or do you not actually know anything about either system? They are both capitalist. They are both rigged markets because all markets are rigged and always have been. In this case they both have an element of cartel about them.

I think you are conflating the theoretical concept of a "free market", which has never, will never, and cannot ever exist (all markets require regulation and some form of government to enforce them. Without the threat of force there is no reason to pay debts in a libertarian capitalist fantasy land), a "free market" is the equivalent of a physics problem stating "imagine a frictionless vaccum". It's a theoretical simplification, not to be taken seriously in the real world.

People don't need force to pay debts. If someone doesn't pay their debts and try to rip others off then their REPUTATION will be destroyed and nobody will want to do business with them again. The internet is based on trust with Ebay being the best example. If someone has bad reviews then they won't last long. No force or government is required. The merchants of old used to operate on a similar system and they became fabulously wealthy and the merchant houses kept track of who was trustworthy and untrustworthy. No fantasy land required.


Back to the point I was making. French clubs have more freedom to do business than English clubs. I'm not talking in black and white here (which you seem to be) but different shades of gray.


If you're a millionaire rugby fan in France and want to invest in your local city club then theres an open pathway to the top 14. The same man in England will see numerous obstacles including the AP clubs threatening to ringfence the AP. So the English millionaire is less likely to invest in English rugby. If the AP was ringfenced 10 years ago, where would Exeter be now? Thats an example of a more closed socialist system. They want to protect their own position at the top of the table while making it harder for other sides with multiple requirements to joining the AP such as stadium requirements. I'm not bothered by it, in fact its good for Irish rugby that more serious investment isn't going into the English game.

[paddyor]

Yeah and thats before you get to the different shares and stuff.

[blockhead]

Not very exciting but.....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/201 ... ularities/

[Peg Leg]

GTFO of here!

[simonokeeffe]

If those are the bonds and their rates then their level of debt must be staggering

Between Brexit and tv rights/sports sponsorship being on shakey ground they are in a very precarious position