Aviva Premiership: something exciting happens

[LeRouxIsPHat]

This isn't the Munster thread.

[FLIP]

Ashley Johnson the latest south African to fail a drugs test

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43843140

[Dave Cahill]

As a result of the injuries he received in the first couple of seconds of the match last week against Leicester Tigers, where he captained the side, Rob Horne or Northampton Saints has been forced to retire.

https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/new ... gh-injury/

[artaneboy]

As a result of the injuries he received in the first couple of seconds of the match last week against Leicester Tigers, where he captained the side, Rob Horne or Northampton Saints has been forced to retire.

https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/new ... gh-injury/

Very sad. A reminder of how fragile a rugby career is.

Wish him the best of luck.


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[blockhead]

Wasps' leading stars are threatening to leave the club due to patience wearing thin over training facilities and financial issues - according to a national newspaper.

The Daily Mail last night reported that the likes of Elliot Daly, Joe Launchbury and Christian Wade are 'expected to leave when their contracts expire' unless Wasps can settle their alleged grievances.

Two of the players mentioned, Daly and Launchbury, extended their contracts in September and December respectively while it is understood that Wade is a on a long-term contract.

'Inadequate' training facilities and a backlog of image-rights payments are stated as the chief reasons for the supposed discontent in the Wasps ranks by the Daily Mail report.

It is no secret that Wasps' search for a permanent training ground base has caused some issues with director of rugby Dai Young stating the situation was 'not ideal' in a recent interview with CoventryLive and a long-term solution should arrive 'quicker the better really'.

The Daily Mail's article was published on the same day James Haskell, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, mocked Wasps' Broadstreet RFC base on his Instagram story while in the changing rooms with Dan Robson, Joe Launchbury and Jimmy Gopperth.

In a video he said: "Day 75, still locked in grassroots hell. Has anyone seen the new training facility? Lads?

"Apparently we’re getting one in 50 years time. Watch this space ladies and gentlemen."

It is not the first time the England international has used his Instagram account, which has 239,000 followers, to focus on issues at the training ground, recently highlighting an electrical issue that lead to lights going out.

Trouble at mill!

[blockhead]

England rugby chiefs are planning to follow Wales' example by introducing alcohol-free zones on matchdays.

Twickenham's bars account for about £500,000 of the £10million matchday revenue but former England coach Sir Clive Woodward has led the call for change - backed by complaints from supporters about fans going to bars during play.

Wales have already announced plans for bans at the Principality Stadium and RFU CEO Steve Brown said: 'If we need to segment some of the stadium so it is a more family-friendly place, we may do so.'

Hope we don't join these fuppin killjoys.
Beer and rugby, love it!

[Xanthippe]

England rugby chiefs are planning to follow Wales' example by introducing alcohol-free zones on matchdays.

Twickenham's bars account for about £500,000 of the £10million matchday revenue but former England coach Sir Clive Woodward has led the call for change - backed by complaints from supporters about fans going to bars during play.

Wales have already announced plans for bans at the Principality Stadium and RFU CEO Steve Brown said: 'If we need to segment some of the stadium so it is a more family-friendly place, we may do so.'

Hope we don't join these fuppin killjoys.
Beer and rugby, love it!

Don’t Ulster have a no alcohol policy for their Family Stand?

[neill_m]

England rugby chiefs are planning to follow Wales' example by introducing alcohol-free zones on matchdays.

Twickenham's bars account for about £500,000 of the £10million matchday revenue but former England coach Sir Clive Woodward has led the call for change - backed by complaints from supporters about fans going to bars during play.

Wales have already announced plans for bans at the Principality Stadium and RFU CEO Steve Brown said: 'If we need to segment some of the stadium so it is a more family-friendly place, we may do so.'

Hope we don't join these fuppin killjoys.
Beer and rugby, love it!

Don’t Ulster have a no alcohol policy for their Family Stand?

Correct

[paddyor]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... -need.html

.......
The search for his replacement is ongoing and the club will face further costs if the new coach wants to bring in his own staff Sportsmail understands it will cost a further £1.75m to terminate the contracts of Kingston’s six assistants.

It follows Quins recording operating losses of £4.8m for the 2016-17 season. And there could be further financial problems on the horizon with £1.4m invested in American rugby.

The club have pumped funds into Rugby International Marketing, a subsidiary of USA Rugby which is on the brink of collapse after £3m losses.

Ellis is hoping to appoint a new coach before the end of the season with Stuart Lancaster, Andy Farrell and Ben Ryan among the names mentioned.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyu ... z5E5eJEAxP
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Quins have won one game in 2018.

[artaneboy]

England rugby chiefs are planning to follow Wales' example by introducing alcohol-free zones on matchdays.

Twickenham's bars account for about £500,000 of the £10million matchday revenue but former England coach Sir Clive Woodward has led the call for change - backed by complaints from supporters about fans going to bars during play.

Wales have already announced plans for bans at the Principality Stadium and RFU CEO Steve Brown said: 'If we need to segment some of the stadium so it is a more family-friendly place, we may do so.'

Hope we don't join these fuppin killjoys.
Beer and rugby, love it!

I really hate the fools who spend all their time at matches up and down to the bar, getting in people’s way, spilling drink, etc. But... led by Woodward; enough said. That’s a good enough reason to fight it. in itself...


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[blockhead]

I really hate the fools who fiend all their time at matches up a d down to the bar, getting ready months way, spilling drink, etc. But... led by Woodward; enough said. That’s a good enough reason to fight it. in itself...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Artaneboy is pissed already.

[neiliog93]

I'm all for banning bars. You can't leave before the interval or before the second half of a play at the theatre, and professional sport is the theatre of dreams. I would love it if you were only allowed out for refreshments at half time, and if you were more than a few minutes for either kick-off you weren't allowed in.

[artaneboy]

I really hate the fools who fiend all their time at matches up a d down to the bar, getting ready months way, spilling drink, etc. But... led by Woodward; enough said. That’s a good enough reason to fight it. in itself...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Artaneboy is pissed already.

Close- but sitting in one place anyway...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[blockhead]

From the UK Indo

Time for a reality check, Premiership rugby fans. This has been very far from a vintage season for club rugby in England.
In fact, much of the fare on offer has been downright average.
Whatever the end-of-season play-off games throw up – and there may yet be some excitement to be squeezed out of club rugby’s toothpaste tube – it is undeniable the quality, pace and week-in-week-out and excitement we’ve become accustomed to in England’s premier club competition has been missing over the past nine months.
Newcastle’s titanic win over Leicester on Friday night was, to my mind, the exception which proved the rule.
England’s club players are playing on empty and we all know it.
Few players will admit it publicly but the relentless nature of a Premiership season, coming hard on the heels of a Lions tour, interspersed with international and European club windows, has led to tired limbs, an obscene injury rate and some mediocre rugby as squads have been stretched to breaking point.
For many, the end of the season cannot come soon enough.
Last week I found myself in conversation with two current England players, one of whom offered a fascinating insight into the conflict which I believe is at the heart of English rugby’s current malaise.
One explained the dilemma he faces on an almost weekly basis as a tug-of-war is fought over his own body.
With his club – who pay the bulk of his wages – needing him in peak physical condition for European weekends and the windows away from international games, he can be given lighter workloads or even rest periods essential for his body to recuperate from the extraordinary physical battering it undergoes on a weekly basis.
With, in his words, “limited communication” between England and his club, he is routinely contacted directly by his international S&C staff interested solely in getting him to peak for England matches. Lay down two graphs when English clubs and England need their top stars peaking and the peaks come at precisely different times through the year.
“What am I supposed to do?” the player asked me. “On one hand I’ll have a fitness and conditioning programme laid out for me by my club.
“They may tell me to rest for a few days or focus on a lighter programme for the week to ensure I’m fresh for the weekend. I can then be contacted directly by England’s S&C staff wanting me on a completely different programme. They may want me to take on a much heavier load that week designed to build up muscle mass for further down the road.
“It’s incredibly hard to know who to please. I get well looked after at my club but ultimately everyone wants to play for England and you definitely don’t want to be labelled lazy.”
Two masters, one player. England’s top stars are in an impossible position. Caught between a rock and a hard place. If they follow everyone’s advice they will end up going around in circles. For many, they are doing precisely that.
Is it any surprise no Premiership club made it to the European Champions Cup semi-finals while Ireland – centrally contracted and with player fitness programmes controlled by the Irish Rugby Football Union – have seen Leinster go from strength-to-strength and Munster resurgent?
England’s top stars are knackered and the standard of play in the Premiership has been directly affected.
Throw in Eddie Jones’s notoriously brutal training sessions – personified by the so-called “Battle of Brighton” in 2016 which left three players seriously injured and ended Sam Jones’s career in the process – and you have an almost perfect storm which can only lead to one destination: Burn out.
“We are all desperate to play for England and would never say no to playing or doing whatever is necessary to play,” the unnamed player continued.
“You never feel tired when you pull on an England shirt but the reality is that I’m knackered. Absolutely knackered. I might get a few weeks off this summer but I’ll be back in before my feet have touched the ground. And it’s not as if you can pitch up for pre-season in bad shape. You’ll get beasted if you do.
“We have to keep training during our time off. That’s the reality. Professional rugby is pretty much 365 days a year.”
Centrally contract players and reduce their workload across the board is the answer. Everyone knows it. But who’ll do anything about it?
Three Tests against South Africa, anyone?

Well, un-named player, its what the fans want so stop whining.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Jackson and possibly Olding to Sale, according to the Telegraph.

[Ruckedtobits]

From the UK Indo

Time for a reality check, Premiership rugby fans. This has been very far from a vintage season for club rugby in England.
In fact, much of the fare on offer has been downright average.
Whatever the end-of-season play-off games throw up – and there may yet be some excitement to be squeezed out of club rugby’s toothpaste tube – it is undeniable the quality, pace and week-in-week-out and excitement we’ve become accustomed to in England’s premier club competition has been missing over the past nine months.
Newcastle’s titanic win over Leicester on Friday night was, to my mind, the exception which proved the rule.
England’s club players are playing on empty and we all know it.
Few players will admit it publicly but the relentless nature of a Premiership season, coming hard on the heels of a Lions tour, interspersed with international and European club windows, has led to tired limbs, an obscene injury rate and some mediocre rugby as squads have been stretched to breaking point.
For many, the end of the season cannot come soon enough.
Last week I found myself in conversation with two current England players, one of whom offered a fascinating insight into the conflict which I believe is at the heart of English rugby’s current malaise.
One explained the dilemma he faces on an almost weekly basis as a tug-of-war is fought over his own body.
With his club – who pay the bulk of his wages – needing him in peak physical condition for European weekends and the windows away from international games, he can be given lighter workloads or even rest periods essential for his body to recuperate from the extraordinary physical battering it undergoes on a weekly basis.
With, in his words, “limited communication” between England and his club, he is routinely contacted directly by his international S&C staff interested solely in getting him to peak for England matches. Lay down two graphs when English clubs and England need their top stars peaking and the peaks come at precisely different times through the year.
“What am I supposed to do?” the player asked me. “On one hand I’ll have a fitness and conditioning programme laid out for me by my club.
“They may tell me to rest for a few days or focus on a lighter programme for the week to ensure I’m fresh for the weekend. I can then be contacted directly by England’s S&C staff wanting me on a completely different programme. They may want me to take on a much heavier load that week designed to build up muscle mass for further down the road.
“It’s incredibly hard to know who to please. I get well looked after at my club but ultimately everyone wants to play for England and you definitely don’t want to be labelled lazy.”
Two masters, one player. England’s top stars are in an impossible position. Caught between a rock and a hard place. If they follow everyone’s advice they will end up going around in circles. For many, they are doing precisely that.
Is it any surprise no Premiership club made it to the European Champions Cup semi-finals while Ireland – centrally contracted and with player fitness programmes controlled by the Irish Rugby Football Union – have seen Leinster go from strength-to-strength and Munster resurgent?
England’s top stars are knackered and the standard of play in the Premiership has been directly affected.
Throw in Eddie Jones’s notoriously brutal training sessions – personified by the so-called “Battle of Brighton” in 2016 which left three players seriously injured and ended Sam Jones’s career in the process – and you have an almost perfect storm which can only lead to one destination: Burn out.
“We are all desperate to play for England and would never say no to playing or doing whatever is necessary to play,” the unnamed player continued.
“You never feel tired when you pull on an England shirt but the reality is that I’m knackered. Absolutely knackered. I might get a few weeks off this summer but I’ll be back in before my feet have touched the ground. And it’s not as if you can pitch up for pre-season in bad shape. You’ll get beasted if you do.
“We have to keep training during our time off. That’s the reality. Professional rugby is pretty much 365 days a year.”
Centrally contract players and reduce their workload across the board is the answer. Everyone knows it. But who’ll do anything about it?
Three Tests against South Africa, anyone?

Well, un-named player, its what the fans want so stop whining.

That piece should be pinned to:

• Every Season Ticket sold by every Club;
  Every Press Release issue by every Club about "the up-coming derby";
  Every injury update issued by every Club weekly;
  Every Press Release from the RFU about player National selection

The player comments are realistic and the outcome is inevitable. More injuries of a more complex nature are occurring and will drive down the average age of player retirement from the game.

[blockhead]

Smacked-bum-face speaks some sense, no?

Premiership clubs will go bust if drastic action is not taken - cut player wages by 20 per cent and take agents out of rugby
Austin Healey

The sun is out. The ground is hard. We should see some fantastic rugby in the Premiership play-offs. A new sponsor is on board for next season. Everything looks rosy.

Then you look under the surface at the accounts and a very different picture emerges. Worcester lost £8 million in the last tax year, London Irish £3m. Saracens are something like £45m in the red. There are rumours around Wasps’ long-term financial well-being. With the exception of Exeter, every club seems to be haemorrhaging money.

Nearly all Premiership clubs are backed by at least one very rich owner but as we have seen with Saracens’ South African backers pulling out, there is a point at which even a billionaire feels the pinch. I know that Nigel Wray has stepped up to pick up the shortfall. He is a great rugby man and will invest in Saracens until the day he dies, but not every owner is like Nigel.

If clubs continue in his vein then another one of these owners will inevitably pull the plug and then it could be like a domino effect. In three years the English club game could be bankrupt and so drastic action is needed to curtail the main cost - players’ wages.

As the sad case of Sam Jones shows, a career can end in an instant and players need to maximise what they can earn. I don’t blame players for getting as much as they possibly can as it is a tough living; I blame the clubs for giving in to their demands.

The root of the problem is that a certain breed of owner with big personalities – other people would call them egos – will tell their chief executive or whoever is managing the purse strings to bring in this superstar in no matter the cost.

A lot of the time they are paying for these superstars straight from their own pocket, but what it has done is alter the market conditions. Now if you have got a marquee player on anywhere from £500,000 to £800,000 then other leading players at those clubs will say 'hold on, that guy is not twice as good as me'.

Effectively all you are doing is accelerating wage inflation by 15-25 per cent. If you do that across the board with a squad of 40-odd players then eventually that multiplies very quickly into big losses and smaller squads.

At the time I thought the marquee player rule was a great idea. It has been fantastic for the league to bring in big names like Louis Picamoles, Kurtley Beale, Matt Toomua or Taulupe Faletau. All those guys are amazing players and put bums on seats. The problem is that the knock-on effect has been to raise wages across the board to the point where the present model is unsustainable.

The marquee rule was brought in partly because so many clubs were, allegedly, flouting the salary cap. The idea was screw the wage cap, it is my money I will do what I want. Now strangely I think even those clubs would want to abide by the cap. Maybe they flaunted the rules previously, but now they are crying out for their costs to be controlled.

That means scrapping the marquee player and cutting wages by around 20 per cent. In order for this to work, the clubs have to act unilaterally. All it will take is for one club to keep paying over the odds for everyone else to resume their unsustainable arms race.

Another idea I have previously mentioned is following the American model of publicising all the players’ wages. There’s no worse rumour mill than a rugby changing room and this version of Chinese whispers allows agents to leverage great deals for their clients. I’ve heard stories about clubs paying nearly £300,000 for a third-string tighthead prop or a non-international second row who has never called a lineout; decent club players who should be on a third of that. It’s insane.

Putting all their wages out in the open would break the cartel that some agents operate in. There are several decent, straight-up guys, but I firmly believe the Premiership needs to find a way of taking agents out of rugby. There is enough money in football to sustain people taking a cut, but there certainly isn’t in what is a loss-making industry. Again, clubs would have to act unilaterally to make this work.

None of this is going to make me particularly popular with agents or players, but what is the alternative? Clubs will go to the wall if they carry on like they are. Cutting wages by 20 per cent could give a player an extra two years in your career because squads will be bigger and you can play less games a season, so it does balance out.

It is a heavy dose of short-term pain for long-term gain.

It would take some pressure off us too if they had a 20% wage reduction. But would it mean a new wave of defections over to the mainland and into the Top14?

[rooster]

One of the rare times that Healey has talked any sense.

[Peg Leg]

Yeah get rid of the agents, clubs have nothing but the players best interests at heart.
He raises a good point, but wages dont need to be published, there are ways to find out before hiring without publication.

How about just introducing a financial fair play rule for the clubs that actually prevents clubs from constantly operating at a loss. Or even only allow them to lose x% over their takings.

[paddyor]

Because they'll just inflate their "takings" with sponsorship from the owners.

He's talking out of both sides of his mouth there wrt Nigel Wray.