Diamond still has faith as Falcons battle on
The Rugby Paper|October 20, 2024
THE Premiership’s bottom two sides, Newcastle and Exeter, faced each other at Kingston Park on Friday night – a match which ended in victory for the Falcons – with talk of relegation back on the Premiership menu.
PAUL REES
Diamond still has faith as Falcons battle on

The club that finishes 10th will meet the Championship winners in a home-and-away play-off, but only if the side seeking promotion fulfils the minimum-standards criteria.

The criteria have long been a source of frustration for aspiring Championship clubs who see them as a means of keeping them out of the top flight or facing the prospect of going bust, like London Welsh in the 2010s, spending millions of pounds to meet the conditions and getting immediately relegated with a fatal drop in income.

The creteria have been relaxed this year. Championship clubs have four years to meet the stipulated ground capacity of 10,001 but they only have until the end of January to submit detailed proposals of how they would meet the conditions. A concern is that planning permission is unlikely to have been granted by then meaning only Doncaster, the one side in the second tier that satisfied the conditions last season, will be a play-off candidate.

The Championship will be expanded to 14 clubs from 12 from next season. Three Premiership sides who went bust two years ago, Wasps, Worcester and London Irish, could be fast-tracked into it if they reform rather than starting life again at the bottom, the fate of Richmond, London Scottish and London Welsh in the past, but only the Warriors currently have a ground.

The move to bring them back has more detractors than supporters, but what they would bring is ambition. There would be less chance of a reprieve for the Premiership’s bottom side and it was not a good look for the top flight last season when Newcastle survived despite not winning a match.

The Falcons lost their first four matches this season, extending their losing streak to 25 in a run stretching back to March last year. Their director of rugby Steve Diamond believes the side that finishes bottom will face a play-off and has no time for those who say Newcastle are not worthy of their place in the Premiership.

Esta historia es de la edición October 20, 2024 de The Rugby Paper.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición October 20, 2024 de The Rugby Paper.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE RUGBY PAPERVer todo
I always wanted to play an exciting form of rugby
The Rugby Paper

I always wanted to play an exciting form of rugby

THERE were periods of my career where I felt like I was playing well enough to earn a shot with England. However, if you look at the way England’s gone, even with Marcus Smith now, he gets taken off when he is playing fantastic rugby just because he’s more of a flair player and as a result has a stigma attached.

time-read
6 minutos  |
December 22, 2024
England must find a way to deliver
The Rugby Paper

England must find a way to deliver

WITH Christmas fast approaching, it’s time for us all to look forward to better things and hope we achieve them.

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 22, 2024
I've still got plenty to give, says Beaumont
The Rugby Paper

I've still got plenty to give, says Beaumont

JOSH Beaumont prepares to put his body on the festive front line again in the Sale cause revealing his biggest “regret” has been not winning an England cap.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 22, 2024
Saracens fight back to overcome Bears
The Rugby Paper

Saracens fight back to overcome Bears

SARACENS secured a pulsating victory over a Hannah Botterman-inspired Bristol Bears to move to within a point of the summit of the table.

time-read
1 min  |
December 22, 2024
Hopkins in snatch it
The Rugby Paper

Hopkins in snatch it

AFTER the resignation of their popular head coach Toby Booth earlier in the week, Ospreys were given a huge boost when replacement Iestyn Hopkins crashed over with the clock in overtime to condemn their fiercest rivals to yet another defeat in Swansea.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 22, 2024
No Mostert? That's got to be a mistake
The Rugby Paper

No Mostert? That's got to be a mistake

HERE'S a funny thing: one of the more prominent rugby sites on the world wide web super information highway thingy has just published its list of the 100 best players in the sport. And no, the Spring-bok lock Franco Mostert isn't in it. ALLOWED

time-read
1 min  |
December 22, 2024
Tompkins hits the 200-mark for Saracens
The Rugby Paper

Tompkins hits the 200-mark for Saracens

MARK McCall has hailed Nick Tompkins, who makes his 200th appearance today for Saracens against champions Northampton at StoneX Stadium, as the epitome of a player the club aims to produce.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 22, 2024
Anguish for Chiefs as Sale march on
The Rugby Paper

Anguish for Chiefs as Sale march on

GEORGE Ford’s educated right boot proved hugely instrumental as Sale subjected rock-bottom Exeter to yet more misery and gloom.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 22, 2024
Rampaging Bears tear Tigers apart
The Rugby Paper

Rampaging Bears tear Tigers apart

BRISTOL produced a memorable display of attacking rugby which left Leicester thoroughly shaken and stirred.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 22, 2024
England's outsiders deserve a chance niveste cu
The Rugby Paper

England's outsiders deserve a chance niveste cu

IT’S just six weeks before the start of the 2025 Six Nations, and since Steve Borthwick became England head coach his main message to the media has been we want to get better. However, by the end of the autumn series, Borthwick had become a bit more critical, saying that England were not fit enough, and were not carrying what they had been doing in training into matches.

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 22, 2024