And who might that be? Exeter, as it happens, on the grounds that their nearest top-flight neighbours – Bath, Bristol, Gloucester – are impostors from the Midlands masquerading as West Countrymen with their townie accents and their “cowpat chic” shooting jackets.
Geographically-based outbreaks of identity politics took root in domestic union many moons ago: “Come on Cornwall, shove it up the English” read a memorable banner on County Championship final day at Twickenham back in the 1980s. Nothing much has changed over the stretch of the professional era and the fact that Exeter, dismissed for so long as a local irrelevance by the Big Three to the immediate north, are the only ones to have actually nailed a Premiership title – a couple of the them, to be strictly accurate – bolsters their sense of authenticity.
Unfortunately for the peninsula as a whole, there is another fact in play: namely, that when it comes to Premiership success, only the miserably weak northern division has struggled as badly. It is even possible to argue that, despite their disadvantages in securing a significant foothold for top-flight union in areas of the country besotted with football and the rival rugby code, the North has out-performed the South West by producing two champion teams, as opposed to a single two-time winner.
Denne historien er fra April 28, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra April 28, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.