Ben Jaycock: Premiership rugby finds itself in an extremely difficult time, it’s incredibly sad to see three clubs go isn’t it?
Rob Saunders: It gives me no pleasure in saying this but I don’t think it gets any better, I think it gets worse. If you look at a game whose revenue hasn’t really developed in the past 20 years yet player wages have gone up in some cases tenfold, it doesn’t take an economic genius to work out that if you have a business where revenues are stagnant and costs are rising at a significant level, you get yourself into a bit of trouble. I’m very happy to be wrong here but London Irish, Wasps and Worcester won’t be the only casualties. I think the game is in a pretty perilous state at the moment.
BJ: What do you think can be done to ease the financial strain?
RS: Mark McCall has gone on record to say England players need to be centrally contracted, that to me is a no brainer. You find yourself in a ridiculous situation where the marquee player who’s an international won’t play club rugby until possibly March next year. Business is business and why would you ever put money on the table for an asset that you’re not going to be able to use for the best part of a season. Seems crazy to me and the only way out of it is for England to centrally contract players and take the pressure off clubs because there’s no doubt the wages are killing them.
BJ: Do you think the league should be ring fenced or would you encourage promotion and relegation to put more meaning in games?
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin July 30, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin July 30, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
England can find a little bit of cheer
SO HERE we are on the final day of England’s autumn international series with all of us hoping and expecting Steve Borthwick’s team to win today after three weeks of bitter disappointment.
Stop messing with Marcus - Campese
DAVID Campese believes England are going backwards under Steve Borthwick, who is ‘messing around’ with talisman Marcus Smith.
Being a Lion was the highlight of my career
I PLAYED 19 games and scored 219 points for the Lions, on the tours to South Africa in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971, but I never played in a Test and that was fair enough.
Cook's crew not fazed as they eye tilt at top half
THERE appear to be few signs of second season syndrome at Westcombe Park as captain Nick Cook reveals the group aren’t even contemplating the threat of relegation and are instead targeting a top-half finish.
Forwards pack a punch for the Reds
OLD Redcliffians produced a proud defensive effort to take a bonus-point win.
Tom 'Ailes' the achievements of inspirational skipper Riley
SEDGLEY Park No. 8 Tom Ailes says his team relish the competitive nature of National One and is confident the Tigers can rectify their rocky start to the season in weeks to come.
Strachan confident Ampthill will be firing again soon
FRASER Strachan is determined to put Ampthill’s leaky defensive showings behind them and gain some much needed confidence in the run up to Christmas.
It's a whole new ball game for Rigg
WILL Rigg’s ambition was to become a professional cricketer but it is the oval ball rather than The Oval that is his driver now.
Scarratt leads the way for Lightning
LOUGHBOROUGH won a wet and windy East Midlands Derby after having the bonus point in the bag by half-time.
Becconsall: We need to release pressure
WILL Becconsall says Exeter are not spooked by the threat of relegation as they look to turn around their Premiership campaign after starting with six straight defeats.
