The Aviva English / Welsh premiership???

Someone asked me today if Wales and England could combine to produce a premiership including 8 English teams and the 4 welsh regions?

I'd go a step further and add 2 developmental teams into the championship.

Relegation would work with no championship playoffs, top 2 playoff against bottom 2 prem teams.

And the championship would be fully prof.

I have plenty to say on the subject, and putting aside it'll never happen arguments what do we all think about the idea?

I think the only way it would be agreed is if the Welsh teams joined the English system. So they would be relegated to the Championship if bottom. They'd have to start somewhere in the system (where did London Scottish have to come back from?) but not problem in theory

Why would the English go for a new league where they lost 4 of their teams? Would never be voted in, that one.

Could we handle the endless bickering every week?

Afraid you can't compete with Ulster, Leinster and the mighty Italians?

Well, it would be easier for them to get to away games.

HERSH wrote:Could we handle the endless bickering every week?

Can you imagine!

I'd love this league, but I think it's far less appealing to the English. Not that I want to leave the Pro12 necessarily. I enjoy that too.

The technicalities would be interesting.
Presumably the Unions (maybe including SRU) would have to agree but a cross-nation league is feasible but it would take a masterpiece of negotiation.

The main stumbling blocks would be:
The aspiration level - if inherent in the league, nobody could realistically expect the PRL to forego top-level spots which compromise their European aspirations alongside regions with their separate ring-fenced franchises at home. The decision of Welsh and Scottish Unions is equally unimaginable to disband their regions and precipitate the effective break-up of the Rabo which they wouldn't like at all as it would expose the Irish, Italians and whoever else to reconstruct it from the rubble.

However a British League aimed at top-end of the current Championship might provide food for thought as then all parties could maintain their own European qualification structures, and may tempt the English to join in as a sort of Amlin league between the Jeff and the Championship to create a buffer between the leagues to a) provide a dead cat bounce for relegated Jeff teams and b) a stiffer preparation for Championship Jeff promotion aspirants. For the Celtic sides it would be a greater opportunity to display their wares in front of a wider audience and an opportunity to revive their ailing clubs.

Say Six English, three each of their Welsh and Scottish teams from their respective premier leagues. That should boost their club structures if there was relegation from the British League of their lowest respective club to their home Union structure.