Alternative Heineken Cup

One in which every team is required to have a high percentage (say 90%) of homegrown players.

The game as a whole would be healthier as the toulon benefactor for example would have to spend his money on youth development rather than simply stockpiling rugby players produced elsewhere.

A number of the games in the pool stages of the heineken cup are becoming one sided games and the semi final between saracens and toulon was a souless affair between two teams of mercenaries.

The munster harlequins game on the other hand was a great game because the majority of the players in those teams are homegrown and therefore it became more than just a game.

The scarlets region would certainly benefit from such a rule.

15. Lee Byrne
14. George North
13. Jon Davies
12. Scott Williams
11. Liam Williams
10. Rhys Priestland
9. Mike Phillips
8. Ben Morgan
7. Aarron Shingker
6. Rob McCusker
5. Lou Reed
4. Dominic Day
3. Samson Lee
2. Ken Owens
1. Rhys Jones

Such a rule would also give teams such as clermont and toulon and indeed french rugby the reality check that it needs. Would be interested to hear rom other posters how their teams would look if a homegrown rule applied.

By homegrown do you mean by that club or would you include players developed by one club's academy who are then poached by wealthier clubs when they start to look good?

Heaf wrote:By homegrown do you mean by that club or would you include players developed by one club's academy who are then poached by wealthier clubs when they start to look good?

In Leinster's case you would include say j sexton (racing metro) but exlude nacewa (auckland blues). In scarlets case you include l byrne (clermont) but exclude g earles (cheetas). So like a state of origin championship.

Scrumdown - Ben Morgan, Leigh Byrne, Lou Reed and Liam Williams are all technically imported players (Morgan - Eng, Byrne - Bridgend Athletic, Reed - Blues region, Sanjay - Ospreys academy)

So a Regional competition rather than a club comp

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Scrumdown - Ben Morgan, Leigh Byrne, Lou Reed and Liam Williams are all technically imported players (Morgan - Eng, Byrne - Bridgend Athletic, Reed - Blues region, Sanjay - Ospreys academy)

L williams not from ospreys academy.

All players in scarlets team selected are homegrown in that they were not professional rugby players when they joined the region. The scarlets made them.

I agree 100% with your views.

After last nights showing two things became apparent.

The use of expensive NWQ's has served no more than a minimum of short term gain.

The NWQ's of late are no more than cheap replacements

Whilst there is a small benefit of playing/training with a NWQ the benefit is of no use if there is no game time.

If the Falcons kept their players;

1. Jon Golding
2. Ross Batty/Rob Vickers
3. Dave Wilson
4. Tim Swinson
5. Geoff Parling
6. ben Woods
7. Will Welch
8. Phil Dowson/Alex Gray

9. Lee Dickson/Will Chudley
10. Jonny Wilkinson/Rory Clegg
11. Tim Visser
12. Toby Flood
13. Tom May
14. Matt Tait
15. Rob Miller