Who needs the HC, Welsh rugby is booming !!!

First topic message reminder :

Well, well, a very interesting read about the WRU annual finance report, I suggest people read the link below and start to consider why the Celtic nations might be in a position to dig their heels in on the whole European debacle.


http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/news/28323.php

munkian wrote:Thrilled you approve. You also forget that rugby has always been a working mans game in Wales

Love sacks, Most of the current Welsh squad come from a privileged background, I can't believe you used that old chestnut!

Also, with sky there's scope to have pundits like ieuan evans, scot quinnell, michael lynagh, sean fitzpatrick, Gavin Hastings etc. Guys who don't have to 'play it safe' like jiffy and co.

No Stuart Barnes, he'll be too busy creaming over Munster

Jiffy's a much better pundit than Ieuan Evans.

Scrumpy wrote:

munkian wrote:Thrilled you approve. You also forget that rugby has always been a working mans game in Wales

Love sacks, Most of the current Welsh squad come from a privileged background, I can't believe you used that old chestnut!

What have the players go to do with where the fans are from ? You really have a chip on your shoulder about Wales don't you ?

Scrumpy wrote:Most of the current Welsh squad come from a privileged background

Please elaborate, I'm fascinated.

And also, Kudos for chosing and picking which parts of my reply you chose to comment on, deftly played

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Most of the current Welsh squad come from a privileged background

Please elaborate, I'm fascinated.

Dan Lydiate, is a farmer, his family are all farmers, is that a privalaged background ?

He must mean that Toby Faletau's dad is the Earl of Panteg.

LordDowlais wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:Most of the current Welsh squad come from a privileged background

Please elaborate, I'm fascinated.

Dan Lydiate, is a farmer, his family are all farmers, is that a privalaged background ?

In all my years I have never met a poor farmer  

I love it, a Bath fan calling Wales rich and privileged because he once owned a holiday home in Llandudno....

 

munkian wrote:I love it, a Bath fan calling Wales rich and privileged because he once owned a holiday home in Llandudno....

Aw, least he's smiling, God love him  

munkian wrote:Kick off times are a particular thorn in my side. Getting over from Bristol on an over packed 2 carriage train for an 18:30/19:00 kick off is a pain in the bottom.

Another issue with the Rabbo is that the games are on free to air TV - the Aviva games are on Sky. Sometimes its just easier and a hell of a lot cheaper to watch it on Tv with a few cans rather than make the mad dash,

When SKY starts showing matches I reckon the attendance could well improve

BT you mean! Keep up!  

Do they do Sky in Wales?.

Scrumpy wrote:Do they do Sky in Wales?.

They do 'Cloud'

Scrumps, I went to Uni in Bath and my home town is Newport. I therefore have a pretty good idea about which is the more rich and privileged, and it aint the 'port!

tatterd wrote:Scrumps, I went to Uni in Bath and my home town is Newport. I therefore have a pretty good idea about which is the more rich and privileged, and it aint the 'port!

Bath is a world heritage site of course it's got more money than Newport, but Bath still has its poor areas.

Using that as an excuse as to why fans don't turn up is a very poor example, and he knows it. If the product is worth watching then fans will turn up no matter what.

Young lads' growing up in a nice, toff society (like Bath) sense of what is right and what is wrong can tragically, get skewed. Another thing that HERSH fella and good ol' Scrumps have in common aye.

The new Xbox One looks superb. A great product. I, sadly, can't afford it yet you are saying I'll still get one, no matter what ? Thanks

Scrumpy wrote:If the product is worth watching then fans will turn up no matter what.

You talking about the Heineken Cup again?  

By hook or by crook I'm sure you'll get one!  

Scrumpy wrote:

tatterd wrote:Scrumps, I went to Uni in Bath and my home town is Newport. I therefore have a pretty good idea about which is the more rich and privileged, and it aint the 'port!

Bath is a world heritage site of course it's got more money than Newport, but Bath still has its poor areas.

Using that as an excuse as to why fans don't turn up is a very poor example, and he knows it. If the product is worth watching then fans will turn up no matter what.

Well apparently they are all going to turn up to that extra international vs Italy though.

lostinwales wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:

tatterd wrote:Scrumps, I went to Uni in Bath and my home town is Newport. I therefore have a pretty good idea about which is the more rich and privileged, and it aint the 'port!

Bath is a world heritage site of course it's got more money than Newport, but Bath still has its poor areas.

Using that as an excuse as to why fans don't turn up is a very poor example, and he knows it. If the product is worth watching then fans will turn up no matter what.

Well apparently they are all going to turn up to that extra international vs Italy though.

They always do (good for them) and the Greedy WRU are happy to take their money.

Scrumpy wrote:

lostinwales wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:

tatterd wrote:Scrumps, I went to Uni in Bath and my home town is Newport. I therefore have a pretty good idea about which is the more rich and privileged, and it aint the 'port!

Bath is a world heritage site of course it's got more money than Newport, but Bath still has its poor areas.

Using that as an excuse as to why fans don't turn up is a very poor example, and he knows it. If the product is worth watching then fans will turn up no matter what.

Well apparently they are all going to turn up to that extra international vs Italy though.

They always do (good for them) and the Greedy WRU are happy to take their money.

Then distribute it back into the regions all they way down to grass roots level. See, that is why we will not miss the HC money, at last you are getting it.

 

So just think what could be done if the Regions tried to get bums on seats rather than taking handouts to survive.

Or can't you see that?  

The WRU subsidises the regions for use of their players, the same as the RFU do in England, or can't you see that ?

Handouts? It's their 'obligation' to fund and ensure the survival of these teams. You aren't the brightest spark mind...

munkian wrote:The 'regions' are like lumping Bath/Glos and Bristol together, calling them The Wurzels and expecting their collective fans to still go to the games.

Irrelevant digression alert!

Interestingly its looking increasingly like Biarritz and Bayonne may merge- Biarritz are having a nightmare season, at least partially because they no longer have the ability to compete financially with the other Top14 sides. Also guys like Yachvilli, Traille and Harinordoquy who have carried the team at times are getting older and more injury prone. Despite heavy investment Bayonne have also struggled to make the breakthrough they crave, especially in Europe.

There has been serious talk of a potential Basque super team, how speculative that is I don't know. Would be interesting to see the reaction from the fans but the movers and shakers of both clubs have had serious talks about it.

I have also heared talkings of stuff like this in France, others I have heared mooted about are a Catalan team, which would include the Nort East region of Spain aswell, and a Normandy team.

HammerofThunor wrote:£16.9M from ERC and RaboDirect tournament income.

Plus

c£6.4M direct from WRU (player release payments, NWQ quota, etc)

16.9 + 6.4 = 23.3

Unless because they used lower case its 1/1000th of a £. In which case they're getting ripped off

That's just poor journalism made for idiots to think that those are two different sums and one of those sums not being a part of the bigger one.

Good to see the WRU doing well. I wonder if the regions might look to join the champions cup as a threat to get increased funding.

I can see the Rabo nations and SH teams look to increase the international calander like cricket making the unions more money.

I wouldn't mind if us Rabo unions did it like the SH were players not called up to the international teams dropped down to the national league

Brendan wrote:Good to see the WRU doing well.  I wonder if the regions might look to join the champions cup as a threat to get increased funding.

Same issue as with the FFR, WRU don't approve it they face a long, protracted legal battle.

Notch wrote:

Brendan wrote:Good to see the WRU doing well.  I wonder if the regions might look to join the champions cup as a threat to get increased funding.

Same issue as with the FFR, WRU don't approve it they face a long, protracted legal battle.

There was an attempt for some small western soccer leagues to form a league equal to the big five. UEFA said no and there was no legal action. If soccer clubs like porto and celtic didn't take legal action i can't see poor clubs like rugby clubs getting into a legal battle that others didn't try even though thry would have made alot more money.

Except Uefa is rich and strong and those 5 leagues relatively weak. Kind of the opposite situation here, no?

Biltong wrote:How much do the Wales teams lose if there is no HC?

The four Welsh regions are meeting ahead of scheduled round of talks called by ERC for 23 and 24 October at which a mediator, Graeme Mew, is due to report, but the English and French clubs say they will not be there. The regions, who would stand to lose 25% of their income if the Heineken Cup fell and nothing replaced it, want the Welsh Rugby Union to have an open-minded approach about a new tournament, warning that otherwise it would be almost impossible to hold on to players in the Wales squad

Welsh Magician wrote:

HammerofThunor wrote:£16.9M from ERC and RaboDirect tournament income.

Plus

c£6.4M direct from WRU (player release payments, NWQ quota, etc)

16.9 + 6.4 = 23.3

Unless because they used lower case its 1/1000th of a £. In which case they're getting ripped off

That's just poor journalism made for idiots to think that those are two different sums and one of those sums not being a part of the bigger one.

Cheers for the idiots comment  

So the regions only got £4.2M a year off the WRU.

Looked at the article on the BBC today - these statements did stand out

Figures for the Six Nations-winning year ending June 2013 showed the record £63m turnover from 12 months earlier had fallen to £61m.

Pre-tax profits were £2.3m compared to £2.4m in 2012 and while its debt rose slightly, the WRU is aiming to be debt-free by 2021.

Very small drops from what had been a record year. Still - I guess they know what they are doing

LordDowlais wrote:

munkian wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:

munkian wrote:The 'regions' are like lumping Bath/Glos and Bristol together, calling them The Wurzels and expecting their collective fans to still go to the games.

Apart from the Cardiff Blues. Who are just Kerrrdiff.

Right so breaking away from the WRU and joinging the Champions Cup as real clubs (Cardiff, Newport, Neath, Swansea, Ponty etc ) would be a better option for Welsh fans?

Nah, we've had regions for 10 years, I love mine, Ospreys have a decent new identity. New generations of rugby fans have grown up with the regions, once the stick in the muds die out it shouldnt be an issue.

On the money side, South Wales is one of the poorest parts of the UK, and the transport infrastructure isn't great so SOME fans miss out.

You are right, there is a new generation of fans comming through and attendance are on the up accross the board, it must be a nightmare though for somebody from Pembroke Dock wanting to get to Llanelli to watch the Scarlets.

Being from Milford, far better than the Dock, it is a 120 mile round trip to watch my local region play at home and with no motorway to go on, and only a small section of dual carrageway, it takes us longer to get to PYS than it does for folks from Kerdiff to get there! I know there are a number of people I know who would love to attend games more regularly, but the kick-off times and travelling times delay them from being able to do it on a regular basis (finishing at 5pm on Fri for a 7pm ko, local rugby on weekends etc)

ScarletSpiderman wrote:

LordDowlais wrote:

munkian wrote:

Scrumpy wrote:

munkian wrote:The 'regions' are like lumping Bath/Glos and Bristol together, calling them The Wurzels and expecting their collective fans to still go to the games.

Apart from the Cardiff Blues. Who are just Kerrrdiff.

Right so breaking away from the WRU and joinging the Champions Cup as real clubs (Cardiff, Newport, Neath, Swansea, Ponty etc ) would be a better option for Welsh fans?

Nah, we've had regions for 10 years, I love mine, Ospreys have a decent new identity. New generations of rugby fans have grown up with the regions, once the stick in the muds die out it shouldnt be an issue.

On the money side, South Wales is one of the poorest parts of the UK, and the transport infrastructure isn't great so SOME fans miss out.

You are right, there is a new generation of fans comming through and attendance are on the up accross the board, it must be a nightmare though for somebody from Pembroke Dock wanting to get to Llanelli to watch the Scarlets.

Being from Milford, far better than the Dock, it is a 120 mile round trip to watch my local region play at home and with no motorway to go on, and only a small section of dual carrageway, it takes us longer to get to PYS than it does for folks from Kerdiff to get there! I know there are a number of people I know who would love to attend games more regularly, but the kick-off times and travelling times delay them from being able to do it on a regular basis (finishing at 5pm on Fri for a 7pm ko, local rugby on weekends etc)

I know about the infrastructure down your way only to well SS, I have a caravan just outside Sageston, next door to Carew market. The roads are a nightmare, especially if you are stuck behind a tractor, but at least you have the plus side of living in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

LD - yeah to be fair the plus sides outwiegh the bad, well except for you bleeding hiliday makers. On the plus side, I was over the wrong side of the cleddau yesterday, and the bi-pass heading from Pemb Dock to Carmarthen looks like it will really cut the travelling time to get out of that side of the county. Should make your travel to the caravan far easier and quicker too.

You've summed up WALES quite well there LD.  

ScarletSpiderman wrote:LD - yeah to be fair the plus sides outwiegh the bad, well except for you bleeding hiliday makers.  On the plus side, I was over the wrong side of the cleddau yesterday, and the bi-pass heading from Pemb Dock to Carmarthen looks like it will really cut the travelling time to get out of that side of the county.  Should make your travel to the caravan far easier and quicker too.

Gareth Thomas used to throw those.  

ScarletSpiderman wrote:LD - yeah to be fair the plus sides outwiegh the bad, well except for you bleeding hiliday makers.  On the plus side, I was over the wrong side of the cleddau yesterday, and the bi-pass heading from Pemb Dock to Carmarthen looks like it will really cut the travelling time to get out of that side of the county.  Should make your travel to the caravan far easier and quicker too.

Yeah, you would bypass all the villages on the way from Llandowrdor(spelling) right passed Red Roses it should take off at least 20-30 mins. But the caravan season is ending now and it is all rugby season until next spring.

Lucky - I really should learn to spell, save me from thees awkawrd mistakes.

LD - it will save that much time, jeez! Caravan season in the uk is the two weekends of sun in July.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:Lucky - I really should learn to spell, save me from thees awkawrd mistakes.

LD - it will save that much time, jeez! Caravan season in the uk is the two weekends of sun in July.

Sometimes it's just nice to get away no matter what the weather is, I do not get to go as often as I would like because work is getting busier, but there is nothing I like more than getting down to West Wales on a Friday night, settling down in the caravan with a few ice cold stella artois and then taking my wife and daughters out on the weekend either into Tenby, Saundersfoot, or somewhere more local like Jefferston and going to a nice restaurant or just meandering around the town having a pint here or there, but when I am down there, I seem to forget about all my stress back here in the valleys. I even like going into Narberth or Milford Haven and Haverfod West just to make a change of it, I love it over there. 

LD - I know what you mean, a change of scenery and all that. Me and the misses used to go to newport for long weekends a few times a year, and like you say the moment you knock off work and start travelling you can just leave the work stuff behind and relax.

ScarletSpiderman wrote:LD - I know what you mean, a change of scenery and all that.  Me and the misses used to go to newport for long weekends a few times a year, and like you say the moment you knock off work and start travelling you can just leave the work stuff behind and relax.

Don't forget to knock your phone off as well.