Premiership Likely To End Relegation on Friday Morn

Thought this could be its own thread: Reports in both The Guardian and The Telegraph that the RFU will vote on Friday to suspend relegation for this season and make a 13 team league for 2021-2022. The reports indicate the proposal was already approved by the Professional Game Board and Premiership Rugby. Not 100% sure I like it, but is probably the best compromise which could be reached to ensure cash flowing into the league to support the clubs. What do you think?

Here are links for anyone who can access online.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2021/02/04/rfu-council-vote-suspending-relegation-gallagher-premiership/
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/feb/04/rugby-premiership-relegation-set-to-be-axed-this-season-covid-19

Makes a lot of sense when the current season could easily be disrupted by the virus. Question is what happens next season though

Looks a bit too much like a closing of shop to me. They seem to be setting out a 14 team Prem going forward. I'd prefer an incremental reduction back down to 12 over a given period with relegation for the bottom club and a playoff with the top Championship club and bottom Prem club for two seasons after the two seasons of continuity before a return to normality.

Pulled the vote late last night? It's all going on.

It's starting to make more and more sense. The majority of championship clubs have already ruled out accepting promotion even if they got it.

Certainly for the next couple of seasons there won't be a lot of money for a club coming up to invest in their facilities unless they have some land to develop, a ground share which meets Premiership requirements and/or a backer willing to spend.  In other words, unlikely.  

I know Cornish Pirates have a plan for a new stadium but have no idea where that stands.  

Finally, with no relegation, I don't think it will impact the games that much.  Granted a few teams will have nothing to play for once they have no chance to qualify for the European Championship.  But players are always playing for their next contract and coaches are coaching for their next contract.

As we have seen with the little tournament between Ealing, Sarries and Doncaster covid could cause Sarries not to finish top of the Championship which really would cause problems if only one team went up and it wasn't them.

Once the RFU slashed the Championship funding they closed the Premership into a closed shop. All the PRL had to decide then was did they want a 13 or 14 team league. Covid has made the decision for them so it is now down to how much Ealing will pay to be the 14th team.

If Ealing pay the reported £20m will the other clubs use it wisely or will it go into another black hole.

Was it even covid or the lashing of funds? even before that i think there were only 4 or 5 clubs who would have accepted promotion.

doctor_grey wrote:Certainly for the next couple of seasons there won't be a lot of money for a club coming up to invest in their facilities unless they have some land to develop, a ground share which meets Premiership requirements and/or a backer willing to spend.  In other words, unlikely.  

I know Cornish Pirates have a plan for a new stadium but have no idea where that stands.  

Finally, with no relegation, I don't think it will impact the games that much.  Granted a few teams will have nothing to play for once they have no chance to qualify for the European Championship.  But players are always playing for their next contract and coaches are coaching for their next contract.

It has been talked about for around 20 years now and proper funding still hasn't been secured. A shame because Cornwall is a passionate corner of the country for Rugby, but never represented club-wise in the top echelons of the game.

Apparently, and very surprisingly, PRL never consulted with BT Sport who seems to be strongly against eliminating relegation as they believe it brings viewership.  According to an article today in The Times.  Two excerpts from the article:

The Times 6 Feb. wrote:BT Sport is understood to believe that an end to relegation would “seriously damage” the value of the £110 million three-year television deal it signed with Premiership Rugby (PRL) in December. The broadcaster has concerns that losing relegation as one of the main storylines of the season would have a negative impact on viewer numbers and advertising revenue.

Industry sources found it staggering that PRL could strike a television deal in December without securing alignment with BT Sport over proposals to make fundamental changes to the structure of the competition.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/vote-to-end-relegation-abandoned-after-objection-from-bt-sport-7bstns2kf?shareToken=e5ab9c243069a0591863dccfd945d961

That’s madness.

Is it the classic "we don't care if you bring it in but we see it as a stick to get a few more stuff"

Not surely a few more games is a win for BT but I am sure they will only show certain teams in derbies or early season games and may want to not have to show games that have no meaning.