URC Div 2

[ia801310]

There is an article on RugbyPass about a URC Div 2

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/urc-look ... -cheetahs/

Anybody have any idea what it is about? I assume there will be no promotion and relegation. Don't know what teams apart from the Cheetahs will be involved.

[mos_eisely_]

Very much get the feeling these days that a lot of these exclusives/leaks are them testing the water for our appetite to them.

Has anyone really bought in to the URC? I'm involved because I'm an Edinburgh fan but I'm certainly not convinced by it, and think I mostly prefer going back to the Pro12 format.

A developmental professional league is probably a good idea if it had URC A teams in it or something could be decent but does anyone have the logistics and funding to make it happen. And let's face it, the URC can't get decent TV coverage, so what happens to Div 2?

[Chilli]

Very much get the feeling these days that a lot of these exclusives/leaks are them testing the water for our appetite to them.

Has anyone really bought in to the URC? I'm involved because I'm an Edinburgh fan but I'm certainly not convinced by it, and think I mostly prefer going back to the Pro12 format.

A developmental professional league is probably a good idea if it had URC A teams in it or something could be decent but does anyone have the logistics and funding to make it happen. And let's face it, the URC can't get decent TV coverage, so what happens to Div 2?

I think that we South Africans are loving the URC.

To streamline it they should maybe drop the Italians and 2 Welsh teams.

[ia801310]

The Irish/South African matches look set to become real classic rivalries.

One option would be to find another 4 teams and make it a 2 x 10 competition with 2 promotion and 2 relegation each season but no relegation from the 2nd tier.

I would add

1. Cheetahs
2. Griquas
3. 3rd Scottish Team
4. Not sure (5th Welsh/3rd Italian/7th South African)

[robmatic]

The Irish/South African matches look set to become real classic rivalries.

One option would be to find another 4 teams and make it a 2 x 10 competition with 2 promotion and 2 relegation each season but no relegation from the 2nd tier.

I would add

1. Cheetahs
2. Griquas
3. 3rd Scottish Team
4. Not sure (5th Welsh/3rd Italian/7th South African)

I think the SRU ultimately wants a 3rd team, even though there are practical difficulties, but they absolutely couldn't have one or both of their teams relegated from the top tier.

[robmatic]

Very much get the feeling these days that a lot of these exclusives/leaks are them testing the water for our appetite to them.

Has anyone really bought in to the URC? I'm involved because I'm an Edinburgh fan but I'm certainly not convinced by it, and think I mostly prefer going back to the Pro12 format.

A developmental professional league is probably a good idea if it had URC A teams in it or something could be decent but does anyone have the logistics and funding to make it happen. And let's face it, the URC can't get decent TV coverage, so what happens to Div 2?

I think that we South Africans are loving the URC.

To streamline it they should maybe drop the Italians and 2 Welsh teams.

Benetton are decent value, they've been really screwed this season by having to play during international windows when they are providing the bulk of the Italian national team.

[OomStruisbaai]

The Pumas will be strong enough. With CC running the same time as the URC it start to look better for our teams. We start to see depth being developed.

[fishfoodie]

Could be worth having with Georgia, Romania, & maybe Spain putting in teams ?

It doesn't need too many players to put together one team, & there's probably enough knocking around in 2nd tier leagues around Europe, & playing Sevens, to put together reasonably competitive teams

[Blake]

I'm a fan of the concept, but just don't have any idea how the powers that be are going to make it commercially viable.

[goeagles]

Could be worth having with Georgia, Romania, & maybe Spain putting in teams ?

It doesn't need too many players to put together one team, & there's probably enough knocking around in 2nd tier leagues around Europe, & playing Sevens, to put together reasonably competitive teams

They already exist in the Rugby Europe Super Cup. There were basically 4 competitive teams who put together some decent sides and entertaining matches (with the Russians removed): Tbilisi Black Lion, Tel Aviv Heat, Portuguese Lusitanos, Castilla y Leon Iberians. Given year 1 was more of a beta test than anything, I'd expect to see significant improvements in year 2 but those 4 would also be good for a URC D2.

[fishfoodie]

Could be worth having with Georgia, Romania, & maybe Spain putting in teams ?

It doesn't need too many players to put together one team, & there's probably enough knocking around in 2nd tier leagues around Europe, & playing Sevens, to put together reasonably competitive teams

They already exist in the Rugby Europe Super Cup. There were basically 4 competitive teams who put together some decent sides and entertaining matches (with the Russians removed): Tbilisi Black Lion, Tel Aviv Heat, Portuguese Lusitanos, Castilla y Leon Iberians. Given year 1 was more of a beta test than anything, I'd expect to see significant improvements in year 2 but those 4 would also be good for a URC D2.

Yeah, it was them I was thinking about.

We all know that you only get better, by being able to regularly test yourself against strong teams; & that's whats really missing for the lower tier teams. Blake is right though; it's hard to know how it gets funded, because Rugby isn't like soccer, that can throw around money; so any league will have to control costs, make sure that any sugar Daddy money, gets spread around the teams.

[OomStruisbaai]

Black Lions are playing in our 1st division CC and Tel Aviv toured the Bulls clubs. So maybe a trial for such a competition to in future.

[Slick]

Could be worth having with Georgia, Romania, & maybe Spain putting in teams ?

It doesn't need too many players to put together one team, & there's probably enough knocking around in 2nd tier leagues around Europe, & playing Sevens, to put together reasonably competitive teams

They already exist in the Rugby Europe Super Cup. There were basically 4 competitive teams who put together some decent sides and entertaining matches (with the Russians removed): Tbilisi Black Lion, Tel Aviv Heat, Portuguese Lusitanos, Castilla y Leon Iberians. Given year 1 was more of a beta test than anything, I'd expect to see significant improvements in year 2 but those 4 would also be good for a URC D2.

Yeah, it was them I was thinking about.

We all know that you only get better, by being able to regularly test yourself against strong teams; & that's whats really missing for the lower tier teams. Blake is right though; it's hard to know how it gets funded, because Rugby isn't like soccer, that can throw around money; so any league will have to control costs, make sure that any sugar Daddy money, gets spread around the teams.

This is when I wonder how creative rugby authorities actually get. Isn’t there a Georgian billionaire that bankrolls the entire league there? There must be wealthy Israelis and Spaniards that love their rugby. Is there an approach to folk like this to throw money at a new league?

I’ve often wondered the same in Scotland actually. There is a lot of individual wealth in the game and I don’t know of the SRU have approached individuals to see if they might club together and support a 3rd pro team etc

[assfly]

It just sounds like a stretch to me. Especially with the Cheetahs being on the other side of the world.

Unless they're going to somehow end up in the URC, I'd prefer to see them participate in the Rugby Africa Cup and play against the likes of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, etc. Logistically and commercially I think it would make a lot more sense.

[fishfoodie]

It just sounds like a stretch to me. Especially with the Cheetahs being on the other side of the world.

Unless they're going to somehow end up in the URC, I'd prefer to see them participate in the Rugby Africa Cup and play against the likes of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, etc. Logistically and commercially I think it would make a lot more sense.

Yeah, I think the need to keep budgets low, pretty much makes inter-hemisphere fixtures impossible.

[Slick]

It just sounds like a stretch to me. Especially with the Cheetahs being on the other side of the world.

Unless they're going to somehow end up in the URC, I'd prefer to see them participate in the Rugby Africa Cup and play against the likes of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, etc. Logistically and commercially I think it would make a lot more sense.

Yeah, I think the need to keep budgets low, pretty much makes inter-hemisphere fixtures impossible.

Yup, and Namibia, Zim, Kenya have a good history of rugby so we should be supporting that if we can.

[fishfoodie]

It just sounds like a stretch to me. Especially with the Cheetahs being on the other side of the world.

Unless they're going to somehow end up in the URC, I'd prefer to see them participate in the Rugby Africa Cup and play against the likes of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, etc. Logistically and commercially I think it would make a lot more sense.

Yeah, I think the need to keep budgets low, pretty much makes inter-hemisphere fixtures impossible.

Yup, and Namibia, Zim, Kenya have a good history of rugby so we should be supporting that if we can.

Would it be possible to have a SH Division, & a NH division, Then maybe do playoffs for promotion ?

It would make travel less an issue, but still give the teams more potential to develop

[sturginho]

Yeah, I think the need to keep budgets low, pretty much makes inter-hemisphere fixtures impossible.

Yup, and Namibia, Zim, Kenya have a good history of rugby so we should be supporting that if we can.

Would it be possible to have a SH Division, & a NH division, Then maybe do playoffs for promotion ?

It would make travel less an issue, but still give the teams more potential to develop

None of the existing teams will agree to promotion/relegation though?

[fishfoodie]

Yup, and Namibia, Zim, Kenya have a good history of rugby so we should be supporting that if we can.

Would it be possible to have a SH Division, & a NH division, Then maybe do playoffs for promotion ?

It would make travel less an issue, but still give the teams more potential to develop

None of the existing teams will agree to promotion/relegation though?

Well then just a playoff for a nice trophy & bragging rights

The teams involved will probably be happy enough to just get the extra games, & keep developing.

[Slick]

Would it be possible to have a SH Division, & a NH division, Then maybe do playoffs for promotion ?

It would make travel less an issue, but still give the teams more potential to develop

None of the existing teams will agree to promotion/relegation though?

Well then just a playoff for a nice trophy & bragging rights

The teams involved will probably be happy enough to just get the extra games, & keep developing.

Well joking aside, that’s maybe about right for the next decade or so at least

[assfly]

Zimbabwe beat Kenya by one point today. Good crowd down for the match too, great for the game