The Rugby Union Thread

fretmeister · October 2023

drofluf said:

fretmeister said:

It's not remotely as dumb as the Americans commentating on rugby.

You'll find it on youtube - it's hilarious!

Or this piece where they call Tom Youngs a prostitute https://www.indy100.com/news/insider-news-tom-youngs-prostitute-hooker-b1867092

ah yes! - the same site that stated "Tyson Homosexual" had won the World Champ in the 100m at the Osaka WC in 2007.

p90fool · October 2023

drofluf said:

fretmeister said:

It's not remotely as dumb as the Americans commentating on rugby.

You'll find it on youtube - it's hilarious!

Or this piece where they call Tom Youngs a prostitute https://www.indy100.com/news/insider-news-tom-youngs-prostitute-hooker-b1867092

To be fair we have no idea what he does with his spare time.

Jalapeno · October 2023

Think there's a good case now for a 6 Nations Qualifier competition, Georgia and Portugual have looked great in this WC. Might shame the Southern Hemisphere to include Japan (took them an eternity to admit Argentina - if not Japan should form a Pacific Rim competiton for the likes of Peru, Chile, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa maybe even USA and Canada - I suspect lack of cash is the only limiting factor, but I'd watch that competition !

drofluf · October 2023

@Jalapeno I like that idea! How would it work? The last placed side from last year's Six Nations plus Georgia, Portugal and say Romania fight it out to join the remaining 5 in the Six Nations?

crunchman · October 2023

I think there has been talk of a second division to the 6N for a while, but the existing members haven't been very keen on it - especially Italy.

Jonathangus · October 2023

I think the others quite enjoy their trip to Rome, too.

digitalscream · October 2023

drofluf said:

@Jalapeno I like that idea! How would it work? The last placed side from last year's Six Nations plus Georgia, Portugal and say Romania fight it out to join the remaining 5 in the Six Nations?

Or just make an "Other Six Nations" - Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Spain, USA, Canada. Top one's promoted, bottom of Six Nations relegated.

TJT1979 · October 2023

digitalscream said:

drofluf said:

@Jalapeno I like that idea! How would it work? The last placed side from last year's Six Nations plus Georgia, Portugal and say Romania fight it out to join the remaining 5 in the Six Nations?

Or just make an "Other Six Nations" - Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Spain, USA, Canada. Top one's promoted, bottom of Six Nations relegated.

I’d have a playoff after both tournaments. Lowest 6N vs highest of the rest play a match. If (say) Italy win they stay in 6N for the next tournament. If (say) Georgia win they are promoted to 6N and Italy relegated.

elstoof · October 2023

There already is a second tier, the rugby Europe championship. Relegation from the 6N would would completely destroy any nation though, even the RFU would be gone for good without the annual ticket sales to rely on, let alone Italy or Scotland. Fact is that rugby just isn’t a big enough sport to support that much competition, it can barely support a WC every 4 years

drofluf · October 2023

digitalscream said:

drofluf said:

@Jalapeno I like that idea! How would it work? The last placed side from last year's Six Nations plus Georgia, Portugal and say Romania fight it out to join the remaining 5 in the Six Nations?

Or just make an "Other Six Nations" - Georgia, Portugal, Romania, Spain, USA, Canada. Top one's promoted, bottom of Six Nations relegated.

Sorry meant to say there should be a promotion/demotion but the phone rang and I was distracted by work…

digitalscream · October 2023

elstoof said:

There already is a second tier, the rugby Europe championship. Relegation from the 6N would would completely destroy any nation though, even the RFU would be gone for good without the annual ticket sales to rely on, let alone Italy or Scotland. Fact is that rugby just isn’t a big enough sport to support that much competition, it can barely support a WC every 4 years

Equally, though, promotion would do wonders.

Much as I hate to say it, Italy just don't deserve to be in the Six Nations any more - those games are just training runs for all the other teams, every year. They've won 13 games in 18 years, and somehow they're actually going backwards. Time to give somebody else a chance...and, let's face it, all the talk of ways to get other teams into the 6N is mostly just a smokescreen for justifying kicking Italy out.

elstoof · October 2023

Promotion might do wonders, if the promoted team can suddenly perform well enough to stay, and if they do another team has to go. It’s just as likely to end up just have a revolving wooden spoon team every year, without regular funding to really make anything stick. Italy at least do have club teams contributing to a top tier league in their fsvou

p90fool · October 2023

I know Italy have occasionally beaten most of the others in the Six Nations, but they are generally only there to give the others a chance to boost their points averages.

There would be no point in promoting someone even weaker to the Six Nations, none of the potential candidates would suddenly become competitive.

Let's face it, there are only five nations in the Six Nations, nice as it is to have a jolly in Rome in the spring once in a while.

crunchman · October 2023

p90fool said:

I know Italy have occasionally beaten most of the others in the Six Nations, but they are generally only there to give the others a chance to boost their points averages.

There would be no point in promoting someone even weaker to the Six Nations, none of the potential candidates would suddenly become competitive.

Let's face it, there are only five nations in the Six Nations, nice as it is to have a jolly in Rome in the spring once in a while.

Who says Georgia or Portugal are weaker?

Would Italy have beaten Fiji like Portugal did?

elstoof · October 2023

One result doesn’t mean they can compete like that regularly in an annual competition. Portugal are an amateur team, there’s no infrastructure in place to develop players. Georgia develop theirs by sending them to play in the French league. It would take years of reliable income to set up such systems

Rocker · October 2023

Why not make the 6N an 8N championship? Team’s developing, like Portugal, Spain, Georgia and Romania could join it if a promotion and relegation system is put in place.

Gassage · October 2023

Given the investment of both people and money into Italy and others the notion of relegating them is a bit daft.

crunchman said:

p90fool said:

I know Italy have occasionally beaten most of the others in the Six Nations, but they are generally only there to give the others a chance to boost their points averages.

There would be no point in promoting someone even weaker to the Six Nations, none of the potential candidates would suddenly become competitive.

Let's face it, there are only five nations in the Six Nations, nice as it is to have a jolly in Rome in the spring once in a while.

Who says Georgia or Portugal are weaker?

Would Italy have beaten Fiji like Portugal did?

Quite possibly yes. Historically P12, W6 L6.

Against Georgia, P3, W2, L1.

crunchman · October 2023

Gassage said:

Given the investment of both people and money into Italy and others the notion of relegating them is a bit daft.

crunchman said:

p90fool said:

I know Italy have occasionally beaten most of the others in the Six Nations, but they are generally only there to give the others a chance to boost their points averages.

There would be no point in promoting someone even weaker to the Six Nations, none of the potential candidates would suddenly become competitive.

Let's face it, there are only five nations in the Six Nations, nice as it is to have a jolly in Rome in the spring once in a while.

Who says Georgia or Portugal are weaker?

Would Italy have beaten Fiji like Portugal did?

Quite possibly yes. Historically P12, W6 L6.

Against Georgia, P3, W2, L1.

But unless the likes of Georgia have the chance of promotion, they are locked out of that money. The same money that has been spent on Italy would probably go a lot further in Georgia.

I can understand a rugby journalist being more keen on a weekend in Rome rather than Tblisi though.

Gassage · October 2023

crunchman said:

Gassage said:

Given the investment of both people and money into Italy and others the notion of relegating them is a bit daft.

crunchman said:

p90fool said:

I know Italy have occasionally beaten most of the others in the Six Nations, but they are generally only there to give the others a chance to boost their points averages.

There would be no point in promoting someone even weaker to the Six Nations, none of the potential candidates would suddenly become competitive.

Let's face it, there are only five nations in the Six Nations, nice as it is to have a jolly in Rome in the spring once in a while.

Who says Georgia or Portugal are weaker?

Would Italy have beaten Fiji like Portugal did?

Quite possibly yes. Historically P12, W6 L6.

Against Georgia, P3, W2, L1.

But unless the likes of Georgia have the chance of promotion, they are locked out of that money. The same money that has been spent on Italy would probably go a lot further in Georgia.

I can understand a rugby journalist being more keen on a weekend in Rome rather than Tblisi though.

Well, you'd be very wrong on the latter- Tblisi is an incredible experience. Absolutely tip top.

No, the money is in test rugby. Shorten Prem, shorten EPCR and add Spain, Geog and Port

p90fool · October 2023

Rocker said:

Why not make the 6N an 8N championship? Team’s developing, like Portugal, Spain, Georgia and Romania could join it if a promotion and relegation system is put in place.

That's a good shout actually, it means there's always something in it for them.

sev112 · October 2023

Prob with 1 up 1 down is that it is 6 nations so 5 games, 2 at home and 3 away for 3 of the teams. So you'd get relegated the year you only have 2 home games, come back up after a year and get 2 home games again

Gassage · October 2023

Out of all the things I have seen at the #rugbyworldcup2023 possibly the most left-field was the billing of 'A Traditional Basque Band Performing The Assorted Hits of Lady Gaga' outside the Grande Stadium in Lille on Saturday.

It was just so incongruous. Love it!

Pjon · October 2023

sev112 said:

Prob with 1 up 1 down is that it is 6 nations so 5 games, 2 at home and 3 away for 3 of the teams. So you'd get relegated the year you only have 2 home games, come back up after a year and get 2 home games again

It all sounds good until funding comes into it. Nobody ever wants to help these smaller national teams after the world cup ends, and, albeit a long time ago, I've seen B-sides of my local club beat national sides like Spain, in front of 100 people and a dog.

guitars4you · October 2023

What happens if Scotland or Wales finish bottom - Think they have once or twice since it has been a 6 nations tournament

guitars4you · October 2023

Hard not to think the organisers have got it wrong with 2 of the 1/4 finals - Ire v NZ and Fra v SA - Both would make great semi finals and any combinations of those 4 playing against each other in the final - But hey that's how it works out sometimes

elstoof · October 2023

Only the brave would have put money on both NZ and SA finishing second in their groups, let alone a full sweep of NH finishing top

sev112 · October 2023

guitars4you said:

Hard not to think the organisers have got it wrong with 2 of the 1/4 finals - Ire v NZ and Fra v SA - Both would make great semi finals and any combinations of those 4 playing against each other in the final - But hey that's how it works out sometimes

Look back at QFs since the first World Cup in 1987, they have always been this way, there is nothing new here.
and if you want to win the Wolrd Cup you’ve got to beat the others, not hope that someone crap like England does it for you. The World Cup isn’t about world rankings, it’s about who can front it up when the highest pressure of once in 4 years and once in a lifetime for most pkayers

rsvmark · October 2023

Changing topic slightly. One commentator mentioned that one of the lower ranked nations (I can’t recall who….. ) now had no test matches planned after the World Cup. None. And yet our autumn internationals were announced as (yawn) Australia, ABs and the Boks. I don’t know who makes these decisions but with the national game in crisis, players going to France either for the dough or because they are offered a decent contract (a well known player from one of the clubs who went bust was offered an annual salary of £50k btw) There is a lack of funding and investment in the international lower tiers, so why don’t we play Fiji, Georgia, USA etc in the autumn internationals- they are massive money spinners and should be used to share financials and promotion globally. Or is that just too simple?

exocet · October 2023

rsvmark said:

Changing topic slightly. One commentator mentioned that one of the lower ranked nations (I can’t recall who….. ) now had no test matches planned after the World Cup. None. And yet our autumn internationals were announced as (yawn) Australia, ABs and the Boks. I don’t know who makes these decisions but with the national game in crisis, players going to France either for the dough or because they are offered a decent contract (a well known player from one of the clubs who went bust was offered an annual salary of £50k btw) There is a lack of funding and investment in the international lower tiers, so why don’t we play Fiji, Georgia, USA etc in the autumn internationals- they are massive money spinners and should be used to share financials and promotion globally. Or is that just too simple?

I'm guessing Portugal. For me, they have been a breath of fresh air - their playing style reminded me of Japan in 2015 WC, very enjoyable to watch. They will struggle to build on this momentum due to lack of cash / semi pro status of many of their players. Part of me wants the game to go back to Amateur status - there's not enough money to go round to support an expanded Professional Game beyond what is currently there..and even the status quo doesn't appear to be sustainable.

strumjoughlamps · October 2023

My mate is flying to Marsielle Friday and stopping on an all inclusive cruise ship docked there and going to the Wales match on Saturday and the England match on Sunday..

I currently hate him

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