London Scottish/Welsh

[Kofi Annan]

Celtic Warriors?

Nope Gaza, set up in 2008. But a failed experiment .

[stu]

Stu, your tuppence worth is wrong,and another example of mad cats shîte, governence and affiliation is two separate things.

Thanks for the balanced and reasoned response.

Yes governance and affiliation are different things. Clearly. However as I said if there was a will to do it wouldn't be impossible to work out.

Why would the WRU want a 5th region, ( by the way they tried that, and it failed , do you know when and where? )

I'm perfectly aware of the history thanks. The previous attempts at a 5th region failed for various reasons, some more nefarious than others. Would it work again? Maybe , Maybe not. there's a valley's rugby movement campaigning for a Valley's region.

I still think there would be benefit for the WRU/SRU to invest in London Welsh/Scottish and benefit for the league IF they were able to play in the Pro12.

cheers.

[Russ]

Stu, your tuppence worth is wrong,and another example of mad cats shîte, governence and affiliation is two separate things.

Thanks for the balanced and reasoned response.

Yes governance and affiliation are different things. Clearly. However as I said if there was a will to do it wouldn't be impossible to work out.

Why would the WRU want a 5th region, ( by the way they tried that, and it failed , do you know when and where? )

I'm perfectly aware of the history thanks. The previous attempts at a 5th region failed for various reasons, some more nefarious than others. Would it work again? Maybe , Maybe not. there's a valley's rugby movement campaigning for a Valley's region.

I still think there would be benefit for the WRU/SRU to invest in London Welsh/Scottish and benefit for the league IF they were able to play in the Pro12.

cheers.

Idiots in the Valleys want us to reopen the mines too

[Kofi Annan]

Stu, your tuppence worth is wrong,and another example of mad cats shîte, governence and affiliation is two separate things.

Thanks for the balanced and reasoned response.

Yes governance and affiliation are different things. Clearly. However as I said if there was a will to do it wouldn't be impossible to work out.

Why would the WRU want a 5th region, ( by the way they tried that, and it failed , do you know when and where? )

I'm perfectly aware of the history thanks. The previous attempts at a 5th region failed for various reasons, some more nefarious than others. Would it work again? Maybe , Maybe not. there's a valley's rugby movement campaigning for a Valley's region.

I still think there would be benefit for the WRU/SRU to invest in London Welsh/Scottish and benefit for the league IF they were able to play in the Pro12.

cheers.

Stu , share the history with the group.

[stu]

Ok... Not sure why the hostility but hey ho.

But sure which 5th region you're referring to? Celtic Warriors (Bridgend/Ponty)? The whole ownership back and forth with Leighton Samuels and the WRU? The disaffection with regional rugby in one of the real hot beds of the game? The WRU winding them up?

Or are you referring to RGC1404? The development 'region' set up in North Wales, Colwyn Bay I think.They weren't really set up as a region but in the hope that they'd develop into one. They've a pretty strong youth setup.

The Valleys Rugby thing is interesting. Working near Ponty there's fewer places as passionate about their rugby with as little buy in to the pro game.

[MightyRearranger]

Really good idea that's been bandied about for some time.

No real reason why it couldn't happen if there was the will.

Stu, for it to happen the RFU would have to allow two of its teams to enter a cross Union competition or leave the RFU. There's two real reasons

Restraint of trade, European employment law, see you in court mate etc...

I don't think the long term future of the Italians is in our league, so mid to long term could they not be replaced by the oft' muted third Scottish region in Aberdeen and some sort of 'London Celts' hybrid. The latter would surely be gash to start with, but with a bit of investment if they turned out to be any good a London team in our league could do wonders for advertising on revenue and the like. There are also enough exiles that they'd draw pretty decent crowds for a few of the bigger fixtures.

[Kofi Annan]

Really good idea that's been bandied about for some time.

No real reason why it couldn't happen if there was the will.

Stu, for it to happen the RFU would have to allow two of its teams to enter a cross Union competition or leave the RFU. There's two real reasons

Restraint of trade, European employment law, see you in court mate etc...

I don't think the long term future of the Italians is in our league, so mid to long term could they not be replaced by the oft' muted third Scottish region in Aberdeen and some sort of 'London Celts' hybrid. The latter would surely be gash to start with, but with a bit of investment if they turned out to be any good a London team in our league could do wonders for advertising on revenue and the like. There are also enough exiles that they'd draw pretty decent crowds for a few of the bigger fixtures.

Okay, then let's Allow Cornish Pirates in ,

[MightyRearranger]

Would make a much better away weekend than Swansea...

[Snipe Watson]

Would make a much better away weekend than Swansea...

So would Tikrit

[ruckover]

A further article from Planet Rugby regarding Italian fee paying and London club involvement.

Treviso and Zebre might be forced to leave the Pro12 according to reports which claim they owe €1.5m to the league.

The Italian sides apparently have until the end of May to pay the money or face expulsion according to a BBC report.

London Welsh and London Scottish have been sounded out as possible replacements if the Italians were to leave, with Scottish chairman Sir David Reid admitting his club would be open-minded about a switch to the Pro12.

Any such change would still require the agreement of the RFU, with the Exile clubs affiliated to both the RFU and the WRU and SRU respectively.

The Italian clubs had threatened to pull out of the Pro12 last season, with Treviso losing a host of players over the off-season as a result.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2588 ... 55,00.html

[big mervyn]

No doubt the Pro12 would lose another automatic Sooper Dooper place if the Italians left. If they joined, I presume Lahndahn Scottish and Welsh would be treated as being Scots and Welsh respectively, for the purposes of qualification.

[BaggyTrousers]

Really good idea that's been bandied about for some time.

No real reason why it couldn't happen if there was the will.

Stu, for it to happen the RFU would have to allow two of its teams to enter a cross Union competition or leave the RFU. There's two real reasons

Restraint of trade, European employment law, see you in court mate etc...

I don't think the long term future of the Italians is in our league, so mid to long term could they not be replaced by the oft' muted third Scottish region in Aberdeen and some sort of 'London Celts' hybrid. The latter would surely be gash to start with, but with a bit of investment if they turned out to be any good a London team in our league could do wonders for advertising on revenue and the like. There are also enough exiles that they'd draw pretty decent crowds for a few of the bigger fixtures.

Okay, then let's Allow Cornish Pirates in ,

Don't forget ze Bretons Kofi. Bingo back up to 12 teams.

The Italians are muck as teams, excellent as decent folk, but if we are to lose two teams lets not replace them with more crap, London SNP don't have a ground worth calling a stadium FFS so they would need to find funding for a proper home, L Windbegs, the current set of sheepworriers are bad enough, who needs a fifth set of whingers?

If the league loses it's Italians, so be it, back to the Celtic League or Pro10. Reschedule the fixtures to avoid all internationals and have more games with stronger teams. There are obvious problems & financial considerations but let's not replace crap with crap if the Italians default.

[BaggyTrousers]

No doubt the Pro12 would lose another automatic Sooper Dooper place if the Italians left. If they joined, I presume Lahndahn Scottish and Welsh would be treated as being Scots and Welsh respectively, for the purposes of qualification.

I say old chap, surely it would be sporting to give the replacement crap a Landahn Tahn place to play for, keep up the standards.

I had thought of having Landahn Saffers, but Sarrybastards have got that sown up.

[Colin0395]

No doubt the Pro12 would lose another automatic Sooper Dooper place if the Italians left. If they joined, I presume Lahndahn Scottish and Welsh would be treated as being Scots and Welsh respectively, for the purposes of qualification.

I would assume so, as they would be affiliated to the SRU and WRU respectively.

Similar article has appeared on BBC Sport.

As Baggy has said - if the Italians leave the Pro12, why should we get two teams that aren't good enough for the English Premiership?
Weren't the Italian teams brought into the fold to help develop rugby in Italy? And what is the ramifications on Soupa Doupa qualification if they leave?

[Russ]

Are there any rugby clubs in london?