The UAFC

Gary wrote:Celtic Warriors?

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

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

stu wrote:

Kofi Annan wrote: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.

Kofi Annan wrote: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 wrote:

Kofi Annan wrote: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.

Kofi Annan wrote: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.

Kofi Annan wrote:

stu wrote: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

MightyRearranger wrote:

Kofi Annan wrote:

stu wrote: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.

MightyRearranger wrote:Would make a much better away weekend than Swansea...

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.

Kofi Annan wrote:

MightyRearranger wrote:

Kofi Annan wrote:

stu wrote: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 ,

big mervyn wrote: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.

big mervyn wrote: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.