The UAFC

bazzaj wrote:Completely out of context.
I will reitorate keep it as it is.
There is just as much of an need for two Italian teams than 7 English.
It is a European competition.
Again we have been lamentable in this competition so now we arent in that position suddenly you want to exclude teams as they are not as good as others.
I have argued this to death now and I am starting to repeat myself as you havent read my previous posts properly.
If you want to go over things again refer to my previous posts.

I have read your previously posts and your argument seems to be that some teams should be guaranteed entry into the HEC and it doesn't matter how sh!te they are. You have't given any justification why the HEC needs 2 Italian teams and why you don't care if these teams are rubbish.

Personally, I don't agree with this and think that a so-called "premier" competition should have better quality control than this.

Where have I said that Ulster should have some privileged position? If the proposed rules were applied back in seasons like 08/09 when Ulster were third from bottom of the ML, then Ulster would have been in the ACC and I would have no problem with this.

A sh!te team is a sh!te team and it shouldn't be in the premier competition whether it is Italian, Ulster or any other nationality.

I don't think Rugby can use the champions league model of European competition.

Football big in, England, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, I could go on. Each have their own top leagues providing top teams.

Rugby big in, England, France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy. The last three are debatable and the last 4 share a league!

Rugby is not a broad, mature enough sport in Europe to base around a Football model. It should be more about spreading the game rather than making money for failing English clubs.

Jackie Brown wrote:I don't think Rugby can use the champions league model of European competition.

Football big in, England, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, I could go on. Each have their own top leagues providing top teams.

Rugby big in, England, France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy. The last three are debatable and the last 4 share a league!

Rugby is not a broad, mature enough sport in Europe to base around a Football model. It should be more about spreading the game rather than making money for failing English clubs.

100% JB

Mind you I did snigger at Scotland having a top league providing top teams, but yeah, I know what you mean.

So the Scarlets finish 15 points behind Ulster at the end of the league programme yet are given another opportunity to be crowned champions...where do they come in the $hite scale?

Anyway...there's no fcukin chance the IRFU are going to agree to a reduction in their HEC representation while the English keep theirs.
The Zebre issue is a distraction...this is about money...pure and simple.

browner wrote:So the Scarlets finish 15 points behind Ulster at the end of the league programme yet are given another opportunity to be crowned champions...where do they come in the $hite scale?

Anyway...there's no fcukin chance the IRFU are going to agree to a reduction in their HEC representation while the English keep theirs.
The Zebre issue is a distraction...this is about money...pure and simple.

The Scarlets come 56 points above Zebre in the sh!te scale.

If it comes down to losing the HEC, or doing a deal with the English and French, the IRFU and WRU will do a deal, knowing that they will likely grab additional places rather than the Scots and Italians.

BaggyTrousers wrote:

Jackie Brown wrote:I don't think Rugby can use the champions league model of European competition.

Football big in, England, Scotland, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, I could go on. Each have their own top leagues providing top teams.

Rugby big in, England, France, Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy. The last three are debatable and the last 4 share a league!

Rugby is not a broad, mature enough sport in Europe to base around a Football model. It should be more about spreading the game rather than making money for failing English clubs.

100% JB

Mind you I did snigger at Scotland having a top league providing top teams, but yeah, I know what you mean.

Yeah should have said they provide 1 competitive team, but didn't want to over complicate the post. You get my point though.

I think they should have the Top 6 from each league get automatic qualification. The rest go through a knock out competition during the late summer before leagues start to qualify for the remaining places probably 3rounds of knock outs should do it. This way most teams should be there on merits. Similar to the early champions league games. Losing teams go into the Amlin.

If we were looking at starting a new competition from scratch it might make sense to build it around the three pro leagues in Europe. But the English in particular seem to like to ignore the fact that the competition was set up by and belongs to the 6 rugby unions with the aim of developing and improving the game across all the unions. Why would the FIR or the SRU agree to forfeit any guarantee of involvement in the competition for their clubs?

pwrmoore wrote:Why would the FIR or the SRU agree to forfeit any guarantee of involvement in the competition for their clubs?

You could apply that to the IRFU and WRU as well. As unlikely as it is, it would be possible for all of the Welsh teams or all of the Irish teams to miss out if it was top six qualifiers.

Has there been any word on this since they were heading for meetings all over Europe and discussing it with seemingly no outcome?

ruckover wrote:

pwrmoore wrote:Why would the FIR or the SRU agree to forfeit any guarantee of involvement in the competition for their clubs?

You could apply that to the IRFU and WRU as well. As unlikely as it is, it would be possible for all of the Welsh teams or all of the Irish teams to miss out if it was top six qualifiers.

Absolutely. Never meant to imply otherwise. Was thinking tonight about the performance of Connacht all those years in the amlin and the step-change improvement since qualifying for the main competition. Surely this shows that any union with ambitions to improve should do everything it can to ensure as many clubs as possible play in the HEC.

Proposed reductions for Irish,Welsh,Scottish and Italian participation....the European cup?...the Anglo/French cup would be more appropriate.