The Championship - Guardian Interview with Jon Sharp

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Guardian Interview with Jon Sharp

Printed From: National League Rugby Discussion Forums
Category: League Rugby - www.leaguerugby.co.uk
Forum Name: The Championship
Forum Description: Discuss the 12 clubs forming the English Championship.
URL: http://www.rolling-maul.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=18593
Printed Date: 19 Apr 2021 at 16:24
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Guardian Interview with Jon Sharp

Posted By: Rob C
Subject: Guardian Interview with Jon Sharp
Date Posted: 06 Apr 2021 at 12:35

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/06/we-are-at-a-tipping-point-coventry-chairman-says-rfu-letting-clubs-down#comment-148477211%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/06/we-are-at-a-tipping-point-coventry-chairman-says-rfu-letting-clubs-down#comment-148477211

Replies:

Posted By: No 7
Date Posted: 06 Apr 2021 at 19:08

A very honest and passionate piece. The people who represent the Championship teams need to meet in private and decide where they want to go and how to move forward. Hopefully there is a general consensus and they unite and present a united front .

I think we all know there is differing opinions between clubs but unless there is some sort of agreement I think the Championships future is in doubt.

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Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.

Posted By: gerg_861
Date Posted: 06 Apr 2021 at 22:39

Well over a hundred comments on the Guardian site, some of which made good reading, some of which were well informed, and some of which fit into neither of those categories. I think No.7 has hit it on the head though - the Championship needs to agree what it wants to be and present a united front. I don't think that has happened in a long time, and I don't think that it honestly will either unfortunately. PRL and the RFU have their hearts set on a ring fence, which they need at the moment for various reasons (that I've set out in another thread), and they'll find some few clubs that they can buy off, and that will be it I'm afraid.

Posted By: marigold
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2021 at 07:06

No7/Gerg sadly you have identified the insolvable problem at the heart of the Championship-they will never agree what it wants to be or present a united front. You have 12 clubs with virtually 12 different agendas. A couple want promotion and might now or one day be able to afford it, a couple say they want promotion but could never afford it and complain they are being denied something impossible for them to achieve, the majority do not want promotion ,are happy to run one team and stay semi pro and lose money every season, a couple pretend to be community clubs but pay lip service to their non 1st XV squads, a couple are genuine community clubs who want to play at the highest possible level and one is a university who aspires to be a 13th/14th premiership academy. The RFU/PRL has attempted to fund for a decade full time rugby but no one without a huge sugar daddy can break even (and there are numerous examples where that model fails). Now the RFU/PRL cannot afford to underwrite full time pro rugby it makes sense to extend the Premiership to 14, maybe 16 full time clubs and make the rest of the game non full time. There are plenty of players from non full time environments who have developed there and gone on to play full time in the Premiership.