Category: Aviva Premiership

BT Sport’s Premiership Coverage Needs a Shot to the Arm

Decisions on Premiership coverage are made for fear of ailing attendances, but the cost of non-televised fixtures is alienating a far larger potential viewership, sitting at home and paying for their TV subscriptions.

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According to RugbyPass, Premiership Rugby signed a three-year contract worth £110 million GBP in 2021.

BT Sport currently costs rugby fans at least £15 a month for a minimum of 24 months, or £360 total. That will bring you three fixtures a week from the Premiership, as well as the European Champions Cup, and a sprinkling of Challenge Cup action. If you’re in Australia, you can watch every Premiership game on Stan Sports for $10 AUD (£5.28 at the time of writing) Conversely, for £12.99 a month (or less if you chose a fixed contract) a Premier Sports subscription will show you every live match of the United Rugby Championship (URC) as well as four Top14 fixtures a week.

The result is that whilst Australians can watch all of the Premiership live, those in England may only watch 50% of games at the discretion of the scheduling team selecting the fixtures. Those who follow the URC can watch every game in the UK, Ireland, and South Africa, with games streamed for free to territories without a TV deal (unsure of arrangements in Italy). So why is the coverage so scarce in England?

NB: Information on how to watch all Premiership fixtures available at the bottom of the page thanks to @Rugby_KickOff

The Logic of 50% coverage

Received wisdom dictates that if the games are all on TV, fans won’t go to the ground. After all, who would pay £30 to sit in a cold stand with a £5 pint, where you have to queue for ages to get to the bathroom? Well, last time this writer went to a televised fixture (Friday) it was over 16,000 of us. When BT Sport and Premiership rugby most recently hashed out a deal, 3 matches a week was the agreement, and that won’t change until the deal is replaced or renegotiated (due in 2024).

The pandemic brought new possibilities for fans. With games being played behind closed doors, realistically BT Sport had to show every fixture. If not, with no possibility of fans watching the games in the ground, it would have felt rather pointless. Thus, Premiership Rugby and BT Sport agreed that for the season, all games would be shown to fans, setting the precedent with their most extensive coverage yet, even launching a ‘watch with friends’ option on the app to compensate for lack of matchday experience.

Once fans were allowed back into grounds, coverage defaulted to normal, but many fans are now complaining of the perceived poorer coverage. It’s the same as before the pandemic, (other than the loss of Channel 5’s excellent Monday highlights show) but expectations have grown and rightly so.

Against this backdrop, non-televised fixtures now frustrate many fans who pay their TV subscriptions and/or season tickets but are alienated from 50% of the games, unless they happen to live close enough to attend an untelevised fixture in person. These are available on catch up, but that doesn’t really cut the mustard for most. On average, about 13k will go and see the game from the stands (according to the Rugby Paper 2017), but what of the majority that would have otherwise watched on TV? The drop in coverage is an opportunity missed for more exposure of the game, exposure for sponsors and a better value product for fans to boot.

Now it is worth adding, whilst the overall quantity of coverage has dropped, BT Sport still provide excellent quality coverage on the whole, which is supplemented by an ever improving online presence of the game.

If the decision to broadcast or not had such an impact on crowds, would we not expect to see full-houses at non-televised matches? This is far from the case. Fans who want to go to the stadium, will. They go because they love the atmosphere, the build-up, the social side of the game. Those who don’t or can’t for health reasons as an example, won’t. Decisions on coverage are made for fear of ailing attendances, but the cost of non-televised fixtures is alienating a far larger potential viewership, sitting at home and paying for their TV subscriptions.

BT uncovered a new way of doing business, already adopted by other leagues, and set a precedent. Their match-day coverage with Sunset & Vine is already of a very high standard but covering all of the matches is the next piece in the puzzle. The bar has been raised and logically, the next deal must address this.

Want to know how to watch every game in the UK? Click here.

The Scribbler, 23rd October 2021

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Rugby’s Greatest Championship

UPDATED VERSION: 20/03/2021

Following Scotland’s absolute dominant obliteration of France….., which ensured Wales deservedly lifted their title, I want to reshare a piece from a few weeks back. Before we discuss relegating the French, lets discuss Rugby’s Greatest Championship.

The Six Nations calls itself ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’, but at times in the past, that has felt disingenuous. I mean sure, in the general Six Nations furore in the UK and at the stadiums it’s great, but for outsiders watching, it has at times felt like a bit of a stretch, particularly compared to the out and out excitement The Rugby Championship so regularly brings to the neutral fan.

However, a look back on the last year of rugby really illuminates that ‘greatest’ tag and brings it to the fore. As the world tentatively reopened following the initial round of global coronavirus lockdowns, sport was a welcome return to normality.

Sure, most of us couldn’t get to the grounds and the sporting world was divided along the lines of crowd noises or no crowd noises, but the fact we could see 46 blokes chucking a ball about and trying to steam-roll one another was the welcome distraction many of us needed.

Super Rugby Aotearoa was any rugby fans dream. The Guinness PRO14 opted for a vastly truncated season, whilst the Premiership put players through the meat grinder to ensure profits and that a shiny trophy was handed over live on BT Sports. Neither northern hemisphere option was ideal, but they marked a start.

Then we had the financially justifiable, turgid borefest that was the inaugural (and hopefully final) Autumn Nations Cup. Rugby? Check. TV deal for much needed cash injection? Check. Entertainment? Painfully absent.

Finally, there was Europe. Then that stopped too. Generally the rugby has been better than nothing, but conversation was still driven to a large degree by the effect COVID was having on the game, and understandably so.

In all the negativity, questions over the Lions tour, over Europe, many of us saw the Six Nations creep up on us. Personally, I just sort of expected it to be cancelled or delayed; but it wasn’t and oh my, what a tournament it was .

It started with Scotland undoing 38 years of history by beating England at Twickenham, which unfortunately they couldn’t back up until they met Italy in the *final* round on Super Saturday. France scored some outrageous tries and had one of their strongest tournament in years. Ireland finished strongly whilst England underwhelmed. The less said about Italy, the better; they will get better. Wales? You could definitely say they got “the rub of the green” on occasion, but you make your own luck and they took their opportunities well, scoring a lot of tries along the way. Ultimately, the deserve their title.

Through all of the ups and downs of the tournament, there was one thing that was almost all to easy to forget, as perfectly summed up by Graham Love:

Now of course, COVID did affect things. We saw more away wins, as fans were absent, the PA systems left to blast the anthems of crowds gone by. I’m sure psychologically that was a factor. But somehow, none of the magic was lost.

Old rivalries felt renewed, the controversies just as hotly debated as ever, and the tension and excitement became all consuming. Crucially, the conversations were driven by the rugby and not the global situation surrounding it, and oh how welcome that was. The tournament was largely untouched by COVID, and it was all too easy to forget about everything for a few sweet hours every weekend.

At this juncture I will address the pangolin in the room– a few clandestine roman waffles for a bunch of cocks (that’s the alias for the French rugby team, isn’t it?) meant that tonight’s Scotland vs France fixture was rescheduled. Not a clean-sheet, but a decent old effort.

Despite the lapse of some waffle hungry Frenchmen, the point remains that COVID has figured in discussions only in minor part which was unequivocally refreshing. With the competition so open, so entertaining, and such a distraction, this year more than ever shows why the Six Nations truly is Rugby’s Greatest Championship. Perhaps the only thing missing was a few pint with our pals.

The Scribbler, 18th February 2020 26th March.

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*DISCLAIMER* The Rugby Scribbler and Robert Yarr are not responsible for any resulting cancellations, genetic mutations, or anything which will no doubt convert this piece into a decisively bad omen.

From Chiefs to Māori: Indigeneity in Rugby

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Exeter Chiefs’ Mascot ‘Big Chief’

Given the events of recent months, everyone is quite rightly taking a step back and reconsidering the names and symbols that represent countries, cities, clubs and we’re reflecting on almost every aspect of our lives, and rightly so. The latest to be called into question, though not for the first time, are Exeter Chiefs. Following the discussion relating to the issue, I thought I’d chip in my opinion, whilst also highlighting a handful of examples of indigeneity in rugby, including the good and the bad.

What’s the Problem with ‘Exeter Chiefs’?

The Exeter Chiefs rebrand of the late 90’s appears to be based on successful American branding of sports teams. Even modern day rebrands of sports teams take an awful lot of influence from American sports teams, as can be seen with the Bristol Bears and Gloucester Rugby rebrands of recent years. Taking this into account, the Exeter logo depicts a stereotyped native headdress and ‘chief’. The problem with taking symbols such as headdresses is that they ‘promote white American re-imaginings of Native dress and culture’ (Ingrid Messbauer, p.251) as opposed to giving an authentic, or respectful representation of the culture. It is also taken without any permission or a clear link or reason for it. Additionally there is the added context that many native American’s have spoken out against the use of their culture as a marketing tool used to sell shirts.

The next issue is ‘Big Chief’, the mascot. He masquerades around the pitch in a headdress, which as already discussed is problematic, with an inflatable tomahawk. The tomahawk also links nicely into a second issue- the tomahawk chop song. Both the above are again a normalisation and simplification of native cultures and interpretations from on-lookers, reducing natives to barbarism and associating them with the uncivilized brute force and weaponry- the backbone of justification of genocides across the Americas, from north to south. Many also draw links between the tomahawk and the redskins, considering it to be symbolic of the killing of native people.

Now, despite this, I might suggest Exeter Chiefs and its fans are almost certainly not advocates of genocide, and this is where people often get the wrong end of the stick. It’s perfectly okay to take a step back and say, I didn’t think about this, I didn’t realise and I’m willing to adapt and change for the better. By recognising that the branding is problematic, you’re not admitting to being racist, you’re merely acknowledging that perhaps you didn’t fully understand the implications, and that’s totally okay. We’re all guilty of that to some degree.

It is also easy to see how, since the turn to professionalism, such a problematic approach was taken without further consideration; US sports teams are often used as a marketing model, and with a business mind, the branding likely made business sense. However, with the rebrand being relatively recent and an increased self-awareness of history and the calls of current native people, it’s not a hard image to change. As seen with clubs across the globe not just in the Premiership, but also the likes of Glasgow Warriors, Gloucester, Bristol Bears and Crusaders (who are discussing name changes, having already changed their logo to be more neutral) to name a few recent examples, rebrands can be carried out during the off-season and be very successful. Exeter Rugby can continue to be a force and a strong brand without their ‘chiefs’ imagery. Arguably for fans and investors alike, a brand change demonstrating their awareness of their position of influence, of history and the contemporary socio-political context will reflect better than battening down the hatches and ignoring the issue. Exeter Chiefs currently represent an imagined and over simplified white-mans interpretation of indigeneity, but with public calls for change, they have an opportunity to really improve their brand.

The next club that came to mind is of a lower profile, but no less problematic: Chile’s new professional side, named Selknam Rugby, who play in the newly formed American Super League (SLAR). The Selk’nam were the indigenous inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego in the deep south of the American continent, but are now considered extinct, with a gold rush and their misunderstanding of the European concept of private property leading to their ultimate demise in the mid-20th century, upon the arrival of European settlers. This episode is now considered to have been a genocide.

Running a poll asking whether the name is respectful or not, voters seemed unsure on the name and whether it was problematic or not, with the majority voting ‘I don’t know’, followed by 23.3% believing that it was a mark of respect. (Yes, it shows respect// I don’t know // It shows a lack of respect)

According to the head of Chilean rugby, Cristian Rudloff, the name was chosen because “we feel that it represents the roots of Chilean Patagonia. Although we still have the Mapuche [indigenous group] which perfectly complement us due to their warrior spirit, we wanted to highlight this [Selk’nam] culture”.

However, here an interesting point is highlighted. The Mapuche are currently marginalised within Chilean society, yet still make up roughly 10% of the Chilean population with increasing numbers over the last two decades. It seems bizarre to pay homage to a tribe subject to genocide, whilst one currently exists and is still violently oppressed by the police force and the state. Beyond the national side, the SLAR team (Selknam) are the only elite level rugby club in the country and as rugby is not a part of Mapuche culture either, it would be inappropriate to suggest they should use their culture to promote a Chilean rugby team, either. In this case, I would suggest that unless the team had a strong indigenous base, the topic of indigeneity should be left alone, as it can be considered disrespectful for multiple reasons.

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the Maori All Blacks. They are different in that they are a representative national side, not a club team. However, in many ways they are the perfect template for how indigeneity and sports can combine successfully.

The Māori All Blacks really do live and breathe the culture. All players must have a blood connection to the Maori people. On tour, they are taught Maori songs, folklore and other key concepts from the native culture, something which goes unquestioned and is an integral part of their tours. It’s about inclusion, respect for their past, and looking to their future. The culture is integral to the team. Even the Adidas shirts live the culture, working closely with Maoris to design them, using only sacred colours of the Maoris, for example. In terms of combining indigeneity and sports, the Maori All Blacks seem to be the best combination we have.

Perhaps it is too aspirational for all relevant nations to strive for indigenous driven teams as the Māori. However, what the Māori highlight is that indigeneity can be successfully incorporated into rugby and sports teams, but only where appropriate. With teams where there is no real link to indigeneity, the appropriation of the culture is problematic- especially as we’ve seen how simple and effective inoffensive rebrands can be. Whilst we can look back at the issues of the branding, we should now be engaging in positive discussions as to how clubs can take themselves forward, improving on the branding and being more inclusive and respectful, not just regarding indigeneity, but on the whole. This is the golden opportunity for rugby clubs to push themselves forwards and set an example.

P.S. Looks like my break from rugby was shorter than intended.

The Scribbler, 6th July, 2020
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One game too many for England

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Eddie Jones loves a target game. As Japan head-coach, he set his boys on a task to beat South Africa and write rugby history in Brighton in 2015. Four years down the line and he knew his England side would have to beat New Zealand at some stage to win the Rugby World Cup and managed this in spectacular style. No doubts, England absolutely outclassed the mighty All Blacks, ensuring New Zealand wouldn’t get a shot at a third consecutive World Cup title. Understandably, they took their place as favourites for the title this weekend.

Sadly, though they achieved this goal, they fell at the last hurdle against a South African side who executed their game plan terrifically, despite England having the upper hand on both territory and possession. England looked to struggle to get a foothold in the game as they boot of Handre Pollard kept things ticking over for the Boks.

Defensively South Africa missed 14 of their 154 tackles, whilst England missed 12 of their 98. South Africa also managed to amass 380 metres and 7 clean breaks off of 89 runs, (4.26 metres per carry) whilst England posted 173 metres from 122 runs and a meagre 2 clean breaks (1.41 metres per carry). These are the small margins that win World Cups.

Whilst England looked a little startled by the occasion, the South Africans looked calm and focussed on the job at hand. Two key men I expected to light the game up were Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi, who both crossed the whitewash and sealed the win as South Africa lifted their 3rd Rugby World Cup.

Leading up to the New Zealand semi-final, coach Jones claimed “We’ve been preparing for this game for two-and-a-half years”. That paid dividends, last week. However, the final looked to be one game too far and you just wonder whether they put too much mental energy into that one fixture last week.

Sure, they had to win it to get to the final, to have a shot. The problem is, if you put too much into one game, so much onus on one game for so long, it’s easy to take your foot off of the gas. As Warren Gatland said, “we have seen in previous World Cups that teams sometimes play their final in semi-finals and they don’t always turn up for the final”. It’s hard to disagree in this case.

It’s a tough one to call, would England have won last week, if they hadn’t put so much into that game? Personally, I think they could have. They built well into the World Cup and showed vs Australia that they can punish teams from anywhere on the field. In the final they appeared drained and were uncharacteristically sloppy, a total paradox to the side that convincingly dispatched of the All Blacks the week before.

On the other hand, plaudits have to go to Rassie Erasmus and his South African side. Many had written them off pre-match,  as they looked far less sharp than England going into this game. I had personally predited an England win, though only by a margin of 5.

Against the odds, South Africa become the first side to win a Rugby World Cup, despite losing a game in the pool stages (they lost to New Zealand). It is also a mighty fine moment for captain Siya Kolisi, who this week shared fond memories of watching South Africa lift the World Cup trophy in 2007 from a tavern in his township. An immensely proud moment for South Africa’s first black captain.

The Scribbler, 20th October, 2019

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OPINION: Scotland’s ‘shock’ omissions aren’t so shocking

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Gregor Townsend announced his Scotland Squad for RWC Japan 2019 today at Linlithgow Palace

Today Gregor Townsend announced his 31 man squad to head to Japan for Rugby World Cup 2019 as the tournament takes to Asia for the first time. As with all international squads, there were some surprises.

Everyone is of course talking about the dropping of Huw Jones and in-form Northampton Saints’ centre Rory Hutchinson. On the flip-side, people are questioning the inclusion of Toonie favourites, Peter Horne and Chris Harris.

It’s not hard to see where this reaction comes from. Huw Jones announced himself to international rugby with blistering form, helping his side to a famous win over England and consistently looking to carry the side- something only Stuart Hogg has seemingly done for Scotland in recent years. Rory Hutchinson has equally impressed in his first appearances for Scotland this summer and over the 2018/19 Gallagher Premiership Season. 

Chris Harris on the contrary has had less memorable moments in a Scotland shirt, with some under-whelming early appearances, leading many to question his inclusion. Despite this, he has remained a constant part of Toonie’s squads ever since he broke onto the international scene. Peter Horne has often been on the end of fan criticism too, but is a stalwart of Toonie squads.

Despite the reputation that all of these players carry, I can see logic in the selection.

Huw Jones

Put bluntly, Huw Jones has been out of form. One of Glasgow’s most exciting signings of recent years, fans expected a lot of the young centre. However, he has been consistently kept out of a shirt by the likes of Peter Horne and Sam Johnson and even less experienced guys like Kyle Steyn. A devastating player at his best, Huw Jones can feel frustrated to not be included, but not so much aggrieved on the basis of form.

Rory Hutchinson

Unlucky? By my reckoning, yes. The centre has been making waves in the Gallagher Premiership, but was only rewarded with his first caps for Scotland this summer. He managed two tries in Scotland’s famous defeat of Georgia in Tbilisi and showed up well in cameos vs France, but that was not enough for Gregor Townsend. You would imagine that it was his lack of experience at international rugby counted against him but I’d back him to be the first man on the plane should injury mar Gregor’s team.

Harris and Horne

Lucky? I would say not. Harris has been a solid operator for Newcastle Falcons and brings something a bit different. He looks to have packed on some bulk and as we saw with his bruising  try vs France, he is a big guy who can pick a nice line. With Alex Dunbar currently out of form and favour, Harris cuts a similar mould. He’s generally solid in defence and in a team with exciting players such as Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg, Harris brings something a bit more stoic and physical to the party.

Peter Horne on the other hand is tried and tested internationally and crucially, his distribution skills provide Townsend with cover, should anything happen to one of his first-choice tens. Many highlight his susceptibility to lapses such as throwing intercepts such as the one vs France just weeks ago. However, in a World Cup squad, a guy with such a versatile skillset is absolutely invaluable to step-in. That aside, Horne should be given the respect he is due in his own-right as a silky operator in the midfield.

The Scribbler, 3rd September, 2019

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The not-so-curious case of Dan Leavy

Much has been made of England’s finishing 5th place in this years Six Nations and the criticism is sure to continue as the competition designed to cut out Celtic advantage, sees no English teams make the semis and just one French club. This year, it’s the PRO14’s time at the top table. Just two years ago, I was writing an article about Anglo-French dominance of the competition.

The ‘Reasons’

It seems unlikely that anyone with more than a passing interest in Rugby could miss this, but the lines being mooted by the press are that the English players are over worked and that the Lions tour has tired them out. I won’t reproduce the figures here, but it will certainly have an impact. Farrell has played more time than Sexton this season. Undoubtedly that will have influenced the England v Ireland game and the Leinster v Saracens game, but it was guys like Dan Leavy who ultimately made an impact, with a MOTM performance.

Relative Wins

In 2016 I wrote about how the then Pro12 sides had fallen short in Europe. Many reasons were highlighted, but the one most widely discussed afterwards on Social Media, was the effect of the Rugby World Cup. That year, Pro12 players had played on the whole, a lot more Rugby, or in other words, the shoe was on the other foot.

It goes in ebbs and flows, which can be seen with how teams and leagues have fared over the years; The last 5 years have been dominated by the English and French, with a team from each of the nations contesting the last five finals. Conversely before that, it was the Irish sides who dominated the previous five finals, the other component being either English or French.

In all inceptions of Europe’s top-tier rugby competition the winner’s breakdown is as follows:

TOP14: 8

PRO14: 6

PREMIERSHIP: 8

The only discrepancy in the data is the fact that all the PRO14 winners have, at the time of writing, been Irish. However, with Scarlets (Welsh) and Glasgow Warriors (Scottish) lifting the PRO14 trophy in recent years and translating that into relative European success, with both reaching at least the Champions Cup Quarter Finals in the last two-years, it demonstrates an improvement and strength in depth of the competition.

“The PRO14 is weaker as the stars are regularly rested”

This is the most common retort to the success of the PRO14 sides. Whilst many discussed the effect of the 2015 RWC on Europe in 2016, the main stories were of Anglo-French dominance, owing to finances and higher quality. The PRO14 can’t keep up with the utterly dominant forces of English and French rugby. Compelling reading as it was for the English fans, it wasn’t a clear reflection of what was going on. In the same way that focussing on English players playing times isn’t now. Each year, a combination of factors will combine to determine who lifts Europe’s top prize.

An excellent case for this was raised on Twitter in recent says which I wanted to share. Dan Leavy.

Dan Leavy’s Rise

This weekend he was an absolute monster, quick on the ball, dominant in contact and using his handling effectively and rugby nouse to combine for an excellent forward’s try. This guy has it all as he’s showing for both Leinster and Ireland.

How did we discover Dan Leavy? The absence of a certain Sean O’Brien and Josh Van Der Flier at Leinster. The aforementioned were being rested for International duty when Leavy was first given his opportunity, an opportunity in the PRO14 he took with both hands. Since then, his stock has grown magnificently, seeing him become an influential player, even at international level. The PRO14 is an excellent pathway to success, brimming with quality.

Whilst we’re on that point, a huge percentage of the PRO14 players were raised through the academies of their respective nations and blooded in the PRO14. They have from their had no trouble in stepping up to European and even International honours. Take the likes of James Davies at Scarlets. Until recently, not an international player, but almost always makes a significant impact, never more so than this weekend when the flanker played 60 minutes on the wing in his sides quarter-final triumph over La Rochelle. This is a player who has known nothing more than PRO14 rugby and pool-stage Champions Cup rugby for a good portion of his career, save his 7s cameos.

Conclusion

This article isn’t to bash the English sides. Do I think playing times has affected the English players and their levels of performance this year? Probably. Do I think the same happened to the Celtic sides post RWC 2015? Most-likely.

The point this article is trying to make is that these things happen to all teams and leagues at different times and for different reasons. The PRO14 allows the opportunity to develop new players, but unlike the big money leagues of England and France, also allows for their protection and longevity. Is that a demonstration of it’s weakness, or conversely a flaw in the other league systems?

You can draw your own conclusions, but I disagree with Jason Robinson that the Premiership is the strongest league in the World.

The Scribbler, 2nd April, 2018

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The GUINNESS PRO14 has arrived- Everything you need to know

WelcomeKingsAndCheetahsAfter months of rumours and unrest, Celtic Rugby have finally confirmed that as of the 2017/18 season, the Guinness Pro12 will be expanded to become the Guinness Pro14. Recently cut Super Rugby sides the Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join the competition, ensuring their survival and bringing much needed, fresh revenue streams to the league.

How it will work

The Guinness Pro14 will be made up of two conferences, with equal numbers of teams from each participating Nation. There will be 12 intra-conference games, 7 inter-conference games and two derbies to make up the standard season’s fixture list. Luckily for us, the system doesn’t seem to be quite as complicated as the Super Rugby conferences have been. However, rather than try and explain it fully myself, here’s the Pro14’s video explaining everything you need to know about the format of the league.

Key Points

-Derbies protected.

-Two conferences, based on previous season ranking.

-SA teams will not qualify for Europe.

– The system will see an introduction of Quarter Finals to the league.

Why have PRO12 decided to expand to South Africa?

Finances

To put it plainly, money. That is the main driver for this move, but that’s no bad thing. For all those who love to criticise the PRO12/14, in a single move they have managed to double the TV pot of the league. The figures below show how the European leagues lined up financially before the expansion:

TOP14: £76m per season (deal starting 2019)

Aviva Premiership: £38m per season

Guinness PRO12: £12m per season

Source: The Daily Mail (Sadly)

The PRO14 is reported to now generate £24m per season, with the current TV deals with original PRO12 broadcasters up for renewal at the end of the coming season. With finances being one of the largest problems for the league, it is entirely understandable why the decision for expansion has been taken.

Super Rugby Cull

With Super Rugby deciding to cut the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings from their league, this has provided an opportunity for the SARU to keep the sides running, but also provides them with keys to Europe. With wages in pounds and Euros often more desirable for South African players, this gives them a chance to get noticed in the northern hemisphere and potentially secure themselves more lucrative wages, whether that’s in a European PRO14 franchise, in England or France. It could also potentially attract more South African internationals to the two former Super Rugby franchises. The move has been largely met with positivity down south.

Time Zones

For the newcomers, the time zone is a positive, especially when compared with Super Rugby. Despite the long travel to Europe, the time zone is only an hour in difference, compared to far more for Super Rugby games in Argentina, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, the PRO14 have promised to give ample recovery time for sides hopping continent, ensuring they have at least 5 ‘clean days’- IE 5 days in which they’re not travelling before each game.

Opinion

Personally, I see this as a positive move. That’s not to say there aren’t potential troubles and controversies ahead, but with the league financially so far behind, this step is a massive move in the right direction- get it right and it could be a terrific championship- get it wrong and we could see the once Celtic Rugby league completely fall apart.

As a fan, the league is already expensive regarding away games- so for me (despite the massive price difference SA presents) away games are virtually a no go anyway. A couple more games I can’t get to in a season isn’t going to make me drop all interest in the league like some ‘fans’ are suggesting.

At this stage, something needed to be done to try and bridge the gap between the PRO12 and its European rivals and this expansion is the kind of shake up that is needed- I just hope, for all parties’ sake, that the Guinness Pro14 is a success. Here’s to an exciting new season in the PRO14.

The Scribbler, August 1st, 2017.

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Glasgow Warriors: A Historic Day to be Celebrated

10 years ago

Glasgow Warriors 26-20 Leinster- Attendance: 2,121 (Home)

5 Years ago

Glasgow Warriors 31-3 Cardiff Blues- Attendance: 4,224 (Home)

Yesterday (2nd April 2017)

Saracens 38-13 Glasgow Warriors- Glasgow fans in attendance: circa 6000 (Away)

The result yesterday was not what anyone in the Warrior Nation hoped for. Saracens have undoubted quality and were looking to retain their status as European Champions. On the contrary, Glasgow Warriors found themselves in their first ever European Quarter Final and it showed.

As it transpired, Saracens were excellent. They managed to get on the right side of the referee and were extremely aggressive in contact, depriving an exciting Glasgow backline of the front-foot ball they crave.

Saracen’s offloading game was crisp and their wrap-around’s saw them cross the line multiple times in the opening stages, last gasp Glasgow defence just denying them on multiple occasions. And love him or hate him, Chris Ashton was central to Sarries’ attacking threat.

Glasgow on the other hand, were never really at the races. In a European Quarter final, the big guns need to step up. Owen Farrell, Sean Maitland, and Billy Vunipola did for the North-Londoners. Finn Russell, Stuart Hogg and the rest of the Glasgow team were very quiet- save perhaps Lee Jones who denied Ashton a try and scored an excellent one himself.

It was a historic day regardless

Near Six Thousand fans were in London for just Glasgow’s first venture in to European knock-out rugby. The atmosphere today was excellent- ‘We Are Warriors’ rang around Allianz Park almost as loudly as the calls for Sarries- and there were kilts, blue flags and bag pipes everywhere.

The growth of the club has been phenomenal- and if they can continue to challenge the big guns of Europe, this could be the first of many great European weekends the Scots will be involved in. The potential is there, Dave Rennie is replacing Gregor Townsend in the summer and the fans will be hoping this is just the beginning.

Glasgow looked like rabbits in head-lights yesterday, but they have an opportunity to create something really special in European and Scottish club rugby and today was the first step.

The Scribbler, 3rd April, 2016

Twitter: @RugbyScribbler

rugbyscribbler@gmail.com

Stop the madness- we need real breaks in the Six Nations  

It was reported recently that English clubs want to scrap the rest weeks of the Six Nations, to give more flexibility to the season. The rest weeks exist due to the brutal nature of international fixtures- but there’s a debate to be had as to whether returning to domestic action in those weeks is really a rest.

Is club rugby really a good idea during the international periods?

Level Playing Fields- Internationally

You may remember a year ago, me saying that it’s not all bad news playing during International periods. Maybe that’s true, but I have changed my tune a little since then…

I think it club rugby does suffer as a result of these games.

In England and France, they expect their Internationals players to come back (except from their own nations squads) which hardly gives these players “a rest” and of course increases the likelihood of injury to those players.

The same happens with Pro12 players playing in their home nation being protected- the difference being that there are no current English nor French internationals in the Pro12, which is an advantage for those nations.

This is all a result of people protecting their own interests, as they should, but it could be argued this puts a higher risk on the Celtic sides, who already have more limited resources than England and France.

Level Playing Fields- Club Rugby

This section comes with a large Glasgow Warriors bias. That said, when you look at Saracens loss to Gloucester and what happened to them against Wasps at this time last year, I think it’s relevant in a wider context.

This weekend Glasgow Warriors went down to Ulster 37-17. That’s one of their biggest defeats that I can think of in recent years. It seems that teams such as Ospreys, Munster and Leinster, who all provide lots of Internationals deal with this period better than the Warriors. Glasgow though, are missing a sizeable chunk of their team in this period- 16 to Scotland and 1 to Canada and 1 to Italy. Some were released back to the Warriors for the Ulster fixture.

Throw in injuries and you had a Glasgow team with academy/club players in and a player who arrived just nine days earlier, playing out of position. That’s not to knock these guys, there were some good individual performances, but it’s not hard to imagine why things weren’t quite coming off for them at the weekend.

In a normal round of Pro12 Rugby, you would expect a closer game than that between these two sides.

Player Welfare

I’m no scientist, but I’m sure that this much rugby isn’t good for folk. The “rest weeks” exist for a reason. Contrary to some club’s beliefs, their players aren’t slabs of meat, shaped to make them a profit- they’re human beings, workers with rights. Denying them Six Nations rest weeks is unfair and I’d go as far as saying the season should be restructured so that there aren’t even club games in this period. Dan Biggar seems to agree.

More recently, soon to be Scotland coach was hesitant to call for them to be abolished, but did acknowledge the effect they have on his side.

Discouraging Home Talent

This isn’t necessarily what is happening right now- but I look at Northern Hemisphere teams and think, if I were a coach driving for results, what would I prefer- to develop some talents that I will then lose to Internationals, seeing my team struggle and potentially jeopardise my season- or invest in SH talents that won’t have to leave during the Six Nations, such as Charles Piutau, Kurtley Beale, Marcelo Bosch etc…

Whilst Scotland are developing and nurturing a huge amount of talent right now, it’s no coincidence that they have signed non-international back-row Callum Gibbins at the expense of Scotstoun favourite and Italian International, Simone Favaro.

The Fans

Don’t worry, I’m not going to go all Irish Times on you. If fans see an Ospreys poster with Dan Biggar scoring a try on, they shouldn’t expect to see that happen, nor even for Dan Biggar to be playing.

However, as a fan I can understand why people feel less inspired to attend games during these periods. Many of us will have spent our cash on the Six Nations tournament and the domestic leagues go onto a bit of a back burner.

Take my situation as an example. I’m a Scotland and Glasgow Warriors fan, living in Swansea. On Saturday, Scotland play Wales, and on Sunday, Glasgow Warriors play Ospreys in Swansea.

Up to 16 of the most exciting Glasgow players could be on display on Saturday. On Sunday, there will be some quality players too, and some fringe and even club players on the field. I’m probably more excited for the first game, despite not making it to the ground.

I have relatively easy access to Ospreys tickets and family visiting, but if it wasn’t for that, I’m not sure I’d be choosing to spend a very hungover day at the Glasgow game, I’d probably stay in bed.

I still support my team, but there’s certainly less incentive for me to attend than there would otherwise be.

To me, it’s no surprise that attendances and viewing figures drop in this time. That said, if anyone watched any Guinness Pro12 or Aviva Premiership rugby last weekend, as far as neutrals are concerned, there were some cracking games played, so maybe we should be inspired to attend regardless.

Proposal

Frankly, I don’t have a specific proposal- especially with speculation about the Pro12 welcoming Germany, Georgia, or becoming the Guinness Atlantic Rugby Championship, I can’t see much point at this stage.

Add in the Premiership’s desire to shorten the Six Nations and it really is all up in the air at the moment.

All I know is that, we need to stop the madness- have REAL Six nations breaks to improve welfare and ensure that league standings are representative of the best sides.

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The Scribbler, 22nd February, 2017

Twitter: @RugbyScribbler

rugbyscribbler@gmail.com