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Northern Hemisphere Rugby

Crashy

John Solomon (38)
This well timed article discusses what happening around the world. The RWC makes a gabillion dollars - where does it all go.


As Australia, and many Southern Hemisphere countries is a net exporter of rugby talent, we need to transfer fee like in football to stop the likes of Japan and France for example from picking the eyes out of the south.
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
This well timed article discusses what happening around the world. The RWC makes a gabillion dollars - where does it all go.


As Australia, and many Southern Hemisphere countries is a net exporter of rugby talent, we need to transfer fee like in football to stop the likes of Japan and France for example from picking the eyes out of the south.
Need longer term contracts as industry standard to make transfer fees viable. No Japanese club will pay a fee for a player when they can just wait until the contract has expired at the end of the year.
 

Strewthcobber

Simon Poidevin (60)
This well timed article discusses what happening around the world. The RWC makes a gabillion dollars - where does it all go.


As Australia, and many Southern Hemisphere countries is a net exporter of rugby talent, we need to transfer fee like in football to stop the likes of Japan and France for example from picking the eyes out of the south.
Brett's issue will be his suggestions for the things he wants to see changed will be automatically opposed by many in the game purely because of the accent of the person suggesting the change
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Top 14 kicks off tomorrow, with even more fans and even more money. Yay!

I'll do a run down of my predicted rankings, team movements and going ons:

Bottom half:

Predicted list
14th/promoted from ProD2
Vannes
have been promoted from ProD2, they have recruited okayish with Salesi Rayasi, Michael Ruru, Pat Leafa, Francis Saili and Mako Vunipola. I think they might actually be in with a shot with avoiding relegation which is of course their premiership. Either way, a long road ahead of them and any injuries to key players and they're boned and chances are their squad just isn't up to it. I can't see Montpellier fucking up again, so only hope is bringing Bayonne/Perpignan down with them. Odds are not in their favour.

13th
Perpignan
finished in 10th last year but I can't see them getting that high again, they have a rubbish squad led by Jake McIntyre. No go. Uninspiring, lame, not fun.

12th
Bayonne (12th last year)
have fan favourite Reece Hodge who played very little last year, but he's back to full health. They've also recruited big bad Manu Tuilagi but I think he's already injured and will probably stay injured forever. A decent amount of talented Argentinians in Bosch, Bruni and Carreras but I think Hodge will be enjoying more surfing than his rugby this year, at least Bayonne's closest beach is slightly better than St Kilda Beach.

11th
Sadly, I think Pau will drop down the rankings from their lofty 9th last year. Maddocks and Reece Hewat won't be enough to make up for their largely unimpressive squad. Pau have picked up Tom Franklins from the Force and two super young academy players from Australia (Max Meagher and Toshi Butlin).

10th
Sadly I think my moneyball favourites Castres will go poorly this year despite their admirable 7th last year. Their talismanic big chonky boy Tom Staniforth is injured for the first half of the season, but he's an absolute crowd favourite, constantly getting named lock of the competition. They have Jack Goodhue and signed baby faced English capped prop Will Collier but don't think they've got much in the tank.

9th
Lyon
did poorly last year in 11th. I predict they'll be moving up the rankings despite losing star prop Demba Bamba to Racing. They've recruited/retained Monty Ioane, Jermaine Ainsley, Feao Foutaika, Lavanini, Dylan Cretin, Semi Radradra and Vincent Rattez. Don't think they hvae it in the forwards, though I do love Dylan Cretin. Can't really see Radradra pulling out the good stuff, I think he's there for a good time not a try really hard time.

8th
Montpellier
will be lead by their star recruit Jordan Uelese on a big winning streak till a season ending injury. Montpellier have splashed the cash and continue investing in freaks and criminals with players like Stuart Hogg. Beyond him they have heaps of great players and it's impressive that they finished so low last season in 13th. They've got Ryan Louwrens, Willemse, Billy Vunipola, Sam Simmonds, Cobus Reinach, George Bridge, and new recruit Madosh Tambwe. They might even crack the top half of the table but their terrible season last year has me calming my expectations. Still I'm expecting a big climb up the ladder.

Alrighty! Top half of the table, allleeezzz!

7th
My first actual controversial call. Stade Francais, they finished the table in 2nd last year! I just think their squad is not great. Good props in the Les Alo-Emile Freres. Brad Weber is at 9, great. Leo Barre is a young exciting winger but that sounds like a middle table squad. Not a finals squad. I dunno, their favourites for their opening round clash against Bordeaux who I think are way better. They have recruited an actually good flyhalf in Louis Carbonel which is promising. Maybe I'll eat my words but I think they'll miss finals.

6th
Clermont
will go way better than last year's 8th and make the finals! They have a great Aussie contingent so recommend for anyone following at home. Mike Ala'alatoa, Irae Simone, Alex Newsome, Folau Fainga'a, Rob Simmons then big strong boys in Marcos Kremer, Peceli Yato, Pita-Gus Sowakula. Sounds like a great forward pack with some mid backs. Hope they go well, should be fun to watch.

This is now getting tough. We know who's on top spot. But the four spots after number one are pretty close.

5th
I'll go with Racing 92, last year's 6th. Despite recruiting super serious man Owen Farrell they've also jettisoned 'fat & lazy' two time RWC winner Siya Kolisi. They have such a good squad, Camille Chat at hooker, Arrundell on the wing, Fickou in the centres, Woki in the backrow. But I don't think winners come from Paris. Too much fun stuff, we'll call it the Melbourne curse.

4th
I think Toulon (came 4th last year too) have a deeper squad than Racing: Kyle Sinckler, Facundo Isa, Lewis Ludlam, Baptise Serin, Paia'aua, Gabin Villiere, Fainga'anuku, Dan Biggar, Dave Ribbans. Good forwards and good backs. Maybe they won't have Melvyn Jaminet? He was a naughty boy and said some pretty islamophobic stuff. Probably turn up at Montpellier with Stuart Hogg.

3rd
Even deeper squad is Bordeaux who finished 2nd in the big dance. I think they are great, 2nd best fly half in France Jalibert with an overrated Lucu will have fun behind a great pack with Pete Samu, Adam Coleman, Lachie Swinton, Petti and Scotland's Jonny Gray. Also in the wing is a winger who I never rate then I watch him and turns out he's arguably top 2 wingers in the world, Damian Penaud. They will suffer from La Rochelle's return to form.

2nd
Most people get La Rochelle, they're a champion team. They've recruited Kane Douglas actually, so you can now have a forward pack of Tolu Latu Uini Antonio, Douglas, Skelton and Greg Alldritt in the third row with Botia on the side. Pretty handy. Great backs in Kerr-Barlow, Ihaia West, Danty, Teddy Thomas, Brice Dulin, Jack Nowell, Dillyn Leyds, Raymond Rhule. I think they had an off year last year, finishing 5th. They'll be back to the top this year. Most other competitions they're probably winning. Only one issue of course:

1st
Toulouse.

Not much of an explanation needed. Finished last year winning the double.

They have France's best tight head in Cyril Baille.
France's best hooker in Mauvaka, then 2nd best hooker in Marchand.
Best French lock in Meafou and take your pick to accompany him from Flament or Richie Arnold.
The best back row combination by far, with (my personal world number 1 for blindside) Anthony Jelonch, Francois Cros and of course England's Jack Willis.
Best player in the world - Dupont (though apparently he wants to play outside centre?)
France's best flyhalf by a country mile in Ntamack.
Outside this it gets a bit fuzzy actually and if they're to slip, it's their centres and wingers. Pita Ahki is great but not world class. Same for Chocobares, Matthis Lebel and Capuooooozzzzooo.
Thomas Ramos is France's best fullback and they also have Scotland's best fullback too, Blair Kinghorn. I think they'll be fine.

They haven't recruited much, their biggest recruit is actually Japan's starting scrumhalf, Naoto Saito. Guess he's expecting to play 9 whilst Dupont competes for France in fencing or something.


As an aside:
The tallest players in the Top 14 are Richie Arnold, then Adam Coleman. The heaviest locks are Skelton then Meafou.
 

Wilson

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
Premiership exploring a full merger with the URC, a British and Irish league, and an Anglo-Welsh league:

A proposal for a merger between the Premiership and the United Rugby Championship – which features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa – is being explored, Telegraph Sport can reveal.

The Premiership board is currently undertaking a strategic review to explore ways of increasing the value of future broadcasting deals ahead of going to market early next year for a new broadcasting deal for the start of the 2026 season, having signed a two-year deal with TNT earlier this year.

It is understood that the preference of the Premiership clubs, after a board meeting in London on Thursday morning, is to further explore the possibility of the creation of a British and Irish league, without the South African and Italian clubs part of the merger.

A number of options were presented for consideration.

A proposal for an Anglo-Welsh league was also considered as part of a strategic review to seek ways of increasing the value, as was the impact of reducing the Premiership to eight clubs, or increasing it from 10 clubs to 12, 14 or 16 teams.

The British and Irish league option is said to have attracted the most interest however, given that it has the potential to drive the greatest commercial value – but it would also be the most complicated to achieve.

The full merger feels like a non-starter (very 18-team super rugby) and the article doesn't mention the Italian or South African unions being consulted (though CVC are open to it with their ownership stake in both comps). It sounds more like it was floated as more of a smokescreen while the English work on blowing up the URC to sort their own means. It may also be easier for them to merge and cut Italy/SA than collapse the URC from the outside, getting them to the British and Irish league they want.

Not too surprising this is building steam, the Welsh have been in dire straits for a while and just don't seem able to find their groove in the URC. The level of Scottish and Irish interest might be the sticking point, but I have a feeling that if the Welsh jump shipped the writing would be on the wall for them.

South Africa have clout and options, so will probably work something out if this happens, but Italy are looking shit out of luck. I guess we might end up seeing a future URC which is an all of Europe club comp featuring clubs from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Georgia, Romania, etc. but I the money for that probably sees it drop back to more of a pro d2/championship level.

The other interesting aside as part of it was what changes it would force to the European Champions cup with one less competition:
One of the previous sticking points to the concept of uniting the English Premiership and the URC has been the detrimental impact it would have on the European Champions Cup.

But one solution has been advanced for an ‘FA Cup-style’ knock-out competition involving clubs from the French Top 14 to ensure it retains its point of difference within a revised European domestic structure.

Any merger of the prem and URC aside this sounds sick. An FA cup style comp featuring every pro club in Europe? Sign me the fuck up. I've always loved the idea and wish we could do something like it here, but the club->super structure doesn't support it you really can't have too much crossover between fulltime pros and amatuers in Rugby. Not sure how deep they'd really go in terms of teams, but if there was a way to get Pro D2 and Championship sides involved it would be huge for them.
 

Steve_Grey

Bill Watson (15)
Very interested to see how this progresses, and if a B&I League comes about, what SA do - I can see the Italian sides joining the French Pro 14/D2 without too many issues - but would SA then think about coming back to Super Rugby?
 

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
I think it would be hilarious if the Saffers were to be cut from a potential URC + Prem merger. After all the threats they made about going North and then actually doing (though I get that there was a push), plus their arrogance since, I would laugh my head off.
 

Bullrush

Geoff Shaw (53)
I think it would be hilarious if the Saffers were to be cut from a potential URC + Prem merger. After all the threats they made about going North and then actually doing (though I get that there was a push), plus their arrogance since, I would laugh my head off.
I would laugh and laugh and laugh and then very quickly lock them back in to Super Rugby....

Huge mistake by NZR to cut SA from our competition.
 

Italophile

Bill Watson (15)
Toulouse, minus about half a dozen of its best, pretty comfortably saw off La Rochelle on Sunday night. Match LaR upfront, which used to be easier said than done, is the key. "Bok Lite" is what my crabby French mate calls them.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Toulouse, minus about half a dozen of its best, pretty comfortably saw off La Rochelle on Sunday night. Match LaR upfront, which used to be easier said than done, is the key. "Bok Lite" is what my crabby French mate calls them.
I thought La Rochelle put in a better fight than that, especially away from home and they were also missing an impressive list of players. No doubt Toulouse were better but I think La Rochelle stole the lead for a bit with 15 to go.
 

Crashy

John Solomon (38)
Purely out of interest. Roughly what % of each French squad in the top 14 is made up of French players?
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
I think it's a minimum of 17 French-qualified players per squad per game.
It's JIFF rather than French per se, I think it's rolling average of 16, or lose competition points, are given access to additional funding if it's over 17, and can be fined for any individual match with fewer than 12.
 

Italophile

Bill Watson (15)
It's JIFF rather than French per se, I think it's rolling average of 16, or lose competition points, are given access to additional funding if it's over 17, and can be fined for any individual match with fewer than 12.
You're right. JIFF it is. Hence them scouring the PIs for kids in nappies.
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
You're right. JIFF it is. Hence them scouring the PIs for kids in nappies.
It's an odd situation because there will be French Internationals who don't count as JIFF to my understanding.

Anyway, JIFF is an EU loophole workaround with unintended consequences, not a sneaky way for them to get young foreigners in. Saying "Xplayers signed across your main squad and academy must be French" would illegally discriminatory for Irish, Italians etc. but "X players must have spent 3 years in France before the age of 21 or 5 years in France before the age of 23 is not".

Well, at least not yet anyway.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
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Kemeny gets his Saints debut this weekend starting at 6 in a pretty Australian team.
 
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