Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

An end to promotion play-offs ... what a smart idea

By James Harrington
Bristol's Jason Woodward

Scrapping the play-off for promotion to the Aviva Premiership is old school smart, writes James Harrington

ADVERTISEMENT

One of the biggest handicaps facing clubs promoted from the Greene King IPA Championship to the Aviva Premiership will be lifted from next season.

The English RFU Council has rubber-stamped a three-season plan put forward by the organisers of the two leagues and the RFU to remove the end-of-season play-off system between the top four teams in the second tier to decide who will be named champions and promoted to the top flight assuming certain criteria, including stadium standards, are met.

The multi-million pound deal – part-financed by additional funding from the RFU and Premiership Rugby (PRL) – also features increased payments to each Championship club plus additional payments based on clubs’ final league positions to ensure competition throughout the season.  

In a statement, the RFU’s chief executive Ian Ritchie said: “The first-past-the-post system will allow the promoted club a greater amount of time to recruit ahead of the next season, which is important for their preparation in playing in the Premiership.”

With even greater honesty, Premiership Rugby’s chief executive Mark McCafferty, said: “It’s vital that any club being promoted from the Greene King IPA Championship is as prepared as it can be to compete, given the quality and intensity of Premiership Rugby.

“The current play-off system does not always help with that, whereas a return to first-past-the-post from next season will provide the potential for more advanced planning and recruitment.”

ADVERTISEMENT

[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1473723660″]

The decision is a recognition that the promotion play-off system is a farce that serves no good rugby purpose.

Bristol won promotion via the play-offs last season, having finished top of the table in four of the five campaigns from 2011 to 2016. They finished the regular season 16 points clear of the chasing pack. For months, it was clear to anyone paying even the vaguest attention that they were the best side in the league.

But they still had to win a two-leg play-off, which they had failed to do in three previous attempts. As a result of that uncertainty, they were left way behind in the annual open season for the signatures of out-of-contract players when they could have started recruiting much earlier.

It has turned into a major problem, as they head into the closing six rounds of the Premiership at the foot of the table, with just three wins from their 16 matches so far.

ADVERTISEMENT

They could yet pull off a great escape after newly arrived consultant Alan Solomons engineered a win over Bath last weekend. But the arrival of Pat Lam and Steven Luatua next season, and some key players agreeing to remain, regardless of the level of competition indicates that Bristol are hoping for the best and already planning for the worst.

As of March 3 this year, current Championship leaders London Irish had 15 wins from 15, with a points difference of +295; they had picked up 12 try-scoring bonus points and – with five matches of the regular season remaining – were 15 points clear of nearest rivals Yorkshire Carnegie. Yet, no matter how likely it seems that they will finish top of the table, they will still face that two-leg play-off.

They are in a slightly different position, after being relegated from the English top flight at the end of the 2015/16 season. They were able to keep the core of their side together, and – assuming they win the play-off – would be better prepared for any relegation dogfight in the immediate seasons to come.

Regardless, the RFU Council’s decision is to be welcomed. It’s old school, but it’s sensible.

ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

34 Go to comments
j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING RFU statement: TMO reaction to alleged foul play against Owen Farrell RFU statement: TMO reaction to alleged foul play against Owen Farrell
Search