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Irish suffer eve-of-Premiership blow as CEO Facer quits

By Online Editors
(Photo by Jacques Feeney/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

London Irish have launched a search for a new CEO after confirming that Brian Facer, who joined the Exiles from Northampton in November 2017, will leave the club in early 2021 to take up the chief executive position at British Cycling.

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Allan Robson, London Irish chairman, said: “We are obviously disappointed that Brian is leaving London Irish, but we wish him every success for the future in a role that is understandably of huge appeal to him, as a keen cycling enthusiast and follower of the sport.

“He has played an integral role during his time with us and will continue to do so in the coming months as we transition into our new stadium in Brentford at a time when we are also continuing to navigate our way through the Covid-19 pandemic.

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“If these last few months have taught us anything, it’s that we have got a very strong executive management team in place at the club and we have every confidence in their ability and dedication to continue to steer us in a positive direction whilst we consider our next move.

“A new season is upon us and everyone at the club, from the players to the coaches to the staff, and of course our loyal supporters, are all pulling in the same direction – we are excited about the campaign ahead, our first back in London after more than 20 years.”

Facer added: “I would like to take some time to thank all the board of directors, staff, players and supporters of London Irish where I have spent a very happy and eventful three years. We have achieved some significant things, such as completing the move to the Brentford Community Stadium; bringing in a world-class coaching team led by Declan Kidney; retaining our place in the Premiership; and signing some of the best players in the world.

“The supporters made me feel very welcome and I believe we have had a great relationship during my time. And the staff have never given anything less than 100 per-cent, not least during what has been a very challenging last seven months.

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“Special thanks to Mick Crossan as the club’s president, whose investment in the club underpinned what we have achieved in that time. I will look back fondly on my time at what is a special club and will always feel a part of the Exiles.”

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Sam T 2 hours ago
Jake White: Let me clear up some things

I remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.

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Ed the Duck 9 hours ago
How Leinster neutralised 'long-in-the-tooth' La Rochelle

Hey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂

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