Multi-team merger 'not something that is on the table'

Newcastle Falcons communications manager Mark Smith has clarified that a theoretical merger between several professional rugby clubs in the north of England, as suggested in a think piece by former Newcastle Falcons executive Mick Hogan, is “not on the table.”

Hogan’s piece, published in The Rugby Paper, proposed the radical move of merging Sale Sharks with Newcastle and potentially including Doncaster Knights or Leeds, in order to create a new Premiership Rugby team called “The North.”

The super-club would pool resources and consolidate the rugby union audience in the north of England.

However, Faclons’ Smith was quick to clarify that Hogan’s opinion is not reflective of the position of the Falcons or any of the other clubs mentioned.

Smith took to Twitter to emphasize that “this is just his personal opinion and not something that is on the table, in case anyone is tempted to misinterpret the wording of Ross’s tweet,” referring to a tweet from The Rugby Paper journalist Ross Heppenstall, who had shared the article.

Worth stressing this is just his personal opinion and not something that is on the table, in case anyone is tempted to misinterpret the wording of Ross’s tweet. https://t.co/uFBWUkjsmR

— mark smith (@markismith50) April 30, 2023

The proposed merger, while intriguing, would face numerous logistical challenges, including the need for agreement between the clubs involved, as well as approval from Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union.

Any merger would also put many professional players and staff out of job.

While the idea of combining forces to create a team representing the north of England is not a new one and has been discussed in various forms, it’s an intriguing idea.