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Rugby union's latest civil war set to involve England, France and money - reports

By Online Editors
Wales' Alun Wyn Jones is tackled by England's Manu Tuilagi during last month's Guinness Six Nations match in Cardiff (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The Le Crunch duo of England and France have always felt they hold the whip hand when it comes it rugby in Europe. They were in the vanguard when the old ERC European Cup was disbanded in 2014 in favour of the EPCR Champions Cup, and now they are sabre-rattling again, demanding more of a financial share-out from the Six Nations to buy the support of their all-powerful clubs.  

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According to a report in the Wednesday edition of the UK Guardian newspaper, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy have been left to question the real value of offers from four investment companies for a minority shareholder stake in the Six Nations. 

Upwards of 27% equity would be given up in the business, allowing the successful bidder take over the commercial arm of the tournament and likely spelling the end of the Six Nations being exclusively shown on free-to-air TV in the half-dozen participating countries.

The demand by England and France for a greater share of potential revenue for their clubs has created unease in the other four countries as they are concerned it would potentially leave them more vulnerable when trying to hold onto their best players in a market where better salaries are generally available in the Premiership and Top 14.

The Guardian claimed that the Rugby Football Union was called on at a recent meeting to show some leadership due to Premiership Rugby becoming increasingly bullish after its equity deal with CVC.

(Continue reading below…)

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Apparently, the RFU has been considering contingency plans should it fail to reach agreement with its clubs over the international calendar. One alternative would even see newly formed English regional teams entering the PRO14 with players centrally contracted.

As it stands, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy would allegedly gain more financially from World Rugby’s plan to set up a Nations Championship from 2022.

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However, the sticking point here is that Ireland, Scotland and Italy oppose the insistence on relegation being introduced to the Six Nations and to the Rugby Championship even though it could take the form of a play-off and a parachute payment would be made.

World Rugby met the leading unions, together with Fiji and Japan, in Dublin last week and initially gave them two weeks to sign a due diligence agreement. That deadline has since been put back until 5 April. Under the plan there would be no involvement of private investment companies and the Six Nations would remain on free-to-air television.

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Jon 7 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”?

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j
john 10 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.

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A
Adrian 11 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

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